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Iran has denied that direct negotiations are underway with the United States, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that fresh talks aimed at ending their six-month war would begin on Monday.
The denial came after Trump said he had postponed further military action against Iran to create space for diplomacy, a recurring pattern throughout the conflict. Washington and Tehran have remained locked in hostilities since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran, triggering months of fighting and intermittent diplomatic efforts.
Trump had last week threatened to hit Iran “very hard”, with reports suggesting his administration was considering renewed strikes, including possible attacks on energy infrastructure. However, he later stepped back from the threat, saying the “perimeters” of a potential agreement were already in place.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry pushed back against the US president’s claims, saying discussions were focused only on resolving issues surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, not on broader negotiations with Washington.
“We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press briefing.
The strategic waterway has become one of the biggest obstacles to ending the conflict. Iran has restricted commercial shipping through the route, insisting on maintaining control over passage, while the United States has rejected any arrangement that would limit international access.
Baqaei said Iran and Oman were close to reaching an understanding on a shipping route that would respect the interests of both countries.
“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides, neither the northern route nor the southern route but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he said.
However, he stressed that any agreement with Oman would not amount to a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the proposed talks would address both the shipping dispute and Iran’s nuclear programme, which was one of Washington’s stated reasons for entering the conflict. Western countries have long accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, while Iran maintains its programme is peaceful.
“Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, without revealing details about the location or participants involved.
The US president also claimed Iran and regional allies, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him to delay further attacks. Iranian officials denied that Tehran had made such a request.
Despite repeated claims from Trump that a settlement is close, previous diplomatic efforts have collapsed, including a ceasefire arrangement last month that was expected to restore access through Hormuz.
