Iranian officials have denied that the country is engaged in direct negotiations with the United States, contradicting claims made by President Donald Trump. While Tehran confirmed it is in discussions with Oman to establish a temporary route for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, it explicitly stated it has no plans to negotiate with Washington.
The disagreement follows President Trump’s assertion that new talks aimed at concluding the ongoing conflict were scheduled to begin Monday. The President claimed he had previously called off "massive" military strikes against Iran to facilitate these discussions, describing the current situation as a "last chance" for a potential agreement. He further alleged that a deal regarding the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear issues was within reach, noting that regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, had urged him to pursue a diplomatic path.
In response to Iran's denial, President Trump characterized the country's leadership as "unbelievably duplicitous" on social media. The White House maintains that negotiations are active, despite Tehran's public stance.
The diplomatic friction comes as global oil markets react to the instability. Brent Crude and US-traded oil prices saw a decline of over 4% on Monday morning. Shipping data from Kpler indicates that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical artery for approximately 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas—has decreased by roughly 28% in recent days.
The conflict, which began on February 28, has seen previous attempts at mediation collapse, including a ceasefire agreement from April. As the administration faces domestic pressure and polling data suggesting declining public support for the war ahead of the November midterms, the status of these alleged negotiations remains a point of significant contention.
Source: BBC News
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.