Tehran has firmly denied that any negotiations are taking place with Washington, pushing back against statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that suggested progress toward a diplomatic resolution.
On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry rejected the notion of direct engagement. “There are no talks between Tehran and Washington,” Mehr news agency reported, citing the ministry. The Iranian statement characterized Trump’s remarks as part of an effort “to reduce energy prices,” a reference to recent volatility in global oil markets.
The denial follows a social media post by Trump that had already contributed to a sharp drop in oil prices.
In his own statements, Trump asserted that the two sides had held “productive conversations” over the prior two days, aimed at reaching “a complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.
He further claimed that, based on the discussions to date, he had instructed the Pentagon to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings.” Trump added that U.S. and Iranian officials would continue talking “throughout the week.”
The dueling claims came ahead of a Monday night deadline set by Trump, demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. The president had warned that if Iran failed to comply, he would “obliterate” its power plants.
In the days prior, Iranian officials had escalated their own rhetoric, threatening to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target power plants across the region. The exchange of threats followed warnings from international observers that a prolonged U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran could trigger a historic energy crisis.