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US President Donald Trump on Monday denied a report that he had offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for concessions on its nuclear programme, even as Washington and Tehran continued indirect negotiations through regional mediators.
Trump confirmed that talks were taking place but rejected the report as “untrue,” adding uncertainty to a diplomatic effort aimed at ending the confrontation between the two countries.
The dispute came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran expected a formal US response on Tuesday to its proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and the phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has tied the reopening of the strategic waterway to US concessions, including measures linked to an earlier memorandum of understanding that collapsed after several weeks. Tehran has also demanded an end to the US naval blockade and sanctions.
Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal last week, while his administration has insisted that any agreement must address Iran’s nuclear programme.
US officials said the indirect talks, involving Qatari and Pakistani mediators, had been “positive and constructive,” but significant differences remained over what commitments each side would make and which would come first.
A US official said Iran had shown some flexibility on nuclear issues but stressed that there would be no deal unless the nuclear question was addressed. Washington also remains sceptical of Iranian assurances and wants guarantees that Tehran is serious about reaching an agreement.
Qatari mediators met Araghchi in New York on Monday and were expected to hold further discussions with US officials as they sought to narrow the gaps.
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that regional infrastructure would remain at risk if Iran’s security was not guaranteed.
“In a region where we cannot sell oil, no one else will sell oil either; or if our security is not guaranteed, no infrastructure will remain safe,” Iranian state media quoted him as saying.
The latest diplomatic push comes as the two sides remain divided over the sequencing of concessions, with Iran prioritising the Strait of Hormuz and economic pressure while Washington continues to put Iran’s nuclear programme at the centre of any potential deal.
