We'll go back to what we were doing, Trump warns if Iran talks fail

Donald Trump said the US and Iran were holding good talks but warned strikes would resume if diplomacy failed. The remarks came as regional drone attacks and the Strait of Hormuz dispute underlined how fragile the truce remains.

In Short

• Washington paused its two-week bombing campaign after commanders flagged shrinking targets
• General Dan Caine reportedly raised concerns over depleting US air munitions
• Tehran said mediator channels remain open but denied requesting negotiations

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington and Tehran were holding “good talks” and that there was a “good chance” of reaching a deal, but warned that US military strikes against Iran would resume if negotiations failed.

“We’re having good talks. I think there’s a good chance that something could happen, and if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago,” Trump told reporters.

Hours later, speaking at a campaign rally in Michigan, Trump struck a tougher tone, saying Iran could not be “bribed” and warning that the United States would “beat the hell out of them” if diplomacy did not succeed.

The comments came as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reported drone attacks on Monday, adding to concerns that the pause in direct US military action may not yet have eased regional tensions.

WASHINGTON SUSPENDS AIR CAMPAIGN

The United States suspended a two-week bombing campaign against Iran on Saturday. According to a US official and several US media reports, military commanders advised Trump that the strikes had reached the limits of what they could achieve and that available targets were diminishing.

The official told Reuters that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine had also raised concerns about the depletion of air munitions.

Trump dismissed suggestions that the US military was facing ammunition shortages, saying inventories were being rebuilt rapidly and that he wanted more advanced weapons systems.

TEHRAN DENIES SEEKING NEGOTIATIONS

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran had not abandoned diplomacy and that messages were still being exchanged through mediators. However, he rejected reports that Iran had requested negotiations, calling them “fabricated.”

“This is not in our DNA,” Baghaei said.

A senior Iranian official had told Reuters on Sunday that Iran would halt its own attacks as long as Trump’s self-imposed ceasefire remained in effect.

SAUDI ARABIA AND HOUTHIS TRADE ACCUSATIONS

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones targeting petroleum facilities, including sites in Riyadh, and accused Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq of launching the attacks. Riyadh said it reserved the right to respond.

Separately, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for an attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline leading to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, saying it was retaliation for Saudi drone incursions.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ EMERGES AS KEY FLASHPOINT

Iran’s central military command accused the United States of threatening vessels and oil tankers in Iranian territorial waters and attempting to impose an “illegal maritime blockade,” which it said would constitute an escalation of the regional conflict.

Tehran also insisted it remained in control of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes. Iranian state media reported that six “offending ships” had been turned back on Monday after attempting to cross the strait without permission.

Washington and Tehran have interpreted a June framework for talks differently. The United States says the agreement requires Iran to allow free passage through the strait, while Iran maintains that it retains authority to supervise transit and impose related fees.

TALKS CONTINUE AMID FRAGILE TRUCE

The renewed US bombing campaign reportedly killed scores of people in Iran and damaged military targets as well as infrastructure in the country’s south. Iran, in turn, struck targets linked to US forces and civilian infrastructure in Gulf states.

Despite the continuing military threats and competing claims over the Strait of Hormuz, both Washington and Tehran say indirect contacts through mediators are continuing, with formal talks aimed at resolving disputes over Iran’s nuclear program expected by the end of August.

- Ends