Trump says the Strait of Hormuz could be opened 'today or tomorrow'

US President Donald Trump stated that the Strait of Hormuz could be opened to shipping as early as August 4. At the same time, Iran denies negotiations with Washington and claims to be discussing only the creation of a temporary route for ships with Oman.

While speaking with journalists at the White House, Trump called the new diplomatic proposal a "last chance" for Iran to make a deal and avoid further intensification of US strikes.

Answering a question about the negotiations, the US president said that the result could appear "today or tomorrow." According to him, the Strait of Hormuz could be opened "literally just tomorrow," i.e., on August 4. This statement was also reported by the British publication The Guardian. 

"The first stage is the opening of the strait. The second stage is denuclearization. This will take some time", Trump stated.

The American president noted that he canceled a planned massive strike on Iran following appeals from Persian Gulf countries and representatives of Tehran. He did not specify exactly who is participating in the negotiations and where they are to be held.

Trump warned that he wants to give Iran a last chance to agree "before beheading." According to him, in the event of a failure of diplomatic efforts, the United States may return to plans for a large-scale military operation.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the same time stated that there are currently no negotiations with the United States. The agency's representative, Esmaeil Baghaei, reported that Tehran is only holding consultations with Oman regarding a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz.

After this, Trump called Iran's leadership "incredibly two-faced" and insisted that the parties are still discussing a possible settlement. He also rejected the possibility of introducing a fee for the passage of ships through the strait.

Amid the diplomatic statements, the situation in the area of the strait remains dangerous. A vessel near the coast of Oman reported being hit by an unknown projectile approximately 37 kilometers northeast of Khasab. Who was behind the attack has not been determined.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas volumes were transported before the war, remains almost closed. On Sunday, only nine vessels passed through it, most of them using a route controlled by Iran.

Based on materials from: Bloomberg, CNN, The Guardian