Washington, Aug. 3 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran will resume on Monday after he canceled a planned large-scale military strike against Tehran, while War Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces remain prepared for military action if necessary.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said a new round of negotiations with Iran would begin Monday afternoon, according to CNN. He said Iranian officials had become aware of the scale of the planned operation after detecting signs of military preparations.
Trump said he decided to call off the strike following requests from U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as a direct request from Iran. He said those parties believed there was an opportunity to reach an agreement addressing both the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump announced on Sunday that he had canceled the military operation planned for later this week, saying the decision was intended to create space for a swift diplomatic agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.
The announcement came as the White House reaffirmed that diplomacy remains Washington’s preferred approach toward Iran. Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the United States and Israel had prepared contingency plans over the weekend to target Iranian energy infrastructure.
Separately, Hegseth said U.S. forces continue to increase their readiness in response to developments involving Iran.
In a post on X on Sunday, Hegseth said the United States “has been and remains prepared” to launch military strikes against Iran “on a scale not seen in the region since World War II.”
His remarks came after Trump announced the resumption of negotiations with Iran, underscoring that Washington continues to pursue diplomacy while maintaining military readiness.
N.J/ABD
