Iran rejects Trump's peace talks claim after he calls off planned military strike

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump and Iran publicly contradicted each other on Monday, August 3, over whether peace negotiations are taking place, just a day after Trump said he had called off what he described as a massive military strike because a diplomatic breakthrough was within reach.

While Trump insisted talks were moving forward, Tehran flatly denied holding direct negotiations with Washington, setting up a fresh war of words as tensions in the Middle East remain high.

The conflicting statements came after Trump said he had paused a planned US military operation following appeals from Gulf leaders who urged him to give diplomacy another chance.

Trump claims diplomacy averted Iran strike

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, August 2, Trump revealed that the United States had been prepared to launch what he described as a devastating military operation against Iran.

"We had an attack that would be the biggest attack since World War II, and it would have been disastrous for them," Trump said.

According to the president, key regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged him to pursue diplomacy instead of military action.

Trump said he accepted that advice and announced a new round of US-Iran peace talks scheduled for Monday afternoon.

"The deal is imminent, having to do with the Hormuz Strait and also, ultimately, the denuclearization of Iran," Trump said, expressing confidence that negotiations were progressing.

He also made it clear that diplomacy would not remain an option indefinitely, saying he was giving Iran "every last chance before decapitation," as War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the United States was prepared to carry out major strikes against Tehran if negotiations failed.

Iran denies direct US nuclear talks

Iran, however, quickly rejected Trump's account. During a Monday press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said there were no direct negotiations taking place with Washington.

"We currently do not have negotiations with America," Baghaei said. He added that Iran had no plans to send negotiators abroad or host foreign officials in the coming days.

Instead, Baghaei said Tehran was communicating with Oman to establish a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to ease the global energy crisis.

Iranian officials maintained that any discussions related to the crisis were taking place through Omani mediators rather than in direct talks with the United States.

Trump questions Iran's negotiation stance

Trump wasted little time responding to Iran's denial, accusing the country's leadership of publicly contradicting private discussions.

Writing on Truth Social on Monday, the president declared, "Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!"

He continued, "They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they're not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they're only dealing with 'Oman.'"

Trump also defended the effectiveness of the US military's naval blockade and dismissed Iran's claims regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz.

"Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished," he added.

US-Iran mediation efforts continue behind the scenes

Even as Washington and Tehran publicly disagreed over the existence of direct negotiations, diplomatic efforts appeared to continue behind the scenes.

Analysts believe Iran is unlikely to make major concessions unless the United States agrees to return to a June memorandum of understanding that experts have described as favorable to Tehran.

Former Iranian diplomat Amir al-Mousawi, who said he met with Iran's negotiating team over the weekend, told The New York Times, "They are ready for the war, and they won't back down."

Meanwhile, an Iraqi politician claimed that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had recently carried messages between Washington and Tehran as part of mediation efforts aimed at preventing the conflict from expanding further.