Iran rejects Trump's claim, confirms no talks held with US amid ongoing war 

The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claims of talks with Iran, saying Tehran has had no negotiations with Washington over the past 24 days of the unprovoked US-Israel war against the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s position regarding the Strait of Hormuz and conditions to end the imposed war has not changed,” Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.

Trump had earlier set a 48-hour deadline for Iran to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz or face US strikes on Iranian power plants. However, the US president backed down on Monday, saying he had ordered the Pentagon to suspend all plans for attacks, and claiming that talks were underway with Iran. 

In response to Trump’s threat, the Islamic Republic vowed to target energy infrastructure of the Israeli regime and any regional country from which anti-Iran military action might originate.

Arab officials said their efforts to broker an understanding between Tehran and Washington have so far failed to yield results.

Baghaei confirmed that Iran has received messages through some friendly countries over the past few days regarding the US request for negotiations to end the ongoing war. He said Iran has responded appropriately and based on the Islamic Republic’s principled positions.

In its response, he said, Iran gave necessary warnings about the severe consequences of any attack on the country’s vital infrastructure and emphasized that the Iranian armed forces would give a “decisive, immediate, and effective” response to any potential action in this regard.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also denied any talks have been held with the United States during the war.

“No talks have been held with the US. Such fake news is aimed at manipulating the financial and oil markets and find a way out of the quagmire that has entangled America and Israel,” he wrote on X.

“Our people want the complete and regret-inducing punishment of the aggressors. All officials stand firmly behind the Leader and people until this goal is achieved,” Qalibaf added. 

Iran has said it would halt its reprisal operations against the United States and the Israeli regime if there is a guarantee that war would never take place again, US military bases are closed in the region, and compensations are paid for damages inflicted on Iranian military and civilian structures.

The US and Israel initiated an unprovoked military offensive against Iran, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with several high-ranking military commanders and civilians on February 28.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces have launched a series of counterattacks, directing missile and drone strikes at American bases across the region and the Israeli-occupied territories.

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