Trump optimistic U.S.-Iran talks will reopen Strait of HormuzA billboard depicting a fallen Statue of Liberty and crowds carrying Iranian and Shiite flags overlooks Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking,” Trump maintained. Elsewhere, Israel bombed the Gaza Strip and the Syrian president met in Damascus with the Iraqi Kurdish regional leader over security concerns. Nine vessels transited through the strait Sunday, most of them using an Iranian-controlled route, according to trade data and analytics platform Kpler. Syrian and Iraqi leaders discuss security concernsSyrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Iraq’s Kurdish regional president met Monday in Damascus to discuss ways of improving mutual cooperation and contributing to regional security.