Iran says there are no talks going on with the US after Trump stops the strikes
Iran stated on Monday that there were no ongoing discussions with the United States and no intentions for any meetings, directly opposing claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump about scheduled talks for that afternoon, which he used as a rationale for canceling attacks.
Over the weekend, Trump reiterated a recurring theme that has surfaced over the last five months: proclaiming intentions for “massive attacks” on Iran, only to call them off at the eleventh hour. “Would I prefer to reach an agreement? I’m not seeking to harm anyone. Trump stated while on Air Force One on Sunday, “Now what we’re doing is talking to them, in the form of a negotiation. “It begins tomorrow afternoon,” he stated, refraining from specifying a venue or the participants involved in the discussions.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei dismissed the assertion, stating that there were no negotiations occurring with the United States and no meetings planned. Iran had no intentions of hosting foreign delegations or dispatching negotiators overseas in the near future, he stated.
Baghaei noted that all Iranian negotiators were presently in the country, except for Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was undertaking a religious pilgrimage in Iraq. The only discussions currently taking place, he stated, involve negotiations with Oman regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior Iranian source also informed Reuters that no discussions were scheduled and that Araqchi would be unavailable at least until the end of the week.
REPEATED PATTERN
Monday’s developments seemed to align with a pattern that has surfaced since Trump initiated “Operation Epic Fury” in collaboration with Israel over five months ago. On multiple instances, Trump has indicated the possibility of military action, only to subsequently reference diplomatic communications as a justification for retreating.
Iran has openly dismissed negotiations with Washington following the collapse of a June memorandum of understanding intended to resolve the conflict in early July.
Trump has not yet accomplished the goals he established at the beginning of the war: dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, limiting its capacity to strike regional adversaries, and fostering an environment for Iranians to overthrow their clerical leaders.
Repeated U.S. escalations have prompted increasingly assertive Iranian responses targeting U.S. forces in the region, Washington’s Gulf Arab allies, and shipping, with each instance culminating in Trump retreating.
The disagreement regarding the Strait of Hormuz continues to be a significant source of conflict. Washington asserts that the June memorandum mandated Iran to open the strategically important waterway, whereas Tehran contends that the text clearly maintained its control over shipping traffic.
That would grant Tehran increased influence over the strait compared to the period prior to the war, a development that would probably be perceived as a notable defeat for Trump.
Thus far, the United States has not succeeded in persuading Iran to give up its control over the waterway, resulting in an increase in global oil prices and a rise in politically sensitive gasoline prices within the United States.
Oil prices declined on Monday following Trump’s recent choice to refrain from military action, with Brent crude futures dropping over 4% to approximately $84 a barrel.
In the most recent incident reported in the strait, the British maritime security organization UKMTO stated that the captain of a vessel had indicated an explosion in the water close to the ship. No one was injured.
