Iran has denied that it is holding negotiations with the United States, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s announcement that fresh talks aimed at ending the six-month conflict would begin on Monday.
According to AFP, as published by Channels Television, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was not currently negotiating with Washington, stressing that its only ongoing discussions were with Oman over access through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqaei told reporters during a weekly press briefing.
Trump had earlier said he delayed new military strikes against Iran to give diplomacy another opportunity, adding that negotiations would begin on Monday afternoon. However, he did not disclose where the talks would take place or who would participate.
The United States and Iran have been at war since late February after US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Although intermittent diplomatic efforts have produced temporary periods of calm, fighting has repeatedly resumed.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major obstacle to any peace agreement. Iran has restricted shipping through the strategic waterway, insisting that vessels follow a route close to its coastline and pay fees, a position rejected by Washington.
Baqaei said Iran and Oman were close to reaching an agreement on a mutually acceptable shipping route that would respect the sovereignty and security interests of both countries. He emphasised, however, that such an agreement would not amount to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported that a tanker off the coast of Oman heard an explosion nearby on Sunday, although the vessel and its crew were unharmed.
Trump said any future negotiations would address both the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme. Western nations have long accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons, an allegation Iran continues to deny, insisting its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.
The US president also claimed Iran, alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him to suspend planned military action. Iranian state media rejected that assertion.
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi said mediators were working to revive a memorandum of understanding reached between Tehran and Washington in June, describing it as a foundation for broader negotiations rather than a final peace agreement.
President Masoud Pezeshkian also called for Iran to ensure any future agreements are honoured, writing on X that the country must “strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”
