Lead
US President Donald Trump says the United States is having "good talks" with Iran and that there is a chance of a deal over their conflict, but he warns that US strikes will resume if the negotiations fail to deliver. In an interview with N12 News on Monday, Trump said, "We are having deep talks with Iran. If they are not successful, we will return to powerful military action."
Washington abruptly suspended a two-week campaign of air strikes on Iran on Saturday, in what ABC Australia described as Trump's latest strategic U-turn in the five-month-old conflict. Trump said he paused the strikes to give negotiations another chance, adding that he would not give the talks "much time." "Either it will move forward quickly, or it will not happen at all," he said.
Coverage Comparison
The three outlets covering the story agree on the core facts: Trump has paused US strikes to pursue diplomacy, and he threatens to resume military action if talks fail. However, they differ in emphasis and additional detail.
ABC Australia focused on the suspension of the military campaign and immediate regional reactions. The outlet reported that Tehran appeared to quickly test the pause, with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reporting drone attacks on Monday. It also noted that oil prices tumbled after the end of the US campaign.
Deutsche Welle emphasized the ongoing military operations, reporting that the US had struck Iran for the 13th consecutive night. The outlet also reported that Iran-backed Houthis said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, and noted a major nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia.
Jerusalem Post centered on Trump's interview with N12 News, quoting his "deep talks" remark and his threat to return to "powerful military action" if negotiations fail. The outlet also reported that Middle Eastern countries involved in the talks told Trump not to "shoot," influencing his decision to hold off on renewing major strikes.
Key Claims
- Trump says the US is having "good talks" with Iran and sees a chance of a deal. At a campaign rally in Michigan, he said of Iran: "You can't bribe them. You've got to beat them, and we'll beat the hell out of them. But we'll see how it turns out. Right now, there are very friendly negotiations going on." (ABC Australia, Jerusalem Post)
- Washington suspended its air strike campaign on Saturday. ABC Australia reported the two-week campaign was halted; Deutsche Welle reported strikes had continued for 13 consecutive nights, with US Central Command saying attacks targeted military capabilities threatening commercial shipping.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said messages were still being passed between the sides through mediators and that Iran had not forsaken diplomacy, but reports that it requested negotiations were "fabricated." "This is not in our DNA," he said. (ABC Australia)
- Regional incidents followed the pause: Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reported drone attacks on Monday. Saudi Arabia said it shot down drones aimed at petroleum targets, including in Riyadh, and said they had been launched from Iraq by Iran-backed armed groups. Iran's central military command accused the US of threatening vessels and oil tankers in its territorial waters and of "attempting to implement an illegal maritime blockade." (ABC Australia)
- Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen said they had targeted the East-West Pipeline carrying oil to Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea terminal. (ABC Australia)
- Trump claimed Iran is getting "very serious" in discussions, and said China and Russia are not selling weapons to Iran. (Deutsche Welle)
- A ceasefire deal between the US and Iran fell apart on July 8, according to Deutsche Welle, which also reported that the UN warned the conflict could spiral out of control.