Trump Warns Iran Faces ‘Decapitation’ Without Deal

Tehran and Washington offer conflicting accounts of talks.

A U.S. Navy Sea Hawk helicopter is prepared for flight aboard USS Michael Murphy as the warship supports America’s blockade against Iran. Photo: U.S. Central Command

President Trump said Monday negotiations with Iran are underway after he canceled a major military strike, but Tehran denied it is directly talking to Washington.

The conflicting accounts came as Mr. Trump called Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous” and vowed this is their last chance to reach a deal “before decapitation.”

“They’re going on right now,” Mr. Trump told reporters when asked whether the talks had ended and airstrikes were imminent.

He said the United States had been prepared Sunday to strike Iran “very hard,” with the planned operation potentially larger than any attack since World War II. “We were set to go,” he said. “Iran did not want to be hit, and they said we want to talk.”

The negotiations concern reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending Iran’s nuclear program, he added: “We want to talk about the Strait, but more importantly, from my standpoint, we want to talk about the denuclearization of Iran because this is what it’s all about.”

Mr. Trump said Iran requested the discussions with support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Later Monday, he warned Iran could face an attack targeting its leadership if no agreement is reached.

“This is a last chance,” the president said in an Oval Office conversation with reporters. “I think we’re going to maybe get something, but I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.”

Iran offered a sharply different account. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran is discussing a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, but an agreement with Oman alone would not reopen the waterway while American “aggression” continued.

Before speaking with reporters, Mr. Trump accused Tehran of concealing negotiations its representatives are conducting.

“Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”

Mr. Trump described Iran’s public statements as the “usual blather.” He insisted direct discussions are occurring.

“But we are talking right now,” he said. “We’re talking, and we’re talking at the request of Iran.”