IRAN’s Foreign Ministry has firmly denied engaging in any form of dialogue with the United States, contradicting claims by US President Donald Trump that both countries had held “very good and productive conversations” aimed at resolving escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The denial, issued on Monday through the semi-official Mehr News Agency, underscores deepening mistrust between the two long-time adversaries at a time when the region is witnessing heightened military confrontation.
According to a source quoted by Mehr, there is “no dialogue” between Tehran and Washington, directly challenging Trump’s assertion of ongoing diplomatic engagement.
The Iranian source described the US president’s remarks as politically motivated, suggesting they were intended “to lower energy prices and buy time to implement military plans.”
While acknowledging that some regional countries have proposed initiatives to ease tensions, the source insisted that Iran is not responsible for initiating the conflict.
“We are not the party that started this war, and all such demands should be directed to Washington,” the source added.
Earlier, Trump had announced that he ordered a five-day postponement of planned military strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.
In a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, he said the decision followed “very good and productive conversations” with Iran over the past two days.
“I am pleased to report that the United States of America and the country of Iran have had… very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East,” Trump stated.
He added that the pause in military action was based on the “tenor and tone” of what he described as detailed and constructive discussions, which he said would continue throughout the week.
The suspension of strikes, he noted, remains conditional on the success of the ongoing engagements.
The conflicting narratives come against the backdrop of an intensifying conflict that has gripped the region since late February.
Tensions escalated sharply following a joint offensive by the United States and Israel on Iran, which has resulted in significant casualties and damage to critical infrastructure.
Among those reportedly killed was Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, a development that has further inflamed the crisis.
In response, Iran has launched a series of drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, as well as neighbouring countries including Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf states hosting US military assets.
These retaliatory strikes have caused casualties, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted global markets, particularly in the energy and aviation sectors.
For the US, signalling progress in talks could help calm global markets and ease geopolitical pressure.
For Iran, publicly denying such talks reinforces its stance of resistance and avoids the perception of negotiating under duress.
Efforts by regional actors to mediate the crisis highlight the urgency of de-escalation, even as official positions remain sharply divided.
With Trump indicating that discussions would continue throughout the week and Iran firmly denying any such engagement, the path forward remains unclear.
The temporary pause in US strikes offers a narrow window for potential de-escalation but without mutual acknowledgment of talks, prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough appear uncertain.