Overview
- President Donald Trump said he halted a planned “massive” military strike to allow negotiations to proceed and called the current effort Iran’s “last chance,” with talks he described beginning on Monday.
- Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei rejected U.S. claims of direct talks and said Tehran’s contacts are with Oman and focus on technical arrangements for a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Mediators report progress on an Iran‑Oman maritime arrangement intended to ease passage, but Iran says any deal would protect its sovereign control over the strait rather than restore prewar free passage.
- A vessel reported being struck near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO said, illustrating that shipping remains at risk even as oil prices fell on hopes of de‑escalation.
- Gulf states have pressed for diplomacy and the split in public statements raises the chance of further pauses and flare‑ups, with consequences for regional security, commercial shipping and global energy markets.