US President Donald Trump said the US held an all-day negotiation with Iran on Tuesday, describing the talks as positive but warning of a harsh military response if Iran withdraws from the deal again [1, 2]. Trump said, "They had an all-day negotiation," and added, "If they back out again, they are going to get hit really hard" [1]. He also recounted that the US had prepared for the largest military strike since World War II but paused it after Iran requested talks, saying, "We were going to a tremendous attack, the biggest since World War II, and they called me and said very politely, 'Please, can we talk? Can we talk?' And I said, 'Yes, we can talk. Let's get it done.'" [3, 4, 5, 2]
Despite Trump's account, Iranian officials deny direct talks with the US, stating that negotiations are being mediated through Oman [1, 2]. The dispute over whether direct talks have occurred highlights ongoing tensions.
The conflict dates back to February 28, 2026, when US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran's retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf states marked the war's start [1]. Since then, US-Israeli actions inside Iran and Israeli strikes on Lebanon have caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions [1]. Iran imposed blockades on the strategic Strait of Hormuz shortly after the war began [1].
On June 18, 2026, Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement and launched negotiations toward a final deal, but talks stalled over security and navigation issues [4]. Tensions escalated in July 2026 when the US struck inside Iran and Iran retaliated by attacking US military sites in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait [4].
Trump reiterated his preference for a deal, stating, "I'd rather make a deal because I don't want to kill people," but made clear that military options remain on the table [4, 5]. He warned, "The hard hit is yet to come, and hopefully we won't have to use it" [2]. Trump also said gasoline prices are expected to drop sharply once the standoff is resolved, though this projection carries medium confidence [4].
The next major US-Iran engagement is likely to depend on the ongoing negotiation process, with a concrete resolution still pending after the framework agreement and recent talks.
