Iran Foreign Ministry denies talks with US, says no meetings planned, despite Trump claims - report

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied ongoing talks with the US and said no meetings are planned, contradicting President Trump's claims, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Baghaei said all negotiators are in Iran except Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, visiting a religious site in Iraq. Meanwhile, talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz continue, with progress noted. A proposal involves a temporary shipping route through Iranian and Omani waters without fees. Iran demanded sanctions removal and a no-attack guarantee. Pakistan offered to host next talks.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied ongoing negotiations with the United States and stated that no meetings are planned, contradicting claims by US President Donald Trump. The denial was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, citing Baghaei. He said all of Iran's negotiators were still in the country, except for Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was visiting a religious site in Iraq. In contrast, the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that talks with Oman regarding the future of the Strait of Hormuz were continuing, with both sides noting progress over the past few days. Mediators told the WSJ that a proposal under consideration involves creating a temporary new route through the strait for commercial shipping, with Persian vessels entering through Iranian waters and exiting via Omani waters without paying fees. Mediators said they were awaiting a response from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), though Iran had responded favorably. However, Iran later demanded that sanctions on its oil be removed and that it receive a guarantee against attack. Senior Arab officials also requested that any agreement include guarantees that Iran would not attack their territories directly or via proxies. Pakistan offered to host the next round of talks between Iran and the US, according to the WSJ. On Monday, Trump claimed talks were ongoing, calling them Tehran's last chance to reach a deal 'before decapitation.' He alleged Iran initiated talks with backing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, fearing strikes he said would have been the biggest since World War II.