Rescuers carrying a body at the site of a strike carried out during the
40-day U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Iran denied any negotiations were taking place with the United States after President Donald Trump said new talks would begin Monday (August 3, 2026) in an effort to end their war, now in its sixth month.

Aslo Read: West Asia updates on August 3, 2026

The rebuttal by the Iranian Foreign Ministry follows Mr. Trump saying he had held off launching new strikes on the Islamic republic to allow for further diplomatic efforts, a familiar pattern in the conflict.

Washington and Tehran have been at war since February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran, though months of on-off diplomacy have led to periods of relative calm.

Mr. Trump last week threatened to hit Iran “very hard”, with the U.S. leader reportedly considering renewed attacks, including against energy infrastructure.

But the President pulled back from that threat Saturday, saying the “perimeters” of a deal were there.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry however denied there were currently negotiations taking place.

“We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei during a weekly press briefing.

The Hormuz shipping route is a major sticking point in efforts to end the war. Iran has obstructed vessels attempting to pass the critical trade corridor, firing on commercial ships.

Before the war, there was free passage through the strait, but Iran now insists on retaining control and charging fees, something the U.S. rejects.

Tehran has refused to let ships travel any route other than one which hugs the Iranian coast.

On Sunday (August 2), Baqaei told state television that a deal was close on managing Hormuz together with Oman, which sits on the other side of the narrow waterway.

“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides — neither the northern route nor the southern route — but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he said.

But he insisted that such an agreement did not mean the reopening of the strait.

‘It begins tomorrow’

On Sunday (August 2), a tanker off the coast of Oman reported hearing an explosion nearby, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported, but the ship and crew were all reported safe.

Mr. Trump told reporters on Sunday that the new talks with Iran would cover Hormuz and ultimately the denuclearisation of Iran.

The U.S. President said at the start of the conflict that the war was necessary to deal with Iran’s nuclear programme. Western nations accuse Iran of seeking a bomb, though Tehran insists the programme is entirely civilian in nature.

“Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, without providing details of the venue or participants.

The President said he had been asked by Iran as well as U.S. partners Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to hold off on further strikes, which he claimed would have been “the biggest attack since World War II”.

Iranian media denied that Tehran had asked Mr. Trump not to strike.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed a settlement to end the war is near, only for fighting to resume. He has previously issued apocalyptic warnings to Tehran, only to later backtrack by saying diplomacy was underway.

A previous ceasefire deal between the foes fell through last month. It was supposed to open the Strait of Hormuz to ships carrying vital energy exports from the Gulf to feed the global economy.

Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the parliament’s national security commission, said on Sunday that mediators were trying to revive the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that was agreed in June.

That agreement was not intended as a final peace deal, but as a stepping stone to negotiations on a comprehensive agreement, though it did include provisions on Hormuz.

“They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Mr. Ghashghavi said.

Posting on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”

Published – August 03, 2026 11:23 pm IST

An Iranian official began meetings Tuesday (July 21, 2026) with mediators in Pakistan as diplomats sought to salvage the collapsed interim deal between Iran and the United States, even as both countries continued to launch attacks for a 10th day of renewed fighting.

The visit by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni comes as Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts in recent days to resuscitate the deal. However, it remains unclear just what new arrangement could be reached to end the fighting.

West Asia war updates on July 21, 2026

Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday (July 21, 2026), forcing its crew to abandon the ship, while the United States conducted yet another round of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic.

The 10 consecutive nights of U..S airstrikes haven’t compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait, through which about a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime.

The interim deal signed last month that was meant to end the fighting has crumbled. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. And as fighting intensifies, both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.

“Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world,” the U.S. State Department said in a new warning to Americans.

The escalation has pushed oil prices higher in recent weeks. Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday at nearly USD 90 a barrel and regular gasoline in the US climbed to an average of $4 a gallon, keeping pressure on Americans’ wallets ahead of midterm elections this fall.

President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to warn that “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!”

Iranian official begins meetings in Pakistan

Momeni met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. Momeni later met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan’s political leadership and Munir, who serves as both the chief of army staff and defense forces, have played a key role in brokering last month’s interim agreement between the United States and Iran. Islamabad has been working to persuade both sides to return to the negotiating table to resolve outstanding issues under the June memorandum of understanding.

Authorities did not immediately release details of the meeting, which came as Tehran continued its attacks on Gulf Arab allies of the U.S.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the U.S. is still open to negotiating with Iran but that “it has to be real.” It remains unclear whether Tehran will offer anything that Trump would consider “real.”

U.S. strikes come as ships attacked

The U.S. military’s Central Command said Tuesday it targeted “Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems.” It released more footage of bombings that targeted sites in Iran.

“American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait,” the command said.

Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard in Fars, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces.

However, traffic through the strait has slowed to a crawl during the latest violence. Lloyd’s List Intelligence said only three ships transited the strait on Sunday.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack, as well as two other attacks on ships Monday in the waterway.

The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control. The UKMTO separately reported Tuesday that another previously unknown attack on a ship took place early the previous day.

Iran strikes U.S. allies around the region

Tehran also hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East. Jordan military’s said Tuesday (July 21, 2026) that Iran targeted it with five drones and three missiles, all of which were shot down. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Tuesday (July 21, 2026) afternoon as another Iranian barrage targeted the island kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

In Kuwait, its Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry said that Tehran had struck desalination and power plants for a fourth straight day on Monday night. Authorities said the attacks sparked fires and caused damage.

Some 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from desalination, making the attacks a matter of life and death for the tiny nation.

U.S. strikes have been hitting electrical equipment in Iran as well, and Iranian officials also have said Americans targeted water facilities.

Published – July 21, 2026 10:45 pm IST

Image used for representational purposes. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised Gulf allies of the United States on Wednesday that Washington would protect their interests as it seeks to hammer out a final settlement of the Middle East war in talks with Iran. 

Mr. Rubio is on a regional tour to reassure the Gulf states, which were targeted by Tehran’s missiles and drones during the conflict and saw their crucial oil and gas shipments effectively cut off by an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

During a visit to Kuwait City, Mr. Rubio said Washington would be on the same page as Gulf states as it wrangles with Iran over a permanent settlement to the conflict.

“We’re going to be completely aligned with our partners in the Gulf,” he said, adding that the United States would “engage them on conversations about every decision that’s made with regards to this negotiation.”

Mr. Rubio is due to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain on Thursday after sitting down with the leaders of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. 

-AFP

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that the Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran, state media reported today, following talks pushing to end the US-Israeli war on the Islamic republic.

Iran and the United States agreed on yesterday to set up communication lines to keep the vital shipping route open and end fighting in Lebanon, mediators said, after their first round of talks in Switzerland toward ending the conflict that has engulfed the West Asia.

“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law,” Ghalibaf said on his return from the talks, according to IRNA.

In a video posted to Ghalibaf’s Telegram account, he said the talks at the luxury Swiss resort of Burgenstock produced “good achievements”.

-AFP

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday (June 22, 2026) there was “major progress” in talks with the United States.

“Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War,” Mr. Araghchi posted on X.

“Oil and petrochem exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction & development plan launched for Iran.” — AFP

Pakistan will continue to support the implementation of the understanding between Iran and the U.S., said the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday (June 21, 2026). Pakistan was the mediator between U.S. and Iran for a peace deal.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry further said that PM Shehbaz Sharif and field Marshal Asim Munir left for Burgenstock, Switzerland to participate in talks on implementation of an MoU.

“On the sidelines of the talks, PM Sharif is expected to hold bilateral interactions with the participating delegates,” said the Foreign Ministry. — Reuters

Image for representation
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian holding a document showing a Memorandum of understanding he signed to end the West Asia war on June 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AFP