Iran has denied engaging in any negotiations with the United States, contradicting recent statements by former President Donald Trump that “productive conversations” had taken place.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated on Monday that no formal discussions with Washington are ongoing, describing Trump’s comments as an attempt to influence global energy prices and buy time for potential military operations, according to Iranian media outlets.
“There are no talks between Tehran and Washington,” the Mehr News Agency quoted the ministry as saying, adding that Trump’s remarks were intended “to reduce energy prices.”
While acknowledging regional proposals to ease tensions, Iranian officials emphasized that the country is not the instigator of the conflict and that any demands should be directed at the United States.
Tehran has previously responded to attacks on its infrastructure by the US and Israel with drone and missile strikes against neighboring states, causing casualties, disrupting aviation, and affecting global energy markets. Following an Israeli strike on March 19 at a key gas field, Iran’s retaliation temporarily knocked out 17% of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas export capacity, resulting in an estimated $20 billion loss in annual revenue.
The Iranian government also warned that it could “irreversibly destroy” critical infrastructure across the Middle East, including water systems, if the US carries out its threat to target Iranian power plants. Trump had previously announced a five-day delay on such strikes, citing “very good and productive” conversations with Tehran over the preceding days regarding a resolution of hostilities in the region.
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