Lead

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that new negotiations with Iran will begin on Monday afternoon, after he called off what he described as a planned "massive attack" on the country. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the talks would take "the form of a negotiation," without providing details on the venue or participants.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Al Jazeera, the BBC, the Jerusalem Post, the South China Morning Post, and TASS all confirm that Trump announced the resumption of talks and that he had decided to hold off on strikes. The BBC and the Jerusalem Post both noted that the decision came after requests from US allies in the Middle East, while the South China Morning Post reported that Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar had asked Trump to hold off. TASS similarly reported that the attack was called off at the request of those four countries.

Coverage varied in emphasis. Al Jazeera's reports focused on the pause of the attack and the imminent talks, with one piece highlighting an analyst's observation that breakthrough announcements often come just before financial markets open. The BBC reported that global oil prices fell in Asian trading on Monday morning following Trump's announcement. The Jerusalem Post described the talks as "renewed negotiations" set for Monday afternoon, while the South China Morning Post quoted Trump's claim that Middle Eastern allies had reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war.

Key Claims

  • Trump said new talks with Iran will begin on Monday afternoon, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. This was reported by Al Jazeera, the BBC, the Jerusalem Post, the South China Morning Post, and TASS.
  • Trump said he called off the strikes after being asked by Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar to hold off. This was reported by the South China Morning Post, TASS, and the BBC, which quoted Trump as saying, "When the allies asked to call it off, you've got to sort of say: 'Well, let's see.'"
  • Trump said the emerging deal would include the "Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat," as reported by the South China Morning Post and TASS, quoting his Truth Social post.
  • The BBC reported that global oil prices fell on Monday morning in Asian trading, with Brent Crude down 4.5% to $83.98 and US-traded oil down 4.6% to $80.74.
  • The BBC also reported that Iran had not yet responded to Trump's remarks, and that Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency denied that Tehran had asked the US to hold off on military action, calling Trump's claims "nothing but a new lie."
  • Al Jazeera reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the US to "remain committed" to a memorandum of understanding signed in June, saying the interim deal "will be the centre of gravity" of Tehran's foreign relations.

Perspectives

US Administration: President Trump framed the decision to call off strikes as a response to allied requests, saying, "We were all set to go... The reason they asked is they think there's a deal." He said the deal would address the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program, and he declined to set a deadline, adding, "We'll just see how it is. We're ready to go anytime we want... I'm not looking to kill people."

Iranian Government: While Iran had not officially responded to Trump's remarks as of the reports, the semi-official Mehr news agency denied that Tehran had asked the US to hold off on strikes, describing Trump's claims as "nothing but a new lie." Separately, President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the US to remain committed to the June memorandum of understanding, signaling a willingness to continue with the interim deal.