Iran Denies US Talks After Trump Announces Negotiations as War Enters Sixth Month

Iran Denies US Talks After Trump Announces Negotiations as War Enters Sixth Month

Tehran rejects Washington’s claim of imminent talks, says discussions with Oman over Strait of Hormuz are separate and ongoing

Iran has firmly denied that it is currently holding negotiations with the United States, contradicting President Donald Trump’s announcement that talks would begin on Monday afternoon. The conflicting claims come amid heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program, with the war between the two countries now in its sixth month. The war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran, targeting key leadership, air defence capabilities, missile sites, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. The opening salvo included an attack on a leadership meeting in Tehran that killed Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Iran’s defence minister, the chief of staff of the armed forces, and the commander of the IRGC. Since then, months of on-off diplomacy have led to periods of relative calm, though fighting has continued to flare.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated during a televised press conference on Monday that “Iran is not currently holding talks with the United States”. He elaborated that Tehran has no plans to host or send delegations, and members of Iran’s negotiating delegation remain inside the country. Baqaei clarified that Iran’s current discussions are focused exclusively on Oman regarding a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that reaching an agreement with Oman would not mean the reopening of the strait, as the situation would remain unchanged while US “aggression” continued. “So long as the United States continues to violate its commitments, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not change,” Baqaei told his weekly press conference. The spokesman also warned Gulf states against allowing the United States to use their territory for attacks on Iran, urging countries in the region not to facilitate US military action.

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On Sunday, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that negotiations with Iran would begin Monday afternoon. He claimed that the talks would cover the Strait of Hormuz and ultimately the denuclearisation of Iran. “The deal is imminent, having to do with the Hormuz Strait and also, ultimately, the denuclearization of Iran,” Trump said. Trump stated that he had been asked by Iran as well as US partners Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar to hold off on strikes, which he claimed would have been “the biggest attack since World War II”. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL”. However, Iranian media has denied that Tehran asked Trump not to strike. Trump has repeatedly predicted that a negotiated settlement is within reach, although previous diplomatic efforts have been followed by renewed exchanges of military strikes.

While denying US talks, Iranian officials confirmed progress in discussions with Oman over a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman on a mechanism for ships to transit the waterway were “nearing completion and in their final stages,” according to Iranian state media. The talks have been ongoing for months between Tehran and Muscat, the two littoral states bordering the strait, with discussions continuing at both the technical and political levels. Baqaei told state television that a deal was close with Oman over a new route through the strait, describing it as “one path with entry and exit lanes” that would respect the sovereign rights of both sides. The route under discussion will be temporary, he said, and through it, Iran will ensure safe navigation. Baqaei emphasized that Iran and Oman, as coastal states of the strait, are required to cooperate to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the waterway and reach a defined mechanism. He noted that Tehran needs to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz would not be exploited by the parties that have carried out aggression against Iran, adding that “this requires us to adopt a mechanism in which Iran’s sovereign rights are fully respected”.

The conflicting claims come against the backdrop of a war that has significantly disrupted global energy markets. Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz served as a conduit for approximately 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran has largely closed the strait, causing energy prices to rise and stoking broader inflation. On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the conflict, under which the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within a 60-day period to reach a final agreement. Under the understanding, Iran agreed to allow fee-free maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz for a period of 60 days. However, the talks’ fate has been uncertain due to recent military escalation. The US attempted to undermine Iran’s sovereignty by establishing an unsafe corridor near Omani shores, prompting Iran’s firm response to re-impose restrictions on the strait.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that “We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed”. He expressed belief that the MoU would be the focal point of Iran’s foreign relations in the future. Baqaei also revealed that over the past 24 hours, “we have received numerous calls from the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Ukraine stating that they will not be part of the war against Iran”. Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the parliament’s national security commission, said on Sunday that mediators were trying to revive the US-Iran memorandum of understanding that was agreed in June. That agreement was not intended as a final peace deal, but as a stepping stone to negotiations on a comprehensive agreement, though it did include provisions on 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.

Trump’s announcement had immediate market effects, with oil prices falling at the opening of Asian trade. The president said he had been asked by Iran as well as US partners Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar to hold off on further strikes. Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said there was close security and intelligence coordination between Israel and the US on everything happening in the region. However, he added: “With or without an agreement, and regardless of any external commitments, if Iran attempts to renew its nuclear programme or advance its ballistic missile industries, we will be there. We will take action, and we will strike”. In his call with Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed the “necessity of prioritising dialogue to de-escalate tensions” in the Middle East, according to Saudi Arabia’s state news agency. Many observers have expressed skepticism about the latest diplomatic push. Vali Nasr, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University, stated there was “no clear path” for Trump to achieve his goals, noting that “He is trying his hand now at a diplomatic solution to avoid military escalation. But there’s no clear path, either diplomatically or militarily, to get Trump to a place where he can declare victory”.

Iran Denies US Talks After Trump Announces Negotiations as War Enters Sixth Month

Additional reporting by Reuters, AFP, Ynetnews, and The New Arab