Iran denied on Monday that it was holding negotiations with the United States, directly contradicting President Donald Trump’s announcement that talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz would begin later in the day.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was not currently engaged in talks with Washington and was instead negotiating with Oman over the creation of a temporary safe shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Baghaei said even an agreement with Oman would not be enough to fully reopen the strategic waterway while what Tehran describes as continued US “aggression” remained in place.
His remarks cast doubt on Trump’s claim that negotiations with Iran would begin on Monday afternoon.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that talks would take place but provided no details about their location, participants or format. He also declined to set a deadline for reaching an agreement.
The US president had earlier said Washington and Tehran were close to agreements that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran’s nuclear programme. He said he had suspended a planned large-scale US attack to give diplomacy a chance.
Iran, however, has presented a substantially different account.
Baghaei said Tehran’s discussions with Oman were focused on identifying a new maritime route acceptable to both countries bordering the strait. He stressed that the talks were separate from any wider agreement on fully reopening the waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had previously said negotiations with Oman were in their final stages. Iranian officials said any arrangement would have to respect the sovereign rights and security interests of both sides and would not restore conditions in the strait to those that existed before the war began.
Araqchi also held separate calls with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir as regional diplomatic efforts intensified.
The conflicting statements suggest indirect mediation may be under way through Oman or other regional states, but there is currently no Iranian confirmation of formal talks with the United States.
Trump’s announcement had initially raised hopes of de-escalation, pushing oil prices down by more than 4% on Monday. Iran’s denial, however, leaves the status of the proposed negotiations and any broader agreement uncertain.
