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US, Iran passing messages through intermediaries, Tehran says

PHOTO: A small boat sails past cargo ships and other commercial vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026.
1:11
Amirhosein Khorgooi/AP Photo
Iran and Oman close to agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Iran officials say
By David Brennan, Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: August 3, 2026, 7:18 PM

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.

Key Headlines

  • Hamas says it 'affirms its commitment' to Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan
  • Trump says US 'semi-negotiating' with Iran: Report
  • Netanyahu rejects Board of Peace 15-point plan until Hamas 'truly disarmed'
  • US, Iran passing messages through intermediaries, Tehran says
  • Vance says US has made progress with Iran during talks but warns, 'this thing is not over'
Here's how the news is developing.

Aug 03, 2026 7:18 PM

Trump says this is Iran's 'last chance' to sign a deal before 'decapitation'

President Donald Trump said during an Oval Office signing event that this is Iran’s “last chance” to make a deal.

When asked about the number of times he’s called off strikes after threatening them, the president responded, “I don't know. I think we're going to maybe get something, but I want to give every last chance before decapitation.”

Trump said the first phase of a deal would open the Strait of Hormuz immediately. He said the second phase of the deal being negotiated now is Iran’s denuclearization, though he noted that phase would come later and “take a little while.”

Trump also suggested that Iran was swayed by the threat of Sunday night’s planned attacks, which Trump said would have been “harder” than “any” attack since World War II.

“But in this case, leakers helped because they said the severity of the attack, and Iran knew it. They knew what was coming. It was going to come last night, and it would have gone on for a long time, and there'd be essentially very little left. There'd be nothing left, and if I'm given a chance to let a lot of people live, I want to give that chance. So I'm under no time constraint,” Trump said.

Trump also insisted there will be no tolls charged in the Strait of Hormuz, but he added, “if anybody’s going to charge, we’ll charge.”

PHOTO: Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026.
Reuters
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026.
Reuters


-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Emily Chang


Aug 03, 2026 4:06 PM

Trump claims Iran is publicly dishonest about desire for talks with US

President Donald Trump is claiming that Iranian leaders are being “unbelievably duplicitous” in their public statements about negotiations with the U.S., writing on social media Monday that Iranian leaders “beg” for meetings and then publicly say they won’t have discussions.

"Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades," Trump said.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One enroute to Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, August 2, 2026.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One enroute to Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, August 2, 2026.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo


The president’s post comes after he said on Sunday that another round of negotiations would begin on Monday -- though Iran said no talks are underway.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei reiterated Monday that ongoing talks with Oman are strictly about the Strait of Hormuz and that "the issues related to Iran and the United States should be examined in the next stages to see in which direction the situation will go."

Trump, in his post, appeared frustrated with Iran’s insistence that they’re “only dealing with” Oman.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman,’” Trump wrote.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Isabella Murray


Aug 03, 2026 12:16 PM

20 ships crossed Strait of Hormuz over weekend, Kpler says

Nine ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and 11 ships on Saturday, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler. Seven of Sunday's nine crossings were conducted via the Iranian route in the northern part of the waterway, Kpler said.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait -- which sits at the southern entrance to the Red Sea -- recorded 30 crossings on Sunday, down from 37 crossings on Saturday and 42 crossings on Friday, Kpler said.

"The diplomatic outlook is still unsettled. Until U.S., Iranian and Omani signals converge into clear navigation arrangements, operators should treat both chokepoints as contested rather than normalized," Kpler said.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule



Aug 03, 2026 8:28 AM

No negotiations ongoing with the US, Iranian official says

In his weekly press conference on Monday morning, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that ongoing talks with Oman are strictly about the Strait of Hormuz and that "the issues related to Iran and the United States should be examined in the next stages to see in which direction the situation will go."

"We will have to wait a while to see whether this stage and this process can be connected to another process that leads to a reduction in tension in the region," Baqaei said when asked whether an agreement with Oman was actually the beginning of talks with the U.S.

Baqaei also spoke about the substance of the Strait of Hormuz negotiations, saying talks have focused on agreeing on a single corridor for ships to cross through, rather than the divided northern and southern routes that currently exist.

PHOTO: Women walk past a banner showing portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L), Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (C), and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under a bridge in northern Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 2, 2026.
Vahid Salemi/AP Photo
Women walk past a banner showing portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L), Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (C), and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under a bridge in northern Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 2, 2026.
Vahid Salemi/AP Photo

He also addressed the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Iran and Ukraine after Ukraine struck an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea a few weeks ago, as part of its campaign to target ships linked to Russia near the Russian coast.

"We will definitely take whatever action is necessary, both to hold Ukraine accountable and to ensure that such a mistake and crime is not repeated by the Ukrainian side again," Baqaei said.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule


Aug 04, 2026 6:41 PM

Another round of Israel-Lebanon talks begins in Rome

The latest round of U.S.-facilitated talks between Lebanon and Israel began on Tuesday in Rome, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott announced in a post on X.

"The United States remains fully committed to supporting both governments as they carry this process forward in a manner that delivers lasting security for both countries, eliminates security threats to Israel, and restores Lebanese state authority throughout the south," Pigott said.

The seventh round of talks in Rome will be attended by high-level political and military officials from both sides, a U.S. official said. The talks will continue for three days through Aug. 6.

The talks bring together technical teams from both governments to advance the full implementation of the Trilateral Framework, including the pilot zone process, the verified disarmament of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed security threats, redeployment of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and laying the ground for a comprehensive peace and security agreement, according to Pigott.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has barely held in recent weeks. Clashes have persisted in southern Lebanon, with daily reports of airstrikes, artillery shelling, demolitions and sonic grenades, according to the United Nations.

Fighting between Israel and Lebanon escalated into a full ground offensive in March 2026 following regional conflict involving Iran.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan


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