President Donald Trump called Iran’s leadership unbelievably duplicitous on Monday after Tehran publicly denied his claim that negotiations with Washington were about to begin, leaving the two governments describing the same diplomacy in incompatible terms.
Trump insisted talks were taking place, telling reporters they were going on at that moment. Iran’s Foreign Ministry had said hours earlier that it was negotiating only with Oman.
What did each side say?
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran that there was no immediate plan for talks with the United States and no plan to host or send delegations in the coming days.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would open to marine traffic on Tuesday, describing it as “phase one”, with Iran’s nuclear programme to follow. He said this was Tehran’s last chance to reach an agreement, while adding that he was under no time pressure because he is not seeking re-election.
United States officials told CBS News that no new negotiations with Iran were scheduled.
What is actually moving through the strait?
Shipping data indicates traffic remains far below pre-war levels. The analytics firm Kpler recorded nine confirmed transits of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, including two sanctioned vessels and two from the shadow fleet. Seven used a route established by Iran, under which operators coordinate with Tehran and may pay a toll.
| Chokepoint | Transits | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Strait of Hormuz | 9 (Sunday) | 7 via Iranian-set route |
| Bab el-Mandeb | 30 (Sunday) | Down from 41 on 31 July |
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a tanker master reported an explosion close to his vessel about 20 nautical miles north-east of Khasab, Oman, at the mouth of the strait, late on Sunday. The vessel and crew were reported safe and the incident is under investigation.
Are the US and Iran negotiating?
As of Monday 3 August 2026, the United States and Iran gave contradictory accounts of whether negotiations were taking place. President Donald Trump said talks were underway and described Iran’s leadership as unbelievably duplicitous after Tehran denied his earlier claim that discussions would begin that afternoon. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran was negotiating only with Oman, on a temporary route for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and had no plan for direct talks with Washington. US officials told CBS News that no new negotiations were scheduled. Trump said the strait would reopen to marine traffic on Tuesday as the first phase of an agreement, with Iran’s nuclear programme forming a second phase. The war between the two countries is in its sixth month.
What is reportedly on the table?
A regional official involved in mediation told the Associated Press that the proposal Trump announced at the weekend would return both sides to negotiations, reopen the strait, and halt attacks across the region, including strikes by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq against Gulf states and Jordan.
In exchange, the United States would end its naval blockade and permit Iran to export oil. CNBC reported that a parallel track between Tehran and Muscat was also advancing.
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Sources for this report
The Redline News Desk
The Redline News desk files and edits world reporting. Every story carries the sources it was built from, and corrections are published on the story itself.
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