TEHRAN — Iran insists it is not talking directly to the United States, even as both sides prepare for new negotiations aimed at easing a five-month war that has shaken global energy markets. Instead, Tehran says its only active talks are with Oman, focused on keeping the strategic Strait of Hormuz open for shipping.
“We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters on Aug. 3.
Since the war began on Feb. 28, Iran has controlled the narrow waterway, a vital artery for about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas. Ships must now ask Tehran for permission, follow an Iranian-designated route, and pay service fees to pass, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
Baqaei called the Oman talks “constructive,” saying they were meant to agree on a new shipping corridor. He urged regional and international powers to see Iran’s move as responsible and respond in kind. But he repeated that as long as the U.S. Navy blockades Iranian ports, conditions in the strait would not change.
Hours later, U.S. President Donald Trump said fresh talks to wind down the war would begin on the afternoon of Aug. 3. He announced he had paused plans for what he called “the biggest attack since World War II,” after Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates pressed for more time for diplomacy. Trump also said unnamed Iranian officials had asked for a delay.
He gave no details on who would take part, but said the goal was to end the fighting and restore cargo traffic through Hormuz. Over the past months, Trump’s repeated threats of large-scale strikes, often followed by last-minute reversals or renewed attacks, have become a hallmark of the conflict, fueling uncertainty and driving up fuel and food prices worldwide.
In a separate development, Iran executed two men convicted of spying for Israel, the judiciary reported. Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat were hanged for allegedly passing coordinates of sensitive military sites to Mossad, according to Mizan, the judicial media outlet. They were described as having aided Israeli intelligence during the war.
Rights groups note that Iran, already the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China, has accelerated hangings since the war began, with many prisoners accused of espionage for Israel or the United States.
