Trump says US held 'all-day negotiation' with Iran on Tuesday
The US president said discussions with Tehran were progressing but warned Iran would be hit "really hard" if it backed away from a deal.
US President Donald Trump said the United States held "all-day" negotiations with Iran on Tuesday (5 August), describing the discussions as positive while warning Tehran of severe consequences if talks fail to produce an agreement.
"They had an all-day negotiation," Trump said in an interview with Fox News' "@ Night with Trace Gallagher" show.
"We are having very good discussions," he added.
Trump also said he expected the Strait of Hormuz – a vital shipping route for global energy supplies – to reopen soon.
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"The Strait of Hormuz is going to be open very soon," he said, adding that if Iran "backs out again, they are going to get hit really hard."
His comments came a day after Qatar said mediators were making progress in efforts to end the conflict involving Iran, although Tehran denied Trump's earlier claim that negotiations were underway.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after the outbreak of the conflict, disrupting one of the world's most important oil and gas shipping routes.
The war began on 28 February when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military bases.
Since then, the conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions across the region.
Trump's latest warning follows earlier statements during the conflict that drew criticism from human rights experts, who said his threats to target Iranian civilian infrastructure and destroy the country's civilisation could violate international humanitarian law.
Iran has warned that any such attacks by the United States would prompt retaliatory strikes against regional energy and economic infrastructure.
The 1949 Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on facilities considered essential to civilian populations, and international law experts have previously warned that deliberate attacks on such infrastructure could constitute war crimes.
