Trump says Iran faces a ‘last chance’ before ‘decapitation’ as talks continue

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran were continuing and warned Tehran it faced a “last chance” before what he described as “decapitation.” Iran’s foreign ministry, however, denied that negotiations with Washington were taking place.

President says negotiations are ongoing

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had agreed to continue pursuing talks with Iran at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries. He insisted discussions were underway, saying:

“We are talking right now.”

Trump added:

“This is a last chance for them to sign a good document… I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.”

Focus of talks: Hormuz and denuclearisation

Trump said the talks focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the denuclearisation of Iran. He said the strait could be reopened “literally by tomorrow” and that denuclearisation could “take a little while.” He reiterated that “the denuclearisation of Iran has to happen.”

Conflicting statements from Tehran

Iran’s foreign ministry denied on Monday that negotiations with Washington were taking place. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran’s negotiations were with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz and described talks aimed at managing a route acceptable to both sides, saying they would respect sovereign rights and safeguard national interests and security.

Baqaei, speaking on state television, said a deal on managing Hormuz with Oman was close but insisted such an agreement did not mean the strait would be reopened.

Wider conflict context and recent incidents

The article notes that Washington and Tehran have been at war since 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran. It says that more than five months on, Iran remains capable of firing missiles and drones at US and allied targets in the region and continues to hold enriched uranium stockpiles.

Early Tuesday, Britain’s maritime security agency UKMTO reported that a cargo vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. The vessel was not named and UKMTO said authorities were investigating without giving specifics on damage or injuries.

Escalation and restraint

The piece describes a familiar pattern in recent days: Trump last week threatened to hit Iran “very hard” and suggested attacks on energy infrastructure, before pulling back on Saturday, saying the “perimeters” of a deal were there. Trump also wrote on social media calling Tehran “duplicitous” for denying talks and asserted:

“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 further wrote about US control of access to Iran, adding:

“Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished.”

The president said he had been asked by Iran and regional partners to hold off on further strikes, which he claimed would have been “the biggest attack since World War II,” a claim Iranian media denied.

Failed ceasefire and the shipping corridor

A previous ceasefire deal intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz collapsed last month. Since the breakdown of that ceasefire, the article reports, Iran has again obstructed vessels attempting to pass through the waterway and has fired on commercial ships, insisting on control of passage and charging fees for transit.

What officials are saying

• Trump: “We are talking right now”; the talks are a “last chance” before “decapitation.”
• Trump: the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened “literally by tomorrow”; denuclearisation could “take a little while.”
• Esmaeil Baqaei (Iran): negotiations are with Oman on a route that “respects the sovereign rights of both sides” and does not necessarily mean reopening the strait.
• UKMTO: a cargo vessel struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman; investigation ongoing.

The situation remains fluid, with competing public statements from Washington and Tehran and recent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz underlining the strategic and economic stakes of any agreement.