1st LD: Trump says Iran to be hit hard if Hormuz Strait not reopened soon

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran will be "hit very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened "very soon."

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the United States is "having very good discussions" with Iran. But Tehran denied having any talks with Washington.

Trump also said in the interview that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and insisted that Iran called him and asked for talks, which Iran also denied.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said he decided to call off attacks against Iran, adding that they would have been carried out "at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II."

While denying having talks with the United States, Tehran said on Tuesday the ongoing talks between Iran and Oman are "positive" at both technical and political levels, with a focus on designating safe routes for vessels' passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Enditem