Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief or access to frozen funds in exchange for “concrete” progress on its nuclear programme, insisting that the United States had made no concessions.
“This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING,” the US president wrote on Truth Social.
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Axios and CNN, citing unnamed US officials, reported that Mr Trump was prepared to include sanctions relief and the release of Iranian funds in a final agreement, provided Tehran demonstrated “concrete progress” on the nuclear issue.
Mr Trump has described preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon as one of the war’s central objectives. He has also said the US wants to end Tehran’s ability to attack neighbouring countries and create conditions that could allow Iranians to remove their leaders.
Trump says US will win Iran war ‘very soon’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained willing to discuss its nuclear programme and other issues, but would not submit to “bullying or coercion”. He made the remarks in an interview with the CBS programme “Face the Nation”.
“Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks,” Mr Pezeshkian said. He added that Iran had already accepted that “we’re not supposed to develop nuclear weapons”.
US and Iranian officials held separate discussions with mediators on Monday as efforts resumed to bring the seven-month conflict to an end, officials from both countries said.
Tehran said on Sunday that diplomacy remained the only way to resolve its confrontation with the United States and Israel.
“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on social media. “Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock.”
Mr Araqchi told reporters at the UN on Friday that the proposed agreement would begin a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and pause fighting across the region.
Mr Trump dismissed the proposal on Saturday, saying Iran’s drive for an agreement over the strategically important waterway reflected its increasingly desperate position.
“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House.
Mr Araqchi said mediators involved in Tehran’s discussions with Washington had not formally passed on any US rejection of the proposal.
“We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” Mr Araqchi said in a social media post.
Oil prices rise
The conflict, launched by Mr Trump and Israel in February under the name “Operation Epic Fury”, has killed thousands of people and badly disrupted global energy supplies. The turmoil has pushed oil prices higher and added to inflationary pressures around the world.
Iran and allied groups have widened the fighting across the region. Tehran has launched drones and missiles at US partners in the Gulf, while its Houthi allies in Yemen have targeted Saudi interests.
Read more:Latest Middle East stories
Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s largest state, has become more deeply involved in the conflict this month as Houthi fighters have made gains in Yemen, overrunning forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government and putting Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea at risk.
Oil prices climbed for a second consecutive session this morning, with continuing fears over supplies from the Middle East outweighing indications that crude exports from the region were beginning to recover.
Brent crude futures were up $1.49, or 1.4%, at $106.77 a barrel by 4.30am Irish time. US West Texas Intermediate crude stood at $93.94, a rise of $1.34, or 1.5%. Both benchmarks had ended the previous session almost $1 a barrel higher.
