Iran Denies Negotiations with U.S. as Trump Insists Talks Underway to End Conflict

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran on Monday flatly denied that it is engaged in negotiations with the United States, directly contradicting repeated assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington and Tehran are currently negotiating a deal to end months of conflict and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran is not holding any direct talks with Washington despite Trump's claims that the two sides are working toward a comprehensive agreement.

"We are not currently negotiating with the United States," Baqaei said. "Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz."

His remarks marked Tehran's clearest public rejection yet of Trump's narrative that negotiations are underway following months of escalating military confrontation between the two countries.

The comments came less than 48 hours after Trump announced that he had decided to suspend planned U.S. military strikes against Iran because a diplomatic breakthrough was within reach.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday evening, Trump said Middle Eastern allies had reached the parameters of a deal that would end the five-month conflict.

"The deal would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran's nuclear threat," 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," he added.

Trump also said Israel had agreed to join the United States in pursuing the proposed agreement with Iran aimed at ending the conflict.

The sharply contrasting statements underscore the uncertainty surrounding any diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.

While Trump has portrayed negotiations as already underway, Iran maintains that its current diplomatic contacts are limited to neighboring Oman and concern only maritime security and ensuring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints.

Oman has long served as a mediator between the United States and Iran during periods of heightened tensions. It has hosted several rounds of indirect talks between the two countries in recent years.

Trump's announcement followed increasingly confrontational rhetoric from Washington.

On Friday, the U.S. president threatened additional military action against Iran while insisting that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remained a key American objective.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump said the United States would strike Iran "very hard" until it achieved its objectives.

Later that day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Tehran of violating a memorandum of understanding reached with Washington last month by attacking commercial shipping and killing American service members.

Regional tensions also prompted the U.S. State Department on Saturday to issue heightened security alerts for American citizens in 10 Middle Eastern countries, warning of possible travel disruptions, airspace closures, and flight cancellations amid fears of further escalation.

The diplomatic uncertainty comes as security concerns continue to mount across the Gulf.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly raised concerns during a telephone conversation with Trump on Saturday over the possibility that further U.S. military action could trigger Iranian retaliation against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states' energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Kuwait said its armed forces responded to a fresh wave of Iranian drone attacks targeting vital facilities on Saturday, although authorities reported no casualties.

Maritime security incidents have also continued in the Strait of Hormuz.

The British military said a commercial tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile near Oman's coast while another vessel reported an explosion nearby. No casualties were reported in either incident, but the attacks highlighted the continued vulnerability of one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The competing narratives from Washington and Tehran emerged as the wider Middle East remained volatile, with Israel continuing military operations in Gaza despite Hamas' announcement that it is prepared to disarm under a separate U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal, while tensions also persisted in Lebanon and the Red Sea.

Whether Iran's acknowledgment of talks with Oman represents an indirect pathway toward broader negotiations with Washington remains unclear, but Monday's statements illustrated the significant gap between the public positions of the two longtime adversaries, even as Trump continues to express confidence that a deal is within reach.