US President Donald Trump announced that new negotiations with Iran are scheduled to begin on Monday afternoon. The announcement follows his decision to call off what he described as massive
strikes against the country, according to reports from BBC News.
Trump Cancels Massive Strikes and Announces New Talks
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated that Iranian officials knew the extent of the attack because they saw it forming.
He added, We’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon.
According to Bloomberg, the president noted that the planned military action would have constituted the biggest attack since World War II
had it proceeded.
Allied Pleas and Middle East Diplomacy
In a post on Truth Social, Trump explained that he decided to hold off on the military offensive after receiving requests from Iran and United States allies in the Middle East. He noted that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, alongside partners from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, urged him against executing the weekend strikes because they believed the parameters of a deal had already been established.
We were all set to go,
Trump told reporters on Air Force One. The reason they asked is [that] they think there’s a deal. There’s a deal on Hormuz, and there will be a deal on the nuclear.
Despite the diplomatic opening, responses from Tehran remained mixed. Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency disputed claims that Tehran had asked the US to halt military action, labeling the assertion a lie. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that separate negotiations with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz were progressing toward finalisation. Furthermore, Iran’s acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza maintained that Tehran treated all adversary threats as real and credible, asserting that the nation would neither be caught off guard nor remain passive.
Global Market Reactions and Economic Impact
Global energy markets responded swiftly to the de-escalation announcement. During Monday morning trading in Asia, Brent Crude oil fell by 4.5% to $83.98, while US-traded oil dropped 4.6% to $80.74. Energy prices have experienced frequent fluctuations since the conflict began on February 28, driven largely by ongoing shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas typically flows.
Prediction markets have also reacted to the shifting geopolitical landscape. According to cryptobriefing.com, current market pricing reflects a 29% probability for a US-Iran deal involving reconstruction funding by 2026, with market participants closely monitoring the upcoming talks for signs of formal progress.
Uncertainty Ahead in Long-Running Conflict
While the incoming talks offer a pause in hostilities, the path forward remains complex. Trump declined to specify a deadline for reaching a final agreement with Tehran, stating, We’ll just see how it is. We’re ready to go anytime we want… I’m not looking to kill people.
The venue and specific attendees for Monday’s discussions have not yet been publicly disclosed.
Observers note that the conflict has historically faced recurrent cycles of temporary ceasefires followed by renewed military friction. Trump has previously vowed that negotiated resolutions were imminent, only to see diplomatic frameworks challenged by recurring hostilities and disputes over regional shipping control.
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