“I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to kill people; I do not want to kill people. But at some point, we’re gonna. We were set for the biggest attack of any attack, and we’ve hit them very hard for the last few months. But we were, we were all set for the biggest attack since World War II. And they called me, and they said, ‘Please don’t do it. Let’s talk.’ And then they don’t. They say we never said that,” Trump said, addressing his supporters in Las Vegas.

From Trump’s point of view, Iran respects the United States.

“Let’s see what happens,” the US president added.

On Sunday, Trump said he had cancelled strikes on Iran in light of a pending settlement deal, the contours of which include opening the Strait of Hormuz and agreements on the nuclear programme. The New York Times reported that the agreement provides for Iran and Oman to reach a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 60 days.

Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Trump expressed optimism about negotiations, saying an announcement on the Strait of Hormuz could come “today or tomorrow.”

“A lot of progress has been made. And they called me and they said please let’s talk. They want to talk,” Trump said in response to reports that the US was seeking to announce an interim agreement on the waterway.

He also warned Iran that the strait would be reopened “very soon or they (Iran) are going to get hit very hard.”

However, Tehran swiftly dismissed those claims. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported on Wednesday that any future agreement between Iran and Oman, which share control over the strategic waterway, “has no connection to the immediate reopening of the strait.”

“If the United States continues its violations, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened even if Iran and Oman reach an agreement,” IRIB quoted an unnamed source as saying.

Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, also rejected Trump’s assessment. Speaking to the state-affiliated Mizan News Agency, he said the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-war status “under any circumstances.”

“We will not accept the southern corridor that the United States sought to impose through pressure and threats,” Ghashghavi said, adding that the negotiations between Tehran and Muscat are bilateral and have “no connection” with the United States.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that talks with Oman are continuing, with discussions focused on establishing safe inbound and outbound shipping routes while protecting both countries’ sovereign rights and national security interests.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes, has remained effectively closed since Iran blocked commercial traffic after the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel earlier this year.

The closure also became the main reason for the collapse of the June ceasefire memorandum between Washington and Tehran. Although both sides had agreed to pause fighting while negotiating a broader settlement, renewed clashes around the strait led to the resumption of US military strikes, Iranian retaliation and an expanded regional conflict.

The standoff continues to affect global energy markets. Oil prices rose on Wednesday after earlier losses, reflecting uncertainty over the fate of the shipping route. Brent crude climbed about 1.3% to around $80 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose about 0.6% to $76 a barrel.

Moreover, US military stockpiles of key missile defence interceptors have been significantly depleted during the conflict with Iran, with nearly 80% of interceptors for one major air defence system already expended, CNN quoted sources familiar with the matter.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament premises during the Monsoon Session, Hussain said the march began at the Gandhi Statue at Prerna Sthal and proceeded to Makar Dwar, with MPs from several Opposition parties participating in the demonstration.

“Today, Opposition MPs, led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji, marched from the Gandhi Statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar, demanding the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir,” Hussain said.
He added that the Opposition also sought a statement from union Home Minister Amit Shah on two other issues that have triggered repeated protests during the ongoing session of Parliament.

“The march also demanded a statement from the union Home Minister on the police action against students and accountability regarding the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” Hussain said.
The protest comes amid continued disruptions in both Houses of Parliament, with Opposition parties insisting that the government respond to their demands on a range of issues.

The INDIA bloc has repeatedly sought the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which was reorganised into two union Territories after the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A in August 2019.

The Opposition has also been demanding that the union Home Minister make a statement in Parliament on the alleged police action against students protesting over examination-related issues and respond to allegations concerning the handling of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The government has maintained its position on these issues, while repeated protests by Opposition members have led to disruptions during the Monsoon Session. UNI SKA AAB

Singh had criticized PDP chief Mehbooba after she held the national flag upside down during a protest in Srinagar on the eve of anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. The former chief minister was seen holding the national flag along with the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir during the protest

The alleged holding of the national flag upside down has sparked a controversy, with the BJP demanding strict legal action against the PDP president.

In a statement, the PDP objected to union Minister Singh referring to Mehbooba Mufti as a “terrorist”, saying such language was unbecoming of a union Minister and inconsistent with democratic values.

The party said political differences should be addressed through debate and dialogue rather than personal attacks and alleged that the remarks sought to lower the standard of public discourse.

The PDP urged political leaders to exercise restraint in public statements and maintain the dignity of democratic institutions.

Marking the seventh anniversary of the Centre’s August 5 decisions, Omar said his party remained committed to restoring what he described as the rights taken away from Jammu and Kashmir and protecting its identity.

“7 years, we haven’t forgotten & we haven’t reconciled far less accepted our current circumstances. My party & I remain committed to reversing all that was done to J&K that took away our rights & threatens our identity,” Omar said on X.

Quoting Robert Frost’s famous lines from Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Omar added: “The woods are lovely, dark & deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep……..”
Peoples Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Lone described August 5, 2019 as a “brutal coup” against the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“August 5, 2019 was a brutal coup against the people of J & K. It will be held up with contempt and disdain by the people of J & K, for all times to come,” he said on X.

“The day of disempowerment of the people of J & K. When everything was taken away. Article 370, Article 35 A. And to add salt to the wounds, J & K was relegated to a UT. I hope a day will come when people of India will understand that these were promises made to the people of J & K on the eve of accession. And gradually all the promises were reversed. And whatever little was left for the people of J & K to cling on to, was brutally taken away on August 5, 2019,” he added.

Lone said he hoped the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be “empowered again as matter of right and not as a matter of charity.”

The Narendra Modi led BJP government on August 5, 2019 abrogated the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.

Parliament subsequently passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which bifurcated the erstwhile state into the union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The protest march was held at the NC’s Central Office and was attended by senior party leaders, legislators and workers.

Addressing reporters after the protest, NC leader and Minister Sakina Itoo said August 5 was a “day of misfortune” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that their rights, guarantees, special status and statehood were taken away on the day.

“On 5th August, our rights, our guarantees, everything that we had was snatched from us. Be it the special status or the statehood, that 5th August was a day of misfortune for all of us,” Itoo said.
She said the NC had consistently raised its voice and held peaceful protests for restoration of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The National Conference always raised its voice for this and kept on protesting peacefully,” she said.

Itoo said the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had passed a resolution seeking restoration of special status, while the Cabinet had also passed a resolution seeking statehood, which had already been sent to the union Government.

“The rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that were snatched should be returned,” she said.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is also planning a demonstration in Srinagar against the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A.
On Tuesday night, PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti led a sit-in protest outside the party office in Srinagar.

Addressing the gathering, Mufti said the events of August 5, 2019, had been preceded by what she described as a “very dark night” in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It started with a very dark night on August 4 and that dark night continues,” she said, referring to the detention of several mainstream and separatist political leaders on the night preceding the abrogation of Article 370.

BJP would mark the day with celebratory events at its party headquarters and in districts.

Meanwhile, security arrangements were intensified across Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar and other sensitive areas, to maintain law and order and ensure that normal public life remained unaffected.
Officials said additional deployments of police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other security agencies had been made at sensitive locations.

Security personnel intensified vehicle checking and frisking at several places, while surveillance was stepped up around vital installations, government buildings and other important locations.
Senior police officers were monitoring the situation and security arrangements were reviewed at various levels in view of the protests announced by political parties.

The heightened security comes seven years after the Centre on August 5, 2019, abrogated Article 370, which had accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and subsequently reorganised the erstwhile state into two union Territories.

He said golf tourism was an important component of the government’s overall tourism promotion strategy and expressed hope that the DP World PGTI would become an annual fixture.

The Chief Minister described the golf tournament as an important milestone.
“This year we have seen even without active promotion of golf tourism, we have seen the beginnings of what we actually want, which is people is flying into Srinagar for a long weekend of golf…. And this tournament is an important milestone in putting Kashmir and particularly RSGC back on India’s golf map. We have more than 100 professional golfers who have come as part of the DP World PGTI.We have more than 10 overseas entries as well,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar after inaugurating the J&K Open 2026 on Tuesday. Omar also unveiled the trophy.

The four-day DP World PGTI tournament features a strong field of leading Indian professionals, including Saptak Talwar, Veer Ahlawat, Om Prakash Chouhan, Manu Gandas, defending champion Shaurya Bhattacharya and Angad Cheema, among others.

The tournament also carries a prize purse of Rs 1 crore, double the Rs 50 lakh offered in the previous edition.
The Chief Minister said the government’s endeavour was to make the tournament an annual event rather than a one-off affair.

“There has been a long gap between the previous such effort and this tournament. So this is the beginning. From here we hope to scale up both the prize money as well as the participation and ensure that it is a regular feature of the calendar for at least the next five years,” he said.

On promoting local golfers, Omar said the government wanted to provide greater exposure to young talent through tournaments and proposed setting up a golf academy.

“We want to start a golf academy here, so that we can groom young golfers at a very young age, so that they can represent India at a national level,” he said.
He said local amateurs were already getting opportunities to play alongside foreign professionals through Pro-Am tournaments, while local competitions were also being organised.

Asked whether the abrogation of Article 370 had contributed to the revival of golf tourism, Omar rejected the suggestion that such tournaments were a new phenomenon.

“We organised such tournaments before 2014 as well. And on a large scale,” he said, recalling that before the onset of militancy in the 1980s, Jammu and Kashmir had hosted some of the country’s biggest golf tournaments.
On concerns that golf courses could become loss-making government assets, Omar said their value should not be measured solely in terms of direct profits.

“Golf course will not be a profit centre in itself. But in terms of promotion, there is no competition for it,” he said.
He argued that golfers visiting J&K contributed to the wider tourism economy by using taxis, staying in houseboats, eating at local establishments, visiting tourist attractions and purchasing handicrafts.
“So in the end, there is only profit and no loss,” Omar said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the importance of sporting events in enhancing J&K’s visibility as a tourism destination, saying the government wanted continuity rather than isolated events.

“When you bring such a large number of professional golfers to come here and play, they don’t play for one day. They play for four days,” he said.

He added that the presence of professional golfers, high profile sponsors and media coverage could remind people across the country that Kashmir was also a golf destination.
“Our endeavour is not for a one-off tournament. Our endeavour is that this should be part of the calendar of golf tournaments in the country,” Omar said.

“Not one-off events. Whether it’s the marathon in Kashmir, the half-marathon in Jammu, the PGTI World Golf Tournament, similar endeavours in other sports. The idea is that you have continuity so that people build it into their calendar and make it a part of their visit,” he said.

South Kashmir witnessed two terror incidents in a span of ten days. On July 22, Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, who was deployed on Amarnath Yatra-related security duty, was shot dead by a terrorist near Lal Chowk in Anantnag.

Nine days later, on July 31, two non-local workers from Chhattisgarh were shot at by a suspected terrorist in the Kilam area of Kulgam district. One of them died at the spot, while the other succumbed to his injuries the following day.

CM Omar said the deaths were deeply saddening and that no amount of condemnation could adequately express the gravity of the killings.

“The people who were killed, it’s a very sad thing. It shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t have happened,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a golf tournament.

He said targeting innocent people could not be justified under any circumstances.
“Killing innocent people like this, no religion allows you to do this. No matter how much you condemn it, no matter how many words you use against it, it will be less,” the Chief Minister said.

Omar also underlined the responsibility of the security establishment to prevent such attacks and ensure the safety of people in the region.

“The people who are responsible for security here, it is expected that they won’t let such attacks happen,” he said.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said negotiations with Tehran were underway at the request of regional powers, even as Iran flatly denied holding any talks with Washington, exposing deep uncertainty over the state of US-Iran diplomacy and raising fresh questions over whether a breakthrough or a military confrontation is closer.

Trump said he had paused what he described as a massive U.S. military operation against Iran after signs of diplomatic progress and appeals from regional allies, but warned the window for a deal was rapidly closing.

“I think we’re going to maybe get something, but I want to give them every last chance before decapitation,” Trump said. “This is Iran’s last chance… to sign a good document.”

Trump insisted U.S.-Iran negotiations were “going on right now,” saying the talks were being pursued at the request of Iran as well as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. He also claimed he had called off strikes that “would have been the biggest attack since World War II” because diplomacy appeared to be gaining momentum.

Tehran has contradicted the president’s account on Monday.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said no direct negotiations with Washington were taking place, adding that its only current discussions were with Oman over a temporary maritime safety arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz.

The public contradiction exposed the deep uncertainty surrounding Trump’s latest diplomatic push, with Washington portraying negotiations as active while Tehran denied they even existed.

Responding to Iran’s remarks, Trump accused the country’s leadership of being “unbelievably duplicitous” and dismissed its statements over the Strait of Hormuz as “the usual blather.”

The latest exchange underscores Trump’s strategy of pairing military pressure with offers of diplomacy as he seeks to revive a nuclear agreement with Tehran. The US president has repeatedly issued deadlines and warned of military consequences, but previous rounds of negotiations have stalled over sanctions relief, uranium enrichment and broader regional security issues.

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the standoff. The narrow waterway handles roughly a fifth of global oil shipments, making any threat to its security a key risk for energy markets and geopolitical stability.

“We are talking to them in the form of negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The US President expressed confidence that a deal on Iran’s denuclearisation would be reached.

“I think there’s a deal. There’s a deal on (the Strait of) Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or, you might call it, a denuclearisation of Iran,” he said.

Trump said that the United States cancelled its planned weekend attack on Iran, in part at Tehran’s request, but is ready to resume bombing at any time.

“I was asked (to cancel the strikes on Iran) by Saudi Arabia, by the UAE, by Qatar, and by Iran. We were also asked by Iran, very strongly,” he added.

The US President declined to comment on reports of the withdrawal of American forces from Kuwait and Bahrain.

“I don’t want to comment on that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Media reported earlier that the US was withdrawing some troops from bases in several Middle Eastern countries attacked by Iran, including Kuwait and Bahrain.