Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Aug 3: US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that negotiations with Iran are expected to begin on Monday, while confirming that he has postponed planned US military strikes to allow diplomacy to continue.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said discussions with Iran were active and formal negotiations would commence on Monday afternoon.

"I am talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins on Monday afternoon, and we'll see how it goes," Trump said, adding that he was not seeking further loss of life.

"I am not looking to kill people, because a lot of people die. I don't want that," he said.

Trump also revealed that he had decided against authorising fresh US strikes on Iran after requests from Gulf allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

According to the US President, American forces had been prepared to launch another major military strike on Sunday, but the operation was put on hold after consultations with regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as requests from unnamed Iranian officials.

Trump said he had asked the Saudi Crown Prince whether he preferred military action or continued diplomacy.

"I said to the Crown Prince, 'What would you rather do? Would you rather us do this or not?'" Trump said.

The two leaders spoke on Saturday before Trump announced on social media that Middle Eastern allies had agreed on the broad "parameters" of a framework aimed at ending the five-month conflict.

A day earlier, Trump had expressed frustration over negotiations with Iran, saying he was "losing faith" in diplomacy and warning that the US military would "hit them very hard" if necessary.

On Sunday, however, he said the emerging framework would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route through which nearly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies passed before the conflict began, and would also address US concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.

The announcement comes amid continued tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has repeatedly targeted vessels attempting to pass through the waterway without its authorisation during the ongoing conflict.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei reiterated on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz "will in no way return to the status it was before February 28", the date Iran considers the beginning of the current conflict.

Speaking to Iranian state television, Baghaei said Tehran was holding discussions with neighbouring Oman on maritime navigation through the strait but stressed that there were currently no discussions on fully reopening the strategic waterway.

Since the outbreak of the conflict on Feb 28, Trump has on several occasions announced pauses in military action against Iran to facilitate diplomatic efforts, although previous ceasefire initiatives have collapsed and hostilities have resumed.