Iran has dismissed claims by United States President Donald Trump that fresh negotiations between both countries are underway, insisting that no discussions are currently taking place with Washington despite the President’s announcement of renewed diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict.
The clarification came from Iran’s Foreign Ministry after Trump revealed that he had postponed new military strikes against the Islamic Republic to create room for diplomacy, a pattern that has repeatedly emerged throughout the conflict.
The United States and Iran have remained at war since February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran. While intermittent diplomatic engagements have occasionally eased tensions, the conflict has continued into its sixth month.
Last week, Trump warned that Iran could face severe military action, with reports indicating that Washington was considering renewed attacks, including strikes targeting energy infrastructure.
However, the US President softened his position over the weekend, saying the conditions for a possible agreement had begun to emerge.
Despite Trump’s announcement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the suggestion that negotiations with Washington had resumed.
“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.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Central Issue
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the biggest obstacles to ending the conflict. Iran has tightened control over the strategic shipping lane and has reportedly targeted commercial vessels attempting to pass through it.
Before the outbreak of hostilities, international shipping moved freely through the waterway. However, Iran now insists on maintaining control of the route and collecting transit fees, a position strongly opposed by the United States.
Tehran has also refused to permit ships to use any alternative route except one that closely follows the Iranian coastline.
Speaking on Sunday, Baqaei disclosed that Iran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman, which shares the strategic waterway, on a mutually acceptable shipping route.
“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.
He stressed, however, that such an agreement should not be interpreted as a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump Announces Planned Talks
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that new negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday, focusing on the Strait of Hormuz and eventually addressing Iran’s nuclear programme.
“Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump said, although he did not reveal where the talks would take place or who would participate.
The US President also claimed that Iran, alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him to delay further military action, describing the cancelled operation as one that would have been “the biggest attack since World War II.”
Iranian state media rejected Trump’s assertion, insisting that Tehran never requested him to halt planned strikes.
Trump has repeatedly maintained that a peace agreement is within reach, although previous ceasefire efforts have collapsed, allowing hostilities to resume.
One such agreement reached last month included plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, but the arrangement eventually failed.
Iran Says Dialogue Continues Through Mediators
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for the parliament’s National Security Commission, said mediators are still working to revive the memorandum of understanding reached between Iran and the United States in June.
Although the memorandum was never intended to serve as a final peace agreement, it was designed to lay the groundwork for broader negotiations, including arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
“They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Ghashghavi said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also reiterated Tehran’s position in a post on X.
“We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”
Meanwhile, maritime security concerns remain high after a tanker sailing near the coast of Oman reported hearing an explosion close to the vessel on Sunday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre confirmed that both the ship and its crew remained safe.
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