Iran denies talks with US underway after Trump comments
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US President Doanld Trump president said a fresh round of talks to end to the war would begin on Monday. Iranian authorities later dismissed the statement, saying they are only in talks with Oman. Follow DW for more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IA4h Trump said Sunday he held off on new strikes against Iran after appeals from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Image: Daniel Heuer/REUTERS Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know US President Donald Trump said new round of Iran talks set for Monday
This blog covers the latest developments in the US-Israel war with Iran and the wider fallout across the Middle East on Monday, August 3.
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08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 Iran hangs two convicted of espionage Iran says it executed two men on Monday after they were convicted of spying for Israel.
It is the latest in a series of hangings on espionage allegations carried out by Tehran since the start of the war with Israel and the US in late February.
"Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat were hanged this morning for transmitting the coordinates of sensitive military and security sites to Mossad agents," said Mizan, the media outlet for Iran's judiciary.
Mossad is Israel's foreign intelligence service.
"They helped the intelligence services achieve their objectives by providing them with information on military and security centres during the war," Mizan added.
Executions in Iran as a whole have risen since the war broke out.
According to Amnesty International and several other rights groups, the country carries out the second-highest number of executions in the world, after China.
At least 1,639 people were executed in Iran last year, a record high since 1989, according to the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), which has its headquarters in Paris.
08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 Oil slumps on hopes of Iran deal Oil prices fell sharply in early Asian trading after US President Donald Trump announced new talks with Iran aimed at ending the Middle East conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude for September delivery dropped more than 6% to $82.41 a barrel in early trade.
The conflict has disrupted energy markets and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipment
08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 No current talks with US β Iranian Foreign Ministry Timothy Jones | Saim DuΕ‘an Inayatullah Editor Iran is not currently conducting talks with the βUS, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, adding that it is, however, in discussions with Oman about a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz .
The remarks by ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei came after US President Donald Trump said new talks with Iran on a peace deal were set to begin on Monday.
"We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Baghaei said during a weekly press briefing.
He added that a deal with Oman would not be enough to reopen the strait for commercial shipping, as the situation would stay unchanged if the US continued with its "aggression."
Published 08/03/2026 Published August 3, 2026 last updated 08/03/2026 last updated August 3, 2026 Welcome to our coverage Louis Oelofse | Roshni Majumdar Editor We are continuing our coverage on the US war with Iran and broader developments in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump said he had called off strikes on the West Asian country.
He later told reporters that Washington and Tehran were to carry out new talks on Monday. There was no immediate response from Iran.
Meanwhile, some Saudi oil ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait despite a stated embargo by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia.
08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb Two tankers carrying Saudi crude successfully crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the weekend, despite security concerns and a Houthi -declared maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia .
Shipping data showed traffic through the waterway fell sharply amid the heightened security risks, with just 18 commodity vessels passing on Sunday, down from 28 on Friday.
The tankers, Lesvos and Desh Vaibhav, transited with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking systems switched off, the Kpler data showed. Together, they were carrying about three million barrels of Saudi oil .
Desh Vaibhav is heading to India's Sikka port, while Lesvos' destination remains unclear.
Meanwhile, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz also slowed, with commodity crossings dropping after reports of multiple tanker attacks.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency says three more attacks have been reported since Saturday, raising fresh concerns over the security of key global energy shipping routes.
The Houthis are an Iran-backed militant group that has controlled most of Yemen's more populous areas β including the capital, Sanaa β for a little over a decade.
A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the country's internationally recognized government, which is de facto based in the southern city of Aden.
While the Saudi-backed government agreed to a truce with the Houthis in 2022, this year tensions have risen again amid the US war with Iran .
08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 Trump says Iran talks to resume amid push to reopen Strait of Hormuz US President Donald Trump said new talks with Iran are set to begin on Monday after he decided to hold off on striking the Islamic republic to pursue a deal to end the war .
"They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack, because you don't know where these attacks lead," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late on Sunday.
He was looking for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address concerns overβ¦
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