Iran on Monday dismissed claims by United States President Donald Trump that fresh negotiations between Washington and Tehran were underway, insisting that no direct talks were taking place between the two countries.
The denial came hours after Trump announced that negotiations would begin on Monday as part of efforts to end the six-month-old conflict between the two nations.
Speaking during a weekly press briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s current diplomatic engagement was with Oman and focused solely on finding a solution to the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqaei said.
Trump had told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he decided against launching fresh military strikes on Iran because diplomacy had opened a path towards a possible agreement.
According to the US president, the planned discussions would address navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and eventually 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, without disclosing where the talks would take place or who would represent the two sides.
The latest exchange highlights the sharply conflicting positions of both governments as the conflict, which began on February 28 following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran, enters its sixth month.
Trump had last week threatened to launch what he described as a massive military assault on Iran, including possible attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, before later saying conditions were emerging for a negotiated settlement.
At the centre of the dispute remains the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which a significant portion of the world’s oil exports passes.
Iran has tightened control over the strategic waterway since the conflict escalated, insisting that vessels use routes close to its coastline while demanding transit fees conditions rejected by the United States and its allies.
Baqaei said Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman, which shares the narrow waterway, on a mutually acceptable shipping route that would respect the sovereignty and security interests of both countries.
He, however, stressed that any understanding with Oman should not be interpreted as a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted international shipping.
Tensions in the region remain high after a commercial tanker reported hearing an explosion near Oman’s coast on Sunday, although the vessel and its crew were unharmed, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Trump also claimed that Iran, alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him to suspend planned military action to allow diplomacy a chance. Iranian state media rejected the claim, insisting Tehran had made no such request.
While direct negotiations remain in dispute, Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi said efforts were continuing to revive the memorandum of understanding reached between Tehran and Washington in June.
The agreement, which included provisions relating to the Strait of Hormuz, was intended to serve as a foundation for broader peace negotiations but collapsed after fighting resumed last month.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signalled support for diplomatic efforts, saying the country’s objective was to ensure that all parties remained committed to agreements already reached.
