President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States is not holding talks with Iran and has none scheduled, while insisting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to marine traffic.
Trump said the naval blockade of Iranian ports remained “in full force and effect” but that other vessels could pass through the strategic waterway. His statement followed competing claims about possible back-channel contacts and continuing Iran-Oman discussions over the strait.
What Trump and Iran are saying
Trump wrote that there were no talks or conversations with Iran’s Islamic Republic, either underway or scheduled. He also said all water mines had been removed or detonated and posted a map of the Strait of Hormuz labelled “New US Territory”.
Iranian officials disputed the US position. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Trump’s understanding of the strait would either be corrected or corrected by Iran. Top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the waterway would remain closed until Washington met the conditions of a June memorandum of understanding.
Related coverage: Trump says US will claim Strait of Hormuz after Iran war.
- Iran’s stated conditions include lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports.
- The conditions also include lifting oil sanctions, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, and ending US threats and military operations on all fronts.
A rapid shift over possible negotiations
Trump had said on Monday that the United States was engaged in back-channel conversations with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran rejected that claim. On Tuesday, Trump’s public position changed to a denial that talks were taking place or planned.
Qatar said mediators were waiting for an expected Iran-Oman agreement before pressing Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations. A US official said positive talks had been ongoing but that Trump had decided to wait and instructed his negotiating team to hold off until Tehran was ready to make a deal. The official said there was no conflict within the US administration’s position.
Regional security risks remain
The dispute has coincided with continued regional military activity, limiting visible progress towards negotiations and the return of maritime traffic through Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates’ Defence Ministry said its air defences detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Tuesday evening; both were reported to have landed in the sea.
More context: Iran weighs return to US talks as Hormuz conditions remain unresolved.
Earlier on Tuesday, eight air strikes hit the Abu al-Duhur military base in Idlib’s eastern countryside, damaging the base but causing no casualties, according to Syrian state media. US special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack described the strikes as an unnecessary escalation that did not advance regional stability.
Also read: Why Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Threat Faces Legal Barriers.
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