Trump says Tehran wants deal, floats US control of Strait of Hormuz, warns Iran ‘in big trouble’

Oil prices climbed Monday as the U.S. and Iran appeared no closer to reaching a diplomatic agreement, fueling investor concerns that the conflict could continue to disrupt global energy supplies, Reuters reported.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 2.6% to $84.50 per barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude rose 2.7% to $90.87 a barrel.

An Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran would shift to an offensive posture if diplomacy with Washington fails.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said Iran wants a deal with the U.S. but remains unwilling to accept what he described as necessary terms.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told President Donald Trump in a phone call Monday that it was important to continue talks with Iran and pursue a diplomatic solution, adding that Turkey was ready to contribute.

“The leaders discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and the United States, as well as regional and global developments, during the conversation,” the president’s office said in a statement shared on X.

Erdogan also stated that it is of “utmost importance to make the fullest possible use of diplomacy in the tensions between Iran and the United States,” the office said, adding that Ankara hoped talks would continue and that Turkey would continue to support efforts toward peace.

The leaders also discussed the war in Gaza, with Erdogan telling Trump that Israel's attacks on Palestinians in Gaza had increased at a time when the second phase of Trump's peace plan was supposed to take effect.

The call came after Turkey joined Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in signing the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. 

Iran said Monday that while the Strait of Hormuz may be open, safe passage for ships is far from guaranteed.

“Trump is right. The Strait of Hormuz is open, and vessels can pass through,” Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a post on X.

“It is just that, after passing, they will find several beautiful holes in their hulls,” Zolfaghari, a military commander, warned.

The threat came as a 60-day deadline set under an interim agreement between the United States and Iran expired with Washington and Tehran divided over the waterway and who controls passage through it.

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner said Monday that Israelis have had enough of war and are ready for a new path, expressing confidence that President Donald Trump can bring peace to the region.

“Israel has a strong desire to live in peace,” Kushner told Fox News chief correspondent Trey Yingst after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“They've been through three years of war,” Kushner said. 

“It's been very, very hard for the country, very hard for the people. I think there's a lot of emotion in Israel and in the region.” 

But Kushner said the desire to move beyond the conflict extends across the Middle East. 

“As I travel around the region, I do think people are tired of war. I think they're ready for something new,” he said. 

"But it's just sometimes hard. You know, who's going to take the first step, and how do you build trust when there's so little trust that's now been eroded?”

 “We see a lot of positive indications, and President Trump has pulled off miracles before in the Middle East,” Kushner said. 

“He's very committed to continuing to do things that nobody thinks are possible.”

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner said Monday that Hamas leaders “said all the right things” during a rare face-to-face meeting Sunday but warned the terrorist group remains difficult to trust.

Kushner spoke to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst a day after meeting with Hamas officials in Cairo to advance President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. He said progress will be determined by actions, not words.

“They said all the right things, but obviously, it's very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities,” Kushner said.

“But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we're going to give them a chance to perform.”

“It's going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true,” he added.

Jared Kushner said Monday that progress toward demilitarizing Gaza could begin within 30 days, following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at resolving Israeli concerns over the postwar roadmap for the enclave.

Kushner spoke to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst after nearly four hours of talks in Tel Aviv, a day after meeting with Hamas leadership.

“I think today we had a very, very good meeting,” Kushner said, before stating the teams were there in Tel Aviv for almost four hours.

“I think there were some valid concerns that they raised that we were able to address, and we were able to go through some of the misunderstandings and misinformation that's been out about it as well.”

“We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarization occurs,” Kushner warned.

“We're also not going to restrict Israel's right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats. And so we had to clarify what that means.”

“We could be seeing progress, you know, in as much as in as little as 30 days. Hopefully, on starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully, you know, filling in some of the tunnels as well in the next 60 to 90 days as well.”

“For Israel, we think this is a win-win situation because if Hamas actually gives over the weapons and the tunnels willingly over the next 60 to 90 days, that obviously would be the elimination of a huge security threat for Israel, almost an unthinkable achievement.”

“If they don't follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way.”

President Donald Trump criticized Oman and South Korea on Monday, questioning their willingness to support American military efforts as Washington confronts Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz.

“I don't think they behaved very well, but we'd handle them very easily, just like we do others,” Trump said, referring to Oman's involvement in discussions with Iran.

Earlier Monday, Trump issued a warning against interferance with U.S. strategy in the region during a phone interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, warning that the U.S. will "bomb the s---" out of the country if it gets in the way amid tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.

The president also directed criticism toward South Korea regarding military cooperation.

Trump said he personally reached out to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to request support for U.S. operations against Iran.

“We don't need help with rent. But if you'd like, give us a hand with Iran,” Trump recalled telling Lee, noting that the South Korean leader declined to assist.

“We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong un, your next door neighbor, and you're not going to help us. Or a very easy military operation in Iran. That's strange. No, no, we'd rather not get involved, I see,” Trump said.

“And then they say, well, they don't want to get involved with guarding the Strait where they get most of their oil, they get 50% of their oil, and they don't want to get involved,” he added.

“Why are we doing it? So all I want is fairness and South Korea, I get along with them very well. We can't go around and protect all of these countries, especially when they're not there to help us.” Trump warned

President Donald Trump said Monday he likes the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory, touting American control over the waterway while warning that Iran is “in big trouble.”

“We control it. We control it with the blockade. We have a blockade, we control it with the blockade. And I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We could do that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

“We have total control over the strait now,” Trump said before stating that the Iranian military “can be a nuisance.”

“They can put a mine in the water. And people don't like having mines that their billion-dollar ships, you know.”

On the topic of oil leaving the strait amid the blockade of Iranian ports, Trump said:

“We're taking out millions of barrels. If you look at the kind of numbers that we're doing, we're doing the strait is open and the oil prices are coming down, and they will continue to come down unless we decide to do something far more drastic than we're doing.”

“Iran is in big trouble. They have 300% inflation. The country is a mess and the military is totally defeated,” Trump added. 

An Iranian psychologist who publicly appealed to President Donald Trump to stand by Iranians protesting the Islamic Republic has been sentenced to seven months in prison, while his relatives say authorities tried to pressure him into recording a video insulting Trump and Americans. 

Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist and counselor from Borujen who had been living in Tehran, posted an English-language video on Jan. 4 directly addressing Trump. In the video, reviewed by Fox News Digital, he urged the president to act quickly on his pledge to support Iranian protesters, saying young Iranians had trusted his words and that those who helped the Iranian people would be remembered.

""...To prove your good intentions to the Iranian people, either do something without saying anything or act very quickly on your words, because many young people trust what you say. And, as you probably know, many things are useless to people who are dead.I assure you that the Iranian nation remembers good deeds well, and they will try to repay their friends in the future."

Ten days later, on Jan. 14, Seyedabdollahi was arrested at his father's home in Borujen, according to Iran International, Iran Wire, Harana human rights activist news agency, and the Hana Human Rights Organization. Hana reported that plainclothes agents confiscated phones and electronic equipment and that Seyedabdollahi was subsequently held in solitary confinement and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention facility in Isfahan.

A relative of Seyedabdollahi told Fox News Digital that the video triggered sustained pressure from Iranian security authorities.

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

A top commander responsible for defending the U.S. homeland warned Thursday that American military bases are "ill-equipped" to repel a swarm of small attack drones.

The vulnerability that persists even as the Pentagon seeks billions for new counter-drone weapons, and Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard said the shortfall begins well before troops try to shoot down a drone.

Some bases do not have the sensors to spot and track an incoming swarm or the weapons to take it out, the deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the American contingent at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

"We don’t have the sensors, and depending on where that swarm is going to attack, it depends on whether we have any sensors at all, and also whether we’ve got any effectors to go after that problem," Jarrard said at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

Jarrard said NORTHCOM is folding counter-drone tactics into Operation Noble Eagle, the long-running U.S.-Canada homeland air-defense mission. For now, he said, NORAD is relying on radars already in its inventory while working to connect with local law enforcement and other agencies that operate detection systems beyond military installations.

"Detection is obviously the biggest issue, and so how we are able to detect is one of our biggest concerns right now," Jarrard said. "That’s where we’ve got to get to with respect to the interoperability between not just military systems, but also those that are protecting our cities, critical infrastructure, etc., that are off our installations."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Morgan Phillips.

President Donald Trump ordered War Secretary Pete Hegseth to reduce the investment into joint military drills with South Korea on Monday.

A prominent member of the Iranian parliament issued an ominous warning to President Donald Trump on Monday.

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the national security commission for the Iranian parliament, wrote on X that Trump should be concerned for his own safety.

"The U.S. President ought to worry about his own security rather than his endless bluffing regarding the Strait of Hormuz; before he ends up hiding in a food truck," Azizi wrote.

The message references recent reports that Trump was smuggled out of Air Force One in a catering vehicle during a return trip from Turkey last month.

Ret. Gen. Jack Keane joined Fox News to discuss the ultimate objectives of the U.S. military campaign against Iran and the potential impact of Iranian regime change on "Life, Liberty & Levin."

An official with the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile said Sunday that the war with Iran has underscored Diego Garcia’s strategic importance to U.S. forces and Middle East regional stability, with the Pentagon shifting logistics to the remote U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean after an Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain.

The base, in the southern Chagos Archipelago, has reportedly supported carrier strike groups including the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose forces have conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.

The U.S. military’s wartime logistics network now stretches across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia, allowing forces to avoid coastal facilities vulnerable to Iranian attacks but requiring longer shuttle runs and slower replenishment, according to The New York Times.

"That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base," James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who serves as attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, told Fox News Digital.

"The base is integral to regional security for the U.K., U.S. and our allies. This latest news emphasizes it."

"Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U.S. change of supply arrangement makes sense," Tumbridge said, adding, "Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U.S. this change of use."

"It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U.S. will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover," Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Bussey.

Retired Gen. Jack Keane joined Fox News to discuss covert efforts by the CIA and Mossad to undermine the Iranian regime on Monday.

Host Mark Levin highlighted resistance against Tehran from within Iran and questioned whether enough is being done to support the resistance and end the tyrannical threat.

The Department of War announced Monday that the U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate production of Tomahawk missiles, as the Pentagon moves to expand the nation’s munitions capacity and replenish critical long-range strike weapons.

The news came after President Donald Trump pushed back on concerns over the strain the Iran conflict might be placing on U.S. weapons stockpiles.

"What we’ve used is peanuts," Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst in an exclusive phone interview earlier Monday. "We have a lot of mid-level weapons."

The massive Tomahawk award is intended to give RTX the stability needed to expand its workforce, increase manufacturing output and strengthen supply chains while speeding deliveries of the long-range cruise missile to U.S. forces, according to the department.

"The Department called upon industry to expand munitions production, and RTX has answered that call," Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey wrote in a statement. "This Tomahawk award increases our ability to equip the Joint Force, ensuring our Warfighters never face a fair fight."

Pentagon officials have increasingly focused on expanding the U.S. defense industrial base and shortening the time required to produce key weapons as military operations and heightened global tensions put renewed attention on the size and resilience of American weapons stockpiles.

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

Senior Trump adviser Jared Kushner had a lengthy meeting with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, an official familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital.

Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss Trump's peace plan for Gaza in hopes to accelerate the operation.

Kushner spent the previous day meeting with mediators and Hamas officials in Egypt. The official told Fox News that they discussed steps that can be taken for Hamas to hand over their weapons, end military operations and hand over authority to a third party.

Fox News' Meghan Tome contributed to this report.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday said the USS Abraham Lincoln has recorded one of the lowest numbers of mental health cases in the Navy, amid mounting allegations of poor conditions aboard the carrier.

The Lincoln, which has been at sea for more than 260 days supporting the war with Iran, has been at the center of a dispute over allegations of supply shortages, plumbing problems and crew members threatening to jump overboard. Officials have repeatedly denied such claims and announced Friday that the carrier is expected to be replaced soon.

In a statement posted by CENTCOM, commander Adm. Brad Cooper touted the carrier's mental health record among the Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers after reportedly visiting the ship over the weekend.

"My time aboard USS Abraham Lincoln yesterday was awe-inspiring. I wish every American could see the crew in action. You would beam with absolute pride when witnessing their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience," Cooper said, according to the post on X. "Here’s an important fact: Of the U.S. Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health."

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Cooper added that many of the allegations involving food and hot water were old concerns raised months ago that have since been addressed by the ship’s leadership.

"Recent media reporting has portrayed varying perspectives on operational tempo, crew morale and the realities facing our deployed forces. What I found aboard the Lincoln is that many elements of those stories are old news. I chatted with junior enlisted personnel and junior officers in small groups. Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved," he said.

In his CENTCOM statement, Cooper acknowledged that despite the ship’s low number of mental health cases and improved conditions, extended deployments at sea can still be challenging, as some sailors may respond differently than others to the demands of prolonged missions.

"This doesn’t mean that all is perfect. Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn’t for everyone. It is uniquely challenging and tough, and every single one of us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways," he said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Bonny Chu.

Former congressman Trey Gowdy warned of the threat to the global economy as the U.S. and Iran continue to battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Gowdy compared Iran's influence over the strait to an "economic nuclear weapon."

Trade through the strait slowed to the lowest point in three months this weekend.

President Donald Trump urged Iran to wave the "white flag" and end its conflict with the U.S. on Monday.

The president told Fox News' Trey Yingst that Iran cannot achieve victory against the U.S.

"They should put up the white flag of surrender," Trump said.

The initial 60-day negotiating period laid out in the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding has expired, marking a new test for the agreement that halted military operations between the two sides and established a framework for a broader deal.

President Donald Trump signed the MOU at the Palace of Versailles on June 17 during the G7, giving Washington and Tehran a maximum of 60 days — unless extended by mutual consent — to negotiate a final agreement addressing sanctions, Iran’s nuclear program and other outstanding issues.

Trump, speaking with chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Monday, said Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender," while signaling he was not imposing a new deadline on Tehran. "I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry," Trump said.

He also said that if Oman, which has been negotiating with Iran over arrangements for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, gets in the way, the U.S. will "bomb the s--- out of them."

Monday's expiration of the negotiating window follows renewed hostilities between the two sides. In July, Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. airstrikes. Iran retaliated against U.S. bases and allies in the Gulf, leading to continued fighting and escalating tensions across the region.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

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

President Donald Trump says he is not concerned about the Iran's war's potential impact on the impending midterm elections.

Trump made the comment to Fox News' Trey Yingst on Monday, saying midterms have "nothing to do with my thinking."

"I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry," he added.

President Donald Trump rejected concerns over the U.S. military's stockpile of weapons as the war on Iran continues Monday.

Trump told Fox News' Trey Yingst that the U.S. still has deep reserves of weapons.

"What we've used is peanuts," Trump said. "We have a lot of mid-level weapons."

Some estimates show the U.S. has used more than half of its stockpiles of some weapons systems in the war with Iran as of early August.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies found the U.S. has enough missiles to continue fighting in Iran under any plausible scenario, but the group says the true issue with the shrinking stockpiles is future wars.

President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration has established a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but said he is in no hurry to bring the conflict to a close.

"They're good poker players, but they're dying," Trump told Fox News' Trey Yingst of the IRGC.

"I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry," he added.

The IRGC is the most radical faction within the Tehran regime and has reportedly sabotaged previous talks with the U.S.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will "bomb the s---" out of Oman if they get in the way amid conflict with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Trump made the statement in an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst on Monday as the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire.

"If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them," Trump said.

Iran stated last week that it was in negotiations with Oman regarding how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Monday that his "number one goal" in the conflict with Iran is to ensure the country never obtains a nuclear weapon.

Trump made the statement in a post to his Truth Social account as the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire on Monday. It is unclear whether the U.S. plans to renew its military offensive.

"The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon," Trump wrote.

Publicly, there has been no progress in peace talks between Tehran and Washington in recent days.

The Iranian regime is offering a $30,000 reward for the killing or capture of any U.S. military members, Tehran's army chief told the country's state news agency.

Army chief Amir Hatami made the statement to IRNA this weekend, saying the reward would be doubled it a female citizens carries out the capture or killing.

“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said.

“Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward,” he added.

So far, the U.S. has not deployed any ground troops against Iran, and the total number of U.S. servicemembers killed in the conflict remains at 17.

Tehran is more isolated than ever before across the Middle East, with Gulf states aligned against Iran, Navy SEAL veteran Mike Sarraille said Sunday while adding that President Donald Trump now needs time to prepare for the end of the regime.

“He has got Iran where he wants them, with both the blockade, the economic sanctions,” Sarraille said on “Fox Report” Sunday.

“It just comes down to time,” he added before describing how Washington’s measures were “crippling to Iran.”

“You pair it with probably some additional military strikes on their infrastructure, but additionally, what the commentators are missing is diplomatically.

“We are seeing an aligned Middle East that we've not seen before, at least in our lifetimes, you know, with a recent pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, an attack on one is an attack on all, and then also a Red Sea maritime coalition that was signed by 14 Gulf states.”

“So that alignment is ultimately going to be the biggest strategic miscalculation by Iran. They've aligned the entire region against them.

“They are further isolated. Again, we just have to give President Trump time to lay the seeds for what could be the end of days for this regime.”

Sarraille’s comments came ahead of Monday’s expiration of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in June.

Fox News' Emma Bussey contributed to this report.