Iran Tells Trump: Pick War or Talks as Oil Climbs for 2nd Day

Iran says it is open to diplomacy but fully ready for war if the United States attacks, putting the decision between war and talks squarely in the hands of US President Donald Trump [252183][251525]. The standoff has now entered its seventh month, with Trump saying he expects negotiations to restart even as neither side shows any sign of changing its demands [252183].

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's proposal is clear: it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US takes certain steps — though he did not say what those steps are [251525]. The two sides have held indirect talks mediated by Qatar, but experts describe the contacts as too limited and too fragile to produce any real breakthrough, calling the situation "kabuki diplomacy" — political theater in which both sides half engage while avoiding any appearance of compromise [252478].

The stalled talks are now hitting world oil markets. Oil prices climbed for a second day on Monday as traders weighed uncertainty over the US-Iran nuclear talks against signs of strong global demand [252327]. Little progress in the talks raises doubts about whether Iranian oil will return to world markets soon; fewer Iranian barrels would tighten supply and push prices up. Strong demand is also supporting prices, while resumed flows through a key pipeline in Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, could slow the rise. For now, the stalled talks are outweighing the restart of Saudi flows [252327].

Meanwhile, Trump's changing statements on the Middle East are creating serious instability in international relations, according to historian Jean-Pierre Filiu, who argues the missteps are especially damaging for the region [251974].