Trump urges Iran to strike deal after halting attacks; Tehran rejects claims of US talks

US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that negotiations with Iran were underway, calling them Tehran’s “last chance” to secure an agreement to end the five-month-long conflict. Iran, however, swiftly rejected the claim, insisting no talks with Washington were taking place.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the discussions were being held at the request of Iran as well as regional players including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

“This is a last chance for them (Iran) to sign a good document,” Trump said.

Iran rejects claim

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denied that any negotiations with the United States were underway or scheduled. He said Tehran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days.

Baghaei added that all Iranian negotiators were currently in the country, except Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was on a religious pilgrimage in Iraq. According to him, Iran’s only ongoing discussions were with Oman over the management of the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices rebound

Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday after a steep sell-off in the previous session, as uncertainty over the diplomatic outlook and concerns about West Asian oil supplies continued to weigh on markets.

Brent crude futures rose 0.7% to $84.39 a barrel after plunging 7% on Monday to their lowest level in nearly three weeks.

Trump says strikes on hold

Trump said over the weekend that the United States and Israel had agreed to suspend any new strikes on Iran, provided a deal to end the conflict is reached quickly.

He said the US had been “locked and loaded” for possible military action but agreed to hold off after receiving requests from Iran and several Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had cancelled the planned attack “for the future benefit of the world” and the “survival of a successful and prosperous Iran,” while making clear the pause was conditional on Tehran reaching a deal promptly.