Trump claims 'very good and productive' talks with Iran, but Tehran denies negotiations

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump and Iranian officials are sending sharply conflicting signals about possible negotiations, raising uncertainty over the direction of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

On Monday, March 23, as tensions remained high, both sides publicly contradicted each other on whether any talks were even taking place.

Iran says no negotiations have been held with the US

Senior Iranian officials made it clear that, from their perspective, there are no negotiations underway.

Among them was Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, who is reportedly leading Tehran’s side of the engagement.

A senior Iranian security official told Fars News Agency, “There has not been and is not any negotiation underway, and with this type of psychological warfare, neither will the Strait of Hormuz return to its pre-war conditions, nor will there be peace in the energy markets.”

The same official suggested that recent developments were not the result of diplomacy but pressure.

“Trump backed down from attacking critical infrastructure as Iran’s military threats became credible. Financial market pressure and the threat of bonds within the US and the West have increased, and this has been another important factor in this retreat,” the official said.

At the same time, Tehran signaled it is not stepping back from its stance, adding it will continue to defend itself until “we achieve the necessary deterrence.”

Trump insists 'very, very strong talks' are happening

Despite Iran’s denial, Trump painted a very different picture.

In a Truth Social post on Monday morning, he said the US and Iran had, “over the last two days,” held “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.”

He described the discussions as “in depth, detailed and constructive,” adding that they would continue “throughout the week.”

Trump also revealed he had taken a step to delay military action.

He said he had “instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period,” noting the pause was “subject” to the ongoing talks.

Later, speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump doubled down on his claims.

“They have to get themselves better on public relations people. We have had very, very strong talks. We’ll see where they lead. We have points of major points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement,” he said.

Trump hints at possible phone conversation with Iran

The back-and-forth has added to confusion about what is actually happening behind the scenes.

Trump suggested communication challenges may be part of the issue, saying, “Perhaps that hasn’t been conveyed. The communication, as you know, has been blown to pieces. They’re unable to talk to each other, but we’ve had very strong talks.”

He also indicated more discussions could happen soon, possibly over the phone.

“They want very much to make a deal. We’d like to make a deal too. We’re going to get together today by probably phone, because it’s very hard to find a country. It’s very hard for them to get out, I guess,” he said.

The mixed messaging comes at a time when Trump has faced growing questions about the direction of the conflict, which began on February 28.

In recent days, he has suggested he might consider winding down the war. At the same time, his administration has been sending more troops to the Middle East, adding to the uncertainty.