Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael SecurityTrump said, 'We had an attack that would be the biggest attack since World War II, and it would have been disastrous,' after he was asked by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran to call off strikesShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribePresident Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One while returning to the White House, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Credit: Jacquelyn Martin,AP President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One while returning to the White House, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Credit: Jacquelyn Martin,AP 06:00 AM • August 03 2026 IDTPresident Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran start Monday afternoon after he was asked by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran to call off strikes, and that the United States was "all set to go" for a "massive attack."Trump told the press on Air Force One on Sunday, "We had an attack that would be the biggest attack since World War II, and it would have been disastrous," adding that a deal is "imminent" on the Strait of Hormuz and denuclearization.President Donald Trump stands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his visit to the White House in November. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP President Donald Trump stands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his visit to the White House in November. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP Trump did not provide details of where it would take place or ⁠who would be involved in talks. Asked if there was a deadline for Iran to come to an agreement, Trump declined to answer. "Would I rather make a deal? I'm not looking to kill people because people die, a lot of people die, and we don't want that," Trump said.Trump's apparent de-escalation after days of threats of new attacks from each side was the latest twist in the war. Attacks have spread across the Gulf to the Red Sea and even a Mediterranean facility in Egypt.Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held phone calls with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir to discuss diplomatic efforts, Iran's state media reported on Sunday.The official Iranian news agency IRNA reported earlier that negotiations between Tehran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz were in their final stages, citing Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One while returning to the White House on Sunday Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One while returning to the White House on Sunday Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said negotiations ⁠were focused on agreeing a new route through the strait, adding that it had "no link to the Strait of Hormuz being opened or closed. That is a separate discussion."Last month Iran publicly rejected an Omani proposal, backed by Gulf states, to manage the strait they share. People familiar with the matter had told Reuters the plan included the collection of voluntary fees for using the strait.Eli ⁠Cohen, Israel's energy minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, said there was close security and intelligence coordination between Israel and the U.S. on everything happening in the region.But he added: "With or without an agreement, and regardless of any external commitments, if Iran attempts to renew its nuclear program or advance its ballistic missile ⁠industries, we will be there. We will take action, and we will strike."Trump and Netanyahu met on Tuesday in Washington, with an Israeli official saying they had explored all possible paths to curb Iran's nuclear program, including diplomacy, economic pressure and force. Tehran denies it is seeking a nuclear weapon.In the NewsSpider-Man's Real Superpower and Wham!'s Brush With the Chinese Communist PartyDefense Minister's Office Advocated for Pro-gov't Reservist's Return to IDF UnitIsrael's Supreme Court Looks the Other Way as Patients in Gaza SufferUnlike Israel's Latest Influencer, Charli XCX Would Have Recognized RabinWhat We Can Learn From France's Celebration of a Jewish Resistance HeroRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThis Israeli ultra-Orthodox Feminist Activist Has a Warning for U.S. JewsNetanyahu Says Israel Has 'Special Forces' Ready if He's Arrested on NY VisitTwo Female Israeli Soldiers Die by Suicide as IDF Mental Health Crisis DeepensDozens of IDF Soldiers Desert Sde Teiman Base in Protest of Commander'I Tried, I Got Crushed by AIPAC': Andy Levin Is All-in for El-SayedTrump's Irritation, Netanyahu's Desperation: Oval Office Smiles Mask Rifts