Iran denies US claims of productive talks following Trumps statement

US President Donald Trump has claimed that “very good and productive conversations” had taken place with Iran towards ending the war, but Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has denied that any talks have occurred. In a social media post on Monday, Ghalibaf stated that “no negotiations have been held with the US” and accused the US of using the idea of talks to “escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has also denied any discussions with the US, stating that “messages have been received from some friendly countries regarding the US’s request for negotiations to end the war.”

The US-Israeli conflict with Iran entered its fourth week on Monday, with the Israeli military launching a fresh wave of attacks on Tehran. Iran has continued to fire missiles and drones across the Middle East and blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that transports about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies.

On Saturday, Trump had threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the country did not open the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels within 48 hours. However, in an all-caps post on Monday morning, Trump stated that he had instructed the US Department of Defense to postpone any military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period.

Regional actors have been pushing for de-escalation, with some messages being conveyed by regional players. Experts believe that Trump may be using the prospect of talks as a way to backtrack from his 48-hour ultimatum to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Source: Al Jazeera