Iran denies US talks and claims Trump ‘backed down’
Iran rejects President Donald Trump’s account of “productive” talks, saying no dialogue exists and suggesting pause in strikes followed Iranian warnings
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Iran has flatly denied that any dialogue is taking place with the United States, directly contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that his administration had held “very good and productive” talks with Tehran over the past two days aimed at ending the war.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency, said there is no dialogue between Tehran and Washington, and accused Trump of making the claims to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans.
The ministry acknowledged that regional countries have put forward initiatives to reduce tensions, but said their concerns should be directed at Washington as “the party that started this war.”
Iran’s Fars news agency, quoting an unnamed Iranian source, went further, saying there had been no direct contact with Trump “not through an intermediary,” and claiming that Trump had in fact “backed down” after Iran warned it would target power plants across the Gulf and in Israel.
The Iranian embassy in Kabul echoed that framing, stating that Trump refrained from ordering further strikes following “Iran’s stern warning.”
Semi-official Tasnim news agency was more blunt, running the headline: “Trump Backs Down!”
The dueling narratives present starkly contradictory accounts of what prompted Trump’s announcement of a five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure.
While Trump framed the pause as a goodwill gesture flowing from constructive diplomatic engagement, Tehran is portraying the same decision as a military climbdown in the face of Iranian pressure.
The claims from the Iranian side could not be independently verified, and no immediate official comment was forthcoming from Iranian authorities beyond the Foreign Ministry statement.
SPONSORED
SPONSORED
