Overview
- President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States is holding talks with Iran and expressed optimism those discussions could quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran’s foreign ministry publicly denied direct talks with Washington and said it is negotiating with Oman to establish a safe transit route through the strait.
- Maritime violence has continued in the waterway, with UKMTO reporting a freighter struck by an unknown projectile and commercial tracking showing ships still routed under contesting controls.
- Trump says he postponed planned major U.S. strikes after pressure from Gulf states that have been mediating between Tehran and Washington and shuttling diplomacy in the region.
- The conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites on Feb. 28 has broader human costs: Iran executed two men accused of spying for Israel and hospitals and aid groups warn of worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza.