Iran denies new negotiations as Oman mediates Strait of Hormuz talks

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States paused airstrikes on Iran at Tehran’s request, but Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied any new bilateral negotiations, saying it is only holding talks with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran highlight the ongoing uncertainty in U.S.-Iran relations after 13 days of nightly U.S. bombing. Trump warned that if diplomacy fails, the U.S. will resume “strong military action,” while Iran said it will not allow the United States to determine the timing of war and peace.

The United States halted attacks on Iran three days ago, Trump said, after 13 consecutive nights of bombing. Speaking to Axios in an interview broadcast Monday, Trump said the U.S. is “in very deep talks with Iran” and that “if they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action.” He said he is not willing to give much time to diplomacy, adding that “either it goes fast or not at all.”

Later, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “They want to meet, and we’re meeting. Without what we did, they wouldn’t even be talking to us. … They would not have requested the meeting if we were doing poorly. The only reason they want to meet is because we’ve been hitting them very hard.” At a rally in Michigan, Trump said there are “very friendly negotiations” going on.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry offered a conflicting account. Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for the ministry, said Tehran “would never allow the United States to determine the timing of war and peace.” He said, “Mediators may convey messages from the American side to us regarding current developments in the region. But at present we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States.”

Baghaei described the discussions with Oman as “useful and constructive” but said they have nothing to do with the United States.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi held calls with his counterparts from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt. Al-Busaidi said in a statement that the talks between Iran and Oman “focused on ways to enhance the prospects for reaching practical, fair and sustainable arrangement for maritime navigation … through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to Axios.