U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 3rd (local time) that talks to end hostilities with Iran are underway and pressed hard for a swift agreement. He has held off on a large-scale airstrike, but warned that he could launch a lethal blow targeting Iran's leadership at any time if they do not accept the demands. The move is seen as a pressure tactic to leverage military power to seize the lead in negotiations and force Iran into complete submission.
According to a roundup of major media reports on the 3rd, President Trump told reporters at the White House that day that "we are currently in talks with Iran." He made clear that this round of talks is effectively Iran's last chance to sign the agreement.
In particular, President Trump directly targeted Iran's top leadership, saying, "I want to give them every last chance before decapitation." He canceled what would have been the largest strike since World War II at the last minute due to allies' dissuasion, but sent an ultimatum that he can resume large-scale use of force at any time depending on Iran's attitude. President Trump added, "I want to give people a chance to live," while also saying, "There is no time limit on talks."
President Trump identified the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint of global logistics, as the first-phase goal of the talks. He explained, "We are discussing the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and literally, fully opening the strait by the 4th is phase one." He added that the next step would be to address the most sensitive agenda item, Iran's denuclearization.
At the same time, President Trump sharpened his criticism of Iran's leadership, saying they deny negotiating with the United States in public while privately begging for talks, calling them "incredibly deceitful." As news broke that the airstrike was on hold, international oil prices plunged 5%, showing signs of stabilizing.
Iran, however, flatly denied direct talks with the United States that day as well, holding a hard line. Esmail Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, said on the 3rd, "We are not currently negotiating with the United States," drawing a line that they are only discussing the establishment of temporary safe shipping lanes within Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. With the two sides' positions starkly at odds, significant turbulence is expected before any deal is reached. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, immediately after President Trump's remarks, wrote on social media that "the U.S. military is prepared at a level not seen since World War II," keeping the possibility of armed conflict open.
Experts inside and outside the United States interpret the hold on airstrikes as a strategic delay, but offer divergent outlooks on the path ahead. Steve Yates, former deputy national security adviser at the White House, appeared on Fox News and offered a positive assessment, saying, "President Trump's decision to hold off on a military strike helped keep the door open to diplomatic talks while establishing deterrence."
By contrast, Joe Kent, former Director General of the National Counterterrorism Center, said, "You cannot forcibly open the Strait of Hormuz using military power without catastrophic escalation," proposing a U.S. military withdrawal as an alternative to prevent escalation.