Iranian media said on Monday there were no negotiations between Tehran and Washington after US President Donald Trump announced talks towards ending the war.
“There are no talks between Tehran and Washington,” said Mehr news agency, citing Iran’s foreign ministry, adding that Trump’s statements were part of a push “to reduce energy prices.”
The rebuttal follows a social media post that immediately sent oil prices tumbling.
Trump said Washington and Tehran had held “productive conversations” over the last two days towards “a complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.
He asserted he had told the Pentagon, on the basis of talks to date, to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings.”
He said the US-Iranian sides would keep talking “throughout the week.”
The bombshell announcement came ahead of a Monday night ultimatum for the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane—or see Trump “obliterate” its power plants.
In response, Iran had threatened to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target power plants across the region—ramping up its rhetoric after warnings the world faced an energy crisis of historic proportions if the US-Israeli war with Iran drags on.
