Trump says US and Iran in talks as drone attacks hit Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq
President Donald Trump announced that the United States is holding "good talks" with Iran and hinted at a possible deal, while Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reported drone strikes linked to Iran-backed groups.
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday that the United States was engaged in "good talks" with Iran and that a deal was possible, adding that if negotiations failed the U.S. would resume its recent air campaign. "We're talking right now," he said. "We're having good talks... I think there's a good chance that something could happen, and if it does, good, if it doesn't, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago."
Despite the president's remarks, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq each reported drone attacks on Monday. Saudi officials said they intercepted drones targeting petroleum facilities in Riyadh, which they said were launched from Iraq by Iran-backed militias. Yemen’s Houthi forces, allied with Iran, claimed to have struck the East-West oil pipeline that supplies Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, citing retaliation for alleged Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told a televised press conference that Tehran had not requested peace talks with the United States and dismissed reports of Iranian overtures as fabricated, stating, "This is not in our DNA."
The United States halted a two-week air-strike campaign against Iran on Saturday, a move described by a senior U.S. official as reflecting military advice that the operation had exhausted its available targets and munitions. The pause caused Brent crude prices to fall sharply, dropping from just above $100 a barrel to below $89.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the suspension was intended to create space for negotiations, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials have characterized Iran as seeking a deal. Iran, however, maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz and has warned that vessels must use a channel it supervises, a point of contention in the June framework agreement that set a timeline for broader talks on issues including Iran’s nuclear program.