"US-Iran In 'Very Good Discussions', But No Nuclear Weapon Allowed: Trump"

THE REPORT.

WASHINGTON:President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would "be open very soon" as the United States holds talks with Iran, while warning Tehran it would face severe military consequences if negotiations collapsed.In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed the US was on the brink of launching a massive military strike before Iran sought talks.

KEY QUOTES FROM TRUMP:

On Strait of Hormuz: "The strait's going to be open very soon, or they're going to get hit very hard, and then the strait's going to be open."

On Military Option: "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?'"

On Nuclear Deal: "Iran would 'never have a nuclear weapon,'"adding that formal assurances would be part of any agreement.

On Negotiations: "They want to make a deal. We'll see what happens. If they don't make a deal, it's going to be too bad."

Trump said the two sides were engaged in "very good discussions" despite repeated Iranian denials of direct talks with Washington. He also warned that if Tehran withdrew from negotiations, "they're going to get hit really hard."

CONTEXT:

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical oil shipping chokepoint. Any disruption there impacts global energy markets. US officials have ramped up military presence in the region in recent weeks amid rising tensions.There has been no immediate confirmation from Tehran regarding the claim of ongoing direct talks.

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