Iranian officials on Monday dismissed claims of ongoing negotiations with the United States, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s announcement of talks aimed at ending regional hostilities.
Mehr News Agency reported, citing Iran’s foreign ministry, that “there are no talks between Tehran and Washington,” adding that Trump’s statements appeared aimed “to reduce energy prices.” Other Iranian media outlets issued similar denials.
Trump had posted on social media that the US and Iran had held “productive conversations” over the past two days toward “a complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East. He said he 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,” and noted that talks would continue “throughout the week.”
The announcement came ahead of a Monday night deadline, when Trump had warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face potential attacks on its power plants. In retaliation, Iran threatened to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target energy infrastructure across the region, heightening fears of a major energy crisis if tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran escalate.
