Iran: no talks with US, Trump only delays military plans

Shafaq News- Tehran/ Washington

Iran on Monday denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington and Tehran had held “productive conversations,” after Trump said he had delayed planned US strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Trump’s statements were part of efforts to reduce global energy prices and buy time to carry out military plans.

In response to initiatives by regional countries aimed at de-escalation, the ministry added that Tehran told mediators it was not the party that initiated the war, reiterating its position that “responsibility for the conflict lies elsewhere.”

Iranian state-linked media outlets Fars and Tasnim separately quoted Iranian officials and sources as saying there were no direct or indirect negotiations with Trump, and that the US president had stepped back after Iranian threats were presented as credible, including warnings that potential targets could extend to energy facilities across the region.

“Amid [Trump’s] psychological warfare, the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-conflict state and that stability in energy markets would not be restored under current conditions,” Tasnim quoted a security official.