Iran denies having peace talks with US despite Trump’s claim

The Islamic Republic of Iran has denied that any direct talks with Washington are planned after US President Donald Trump said negotiations would begin on Monday following his decision to call off planned military strikes.  

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said there were no plans to receive a US delegation or send Iranian officials to Washington. He also rejected suggestions that any change had occurred in the status of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.  

The denial came hours after Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Washington had paused military action in favour of diplomacy.  

“We’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump said.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran and US allies in the Gulf had urged him to “hold off” on planned strikes because the broad parameters of an agreement had already been reached.  

Although Tehran dismissed Trump’s claim of imminent US-Iran talks, it confirmed that technical negotiations with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz were continuing.  

Baghaei said Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers held several rounds of discussions in Tehran on Friday and Saturday on mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping through the strategic waterway while respecting the sovereignty of the two littoral states.  

He described the discussions as constructive and said technical and political consultations would continue. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said negotiations with Oman on a Hormuz agreement were “on track for finalisation”, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with leaders from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him not to proceed with the planned strikes, arguing that diplomacy had a realistic chance of success.  

The US president said the proposed operation would have been the largest American military action since World War II and could have jeopardised efforts to end the months-long conflict.  

The conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran underscore the uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts, with both sides continuing to send mixed signals even as regional mediation over the Strait of Hormuz gathers pace.