Trump cancels Iran strikes at countries' request ahead of Monday talks

A cargo ship was reportedly struck by an “unknown projectile” on Monday near Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The vessel broadcast over VHF radio that it had been hit about 20 nautical miles northeast of Al Khasab, the maritime agency said.

“Authorities are investigating,” UKMTO said. "Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa reportedly met Monday with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Damascus to discuss security concerns and ways to strengthen cooperation.

The meeting came amid heightened regional tensions as Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq carried out several drone attacks targeting U.S. interests, including sites in the Kurdish region, The Associated Press reported.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly arrived Monday in Najaf, Iraq, to attend the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, according to The Associated Press.

On the same day, Iranian Trade Minister Mohammad Atabak traveled to Pakistan for a visit expected to focus on easing shipping delays and moving more Iranian goods through Pakistani ports during the U.S. naval blockade. 

President Donald Trump on Monday criticized ExxonMobil and Chevron over their recent profits, saying the oil companies were making “too much money.”

“Based on a shortage, they're making too much money,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I don't like it. And I should be the last one to say, because I'm a big free enterprise guy. … Chevron. Too much money. ExxonMobil. Too much money.”

Three days earlier, the companies reported strong second-quarter earnings as the war in Iran pushed oil prices higher, according to Reuters.

The president said the companies should cut prices for consumers.

“They better cut the retail price, the consumer price. Too much money. You're surprised I'm saying it? I'll say it loud and clear. I'm not happy about it,” Trump added.

ExxonMobil and Chevron could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Hamas’ newly elected leader to congratulate him and pledge Tehran’s continued support for the group’s cause, Hamas said Monday — as President Donald Trump promotes a landmark agreement intended to strip the terrorist organization of its weapons and power in Gaza.

Pezeshkian congratulated Khalil al-Hayya on his election as head of the group’s political bureau and told him Iran would continue supporting the Palestinian cause, according to a Hamas statement posted in Arabic, and reviewed by Fox News Digital.

"We are with you, and we support you in every action you take, despite the attacks we are facing," Pezeshkian said, according to Hamas’ account of the call.

Fox News Digital has asked Iran’s mission to the United Nations to confirm that the call took place and provide an official readout.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter.

Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, spoke Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi about “regional and international developments.”

The two officials “exchanged views on regional and international developments, including the deteriorating situation in Occupied East Jerusalem,” according to an X post from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

Dar also invited Araghchi to visit Pakistan “at his earliest convenience.”

The Board of Peace said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and High Representative Nickolay Mladenov held a “constructive and detailed” meeting focused on disarming Gaza and “enabling the transition to civilian governance.”

“Israel and the Board of Peace share a common understanding of the ultimate objectives,” the group wrote on X. “The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not withdraw beyond the Yellow Line — a military boundary in the Gaza Strip — until the disarmament process is complete, according to the board.

“Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators,” the Board of Peace said. “This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnels alike.”

The process will be overseen by the International Stabilisation Force and the Implementation Verification Committee, which include representatives from the United States and the Board of Peace.

“Continued progress towards implementation in full depends on each side fulfilling its obligations under the agreed framework,” the board added.

President Donald Trump confirmed that talks with Iran are in fact taking place Monday despite messaging coming from Iran's foreign ministry.

Trump made the statement while speaking to reporters in the White House on Monday, saying that Iran has a habit of publicly denying talks while engaging the with the U.S.

"For some reason they, when they're talking they don't like saying that they're talking," Trump said. "So I say we're in talks, big deal, we're in talks. And they'll sometimes deny it even thought they spend hours and hours together talking."

"No, the talks are going on," Trump asserted. "We're talking and we're talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also, many, many countries called, many. The leaders of many are friendly with a lot of them, almost all of them one way or the other. And they all wanted to give this a last chance. This is the last chance."

U.S. Central Command shared audio of Navy personnel enforcing President Donald Trump’s blockade on Iran on Monday.

"U.S. forces continue to strictly enforce the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 3, CENTCOM has redirected 44 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2," CENTCOM wrote in a statement on X.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday creating a new White House commission aimed at putting military families at the heart of military readiness, Fox News Digital has learned.

The executive order would establish the President's Military Spouse Commission, which would advise the president on policies affecting military spouses and families and provide annual recommendations to improve their quality of life while strengthening military readiness, a White House official told Fox News Digital.

The commission is designed to give the White House a direct line to the challenges facing military spouses, including childcare, employment, housing, healthcare, education and the demands of multiple deployments.

Trump is expected to sign the order Monday afternoon alongside War Secretary Pete Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and several military spouses, the official said.

The Military Spouse Commission will be chaired by Jennifer Hegseth.

Trump will appoint an executive director, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's wife, Christie Mullin, and 20 other military spouses representing the service secretaries, Joint Chiefs of Staff and each branch's senior enlisted leader will serve as commission members.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashley DiMella.

President Donald Trump condemned Iranian leaders as "duplicitous" for appearing to back away from intentions to talk on Monday.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Tehran had begged for a meeting with the U.S. this weekend, leading to a pause in strikes only to walk back on Monday.

"Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with 'Oman,'" Trump wrote.

"They then go on to give their usual blather in saying, the Strait of Hormuz will be operated powerfully by them, when it is already completely controlled by the United States Navy and our 'Blockade' or, as some say, 'The United States Wall of Steel!' Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished. Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades. It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!" he added.

Fox News senior strategic analyst Ret. Gen. Jack Keane discussed President Donald Trump’s cancellation of Iran strikes, as well as the state of Middle East peace talks and more on "America’s Newsroom."

President Donald Trump's War Department is supercharging missile-defense production, signing framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production capacity for components used in two defense systems.

The deals aim to quadruple output of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor structural components and support a threefold increase in Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) production, according to a War Department release Monday.

"Building the Arsenal of Freedom requires robust, dynamic supply chains at every level of the industrial base," Michael Duffey, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, wrote in a statement. "Framework agreements with munition components suppliers like Northrop Grumman are vital to accelerating the tripling of PAC-3 and quadrupling of THAAD interceptor production."

The department said the agreements would give suppliers longer-term demand commitments needed to invest in tooling, facility upgrades and workforce development.

Financial terms and production timelines were not included in the War Department announcement, but Northrop Grumman said it entered into agreements worth a combined $3 billion. The deals include a $2 billion agreement to supply rocket motors and safety devices and a $1 billion agreement to increase deliveries of THAAD components.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Erick Mack.

This is an excerpt from an opinion article by Will Thibeau, the Director of the American Military Project at The Claremont Institute.

In July, Iran attempted to make good on its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz. Yet the strait had already ceased functioning as reliable commercial infrastructure long before. Since the conflict started, more than 1,100 vessels recorded GPS and AIS interference in a single day, ships appeared on tracking systems at airports or deep inside Iranian territory, and ship crews navigated one of the world’s busiest waterways by radar alone because satellite navigation could no longer be trusted. Iran did more than threaten a choke point. It demonstrated what a determined adversary can do to the satellite infrastructure the modern world has taken for granted.

America depends on a second, invisible choke point: the Global Positioning System. GPS timestamps every credit card swipe and equity trade, synchronizes the power grid and cellular networks, and guides combines through fields, container ships into port and infantry through contested terrain.

That faint signal – engineered in the 1970s in a different time when our enemies weren't as savvy – now carries the weight of the entire global economy and our military edge. That world is gone. Global aviation logged roughly 430,000 jamming and spoofing incidents in 2024, a sharp 62% increase in a single year. A basic jammer can be built from off-the-shelf parts for a few hundred dollars.

I know what reliable navigation means in combat. As a Ranger, I never thought about GPS in combat. It located my team, guided the aircraft above us, and synchronized fires without ever announcing itself. We took it for granted. Today’s service members enjoy no such luxury. We are sending American forces into contested spaces with a vulnerable system designed half a century ago.

No incremental upgrade can fix GPS. Its weakness is physics, not engineering oversight. A satellite in medium Earth orbit broadcasting at limited power will always produce a faint signal at the receiver. A nearby jammer will always overpower it. Military M-Code offers marginal improvements but does not change the fundamental math.

President Donald Trump claimed the "denuclearization of Iran" as one of his major achievements in office on Monday.

Trump made the comment in a post on social media responding to reports of his poor performance in popularity polls. The president on Sunday said a deal with Iran was "imminent," though Iranian officials said they had only just begun meeting with mediators.

"My REAL Polling Numbers, not those made up by the Fake News Media, are the best they have ever been, and why wouldn’t they be with the biggest tax cuts and employment numbers EVER, the biggest outside Investment in America in World history, a totally secure Border, a giant Victory in Venezuela, the Denuclearization of Iran, unparalleled respect and success throughout the World, and much more?" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Don’t believe the Radical Left’s Fake Poll numbers. They are Crooked and Corrupt, just like the Country Destroying Dumocrats are Crooked and Corrupt. VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR GREATNESS IN AMERICA!" he added.

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent is continuing to advocate for President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from the Middle East.

"President Trump again called off strikes on Iran—this is a good decision. It is clear that he wants out of this war, for all the obvious reasons. It is also clear that Iran will not simply return the SOH [Strait of Hormuz] to how it was before the war. We need to accept that we can’t use military force to open the SOH (we’ve tried that) without a catastrophic escalation into a bloody, years-long war," Kent wrote.

"Now is the time for President Trump to pull our troops out of the region. He can declare victory (reiterate the previously stated goal—no nukes—was met) & quietly use the carrot of sanctions relief to open the SOH once our troops are out of harm’s way. If we stay, we risk accelerating an escalation/retaliation cycle we can’t control," he added.

Kent cited his opposition to the Iran war when he resigned from the National Counterterrorism Center director role earlier this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the White House early on Monday morning.

President Donald Trump indicated in a Saturday night Truth Social post that the U.S. was going to hold off on launching new attacks against Iran.

"The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to. This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat," Trump wrote.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Alex Nitzberg.

Oil prices dropped sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced a pause in strikes against Iran.

The price of U.S. crude oil fell 5% to $80.79 per barrel Sunday night, and the price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 5% to $83.87 per barrel.

Oil prices have been in constant sway since the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran in February.

Trump has said that oil prices will drop heavily once the conflict is over, though some fear the price increases could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections if the conflict is not ended soon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth warned of "very real" dangers for the global oil industry as tensions escalate in Iran and Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities fuel concerns over a potential new shipping crisis.

His comments come as oil prices climb following President Donald Trump’s pause on U.S. strikes against Iran and as Saudi Arabia reportedly builds an international coalition to protect vital shipping routes.

"We now see, not only the Strait of Hormuz, but the Red Sea and the Black Sea have risks and uncertainties. So, some of the challenges have expanded, and the risks to supply are very real," Wirth said during an appearance on "Sunday Morning Futures."

While oil demand remains strong around the world, Wirth said energy markets are "fragile and uncertain" as the U.S. conflict with Iran festers into a sixth month and as global inventories continue to decline.

"The world energy system has been stressed and the need for supplies to markets and customers has never been higher," the Chevron CEO said.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital trade routes, is one of the most contentious aspects of the United States conflict with Iran. Traffic has sunk to only a handful of vessels passing through the waterway each day.

Recent Houthi attacks on another vital Middle East shipping route, the Red Sea, have raised fresh concerns about the reliability of that corridor.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Nora Moriarty.

Former Pentagon official Brent Sadler says the U.S. military is likely to carry out further strikes against Iran despite the resurgence of peace talks.

Sadler made the statement during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" on Monday, saying the U.S. military is a hammer that is "ready to swing."

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei insisted that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war status of free navigation on Monday.

Baqaei says Iran is currently in negotiations with Oman to establish a temporary safe path for shipping through the strait, going on to deny that Iran is in direct talks with the U.S.

"Our negotiations are with Oman and are focused on reaching an understanding on a route that will ensure the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz," Baqaei said.

Our goal is to determine, as soon as possible and in consultation with Oman, a route that will likely be temporary and will enable safe maritime navigation through the Strait," he added.

He went on to vow that the strait "will in no way return to the status it was before February 28th."

Former Deputy National Security Advisor Steve Yates say President Donald Trump's decision to pause military strikes on Iran helped established deterrence while leaving the door open for diplomatic talks.

Yates made the comment on "Fox & Friends" on Monday, saying that it remains critical for U.S. forces to maintain deterrence in the Persian Gulf as negotiations continue.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday U.S. forces remain on alert and are prepared to act, underscoring how President Donald Trump's decision to delay a strike on Iran has not affected military readiness.

“Fact,” Hegseth said in a post on X alongside a video of the president.

“The @DeptofWar was ready to go — and remains ready — at levels not seen since World War II,” he added before stating that the military was “locked and loaded.”

His comments came after the president told reporters that a planned strike on Iran, "would be the biggest attack since World War II," Trump had said while returning from Bedminster, New Jersey.

Trump was also asked whether Tehran faced a deadline to reach an agreement.

"No. We'll just see — we'll just see how it is," he said. "We're ready to go anytime we want," he declared.

Fox News' Emma Bussey contributed to this report.