Trump says US and Iran are ready ‘to make a deal’, Iran denies

US President Donald Trump said there had been talks between the US and Iran in recent days in which the two sides had “important points of agreement” and said they both want to “make a deal”.

But in a swift response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied talks with the United States.

Trump said his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner spoke with Iran on Sunday and that discussions would continue Monday.

Trump said the United States was talking to a “prominent person” within the Iranian regime to try to end the war, but this person was not the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Trump said the United States and Iran were discussing 15 points to end the war, with Tehran giving up nuclear weapons as points “number one, two and three.”

Trump previously said the United States and Iran had held talks on the “complete and total resolution of hostilities” in the Middle East and that he would postpone American attacks on Iranian power plants for five days after having “productive conversations” with Tehran.

However, the Fars news agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, denied that such talks had taken place, saying there were neither direct nor indirect communications with the United States.

■ Iranian Foreign Ministry denies talks with United States

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has denied having held talks with the United States in the past 24 days, undermining Donald Trump who said the United States and Iran had “very good and productive conversations” about ending the war.

Friendly countries have sent messages in recent days indicating that the United States had requested talks to end the war, but Iran had not responded, state news agency IRNA said, citing the ministry spokesman.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry reportedly said Trump’s statements were “part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans”, with state media saying they showed the US president was “backtracking”.

Late Saturday night, Trump threatened to bomb Iranian power plants after 48 hours unless Iran agreed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital oil shipping route that Iran has effectively closed. The deadline was due to expire just before midnight UK time on Monday.

In turn, Iran said it will “irreversibly destroy” critical infrastructure across the Middle East, including vital water systems, if the United States follows through on Trump’s threat.

Iran’s defense council today threatened to lay sea mines to block the entire Gulf if Iran’s coasts or islands were attacked.

[The Guardian]

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