Trump Signals 'Good Chance' of Iran Breakthrough as US Pauses Strikes
President Trump said there's a good chance diplomacy with Iran could end months of fighting, but warned he'd resume airstrikes if negotiations fail. Both sides have paused attacks while mediators work to restart talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Diplomatic Opening in US-Iran Conflict
US President Donald Trump said he'd prefer to avoid another escalation in the war with Iran and urged Tehran to make a deal, laying the ground for further diplomacy after both sides paused tit-for-tat strikes. Trump told Fox News on Tuesday, "I think we have a very strong position right now."
Current Negotiations Focus
The US and Iran extended their pause in hostilities, with the focus turning to talks between Tehran and Oman over restarting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman spent the weekend in talks negotiating an arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Omani officials proposing a regional consortium to oversee maritime security, while Iran insisted on retaining control over the strait and collecting transit fees.
Cautious Positions
Trump said there was "a good chance" that the new round of diplomacy with Iran could yield a breakthrough, but warned that he would quickly resume airstrikes if that did not happen. However, Iran has publicly denied holding direct talks with Washington at all, with the foreign ministry's spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei saying Tehran was not negotiating with the United States but adding that "intermediaries may convey messages."
Broader Context
Former US officials said Iran probably sees Trump's leverage waning as the November midterm elections approach, with some top Republican officials already urging Trump to end the conflict. A US official and mediators said Iran and Oman were still far apart on some issues, though both sides said progress had been made.
Sources
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-28/trump-talks-up-iran-diplomacy-as-negotiations-focus-on-hormuz
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/28/trump-says-good-chance-of-progress-in-iran-talks-what-we-know
- https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/trump-talks-iran-diplomacy-negotiations-082955877.html