Iran’s Foreign Ministry Denies Trump’s Claims of Productive Talks

On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry used state media to refute President Donald Trump’s assertions that the White House had initiated “productive” discussions with Iran, potentially signaling an early resolution to the ongoing conflict.

Back on February 28, President Trump unveiled military actions aimed at neutralizing Iran’s global terrorist activities. Known as Operation Epic Fury, this campaign has involved airstrikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials, including the long-serving “Supreme Leader” Ali Khamenei, alongside ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

After initial reports suggested that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, had been appointed as the next supreme leader—a surprising development considering his lack of prior public office—details have emerged that he hasn’t been seen since and has only communicated twice in writing. Early speculation about who might be pulling the strings pointed to Ali Larijani, a top security figure, but Iranian authorities confirmed last week that Larijani had also been killed in an airstrike.

This week, a mainstream American news outlet reported anonymously, citing an intelligence official, who mentioned that Mojtaba Khamenei is, as far as the U.S. government is aware, alive but “injured, isolated, and unresponsive to messages.” Some suggest he may have been hurt during the assault that took his father’s life.

In response to Operation Epic Fury, Iranian military leaders threatened commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for oil shipments from the Middle East to Asia. On Monday, President Trump, having increased his threats to Iranian leadership, asserted that Washington had engaged directly with Iranian officials, deeming the discussions valuable and indicating a desire for a moratorium on hostilities.

Trump shared his thoughts on his social media platform, stating, “I would like to report that over the past two days, very helpful and productive discussions have taken place between the United States and the State of Iran regarding a complete resolution of hostilities in the Middle East.”

He described the dialogue as “deep, detailed, and constructive,” suggesting it could pave the way for concluding the current war. His comments came just after he threatened to order military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities if the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) didn’t cease its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump declared on social media, “If Iran does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz without threat within 48 hours from this point, the United States will attack and destroy various Iranian power plants, starting with the largest!”

Following Trump’s statements, Iranian state media quoted the Foreign Ministry as denying any meetings had taken place. They remarked, “The remarks of the U.S. president are efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time for military plans.” They added that the region is attempting to de-escalate tensions but asserted they aren’t responsible for starting the conflict, urging that such discussions be directed toward Washington.

Another Iranian news agency reported comments from an unnamed government official asserting, “We have no direct contact with President Trump, and we do not go through any intermediaries.” They suggested that upon learning of Trump’s threats to attack power plants, there was a withdrawal from discussions.

Iran is known as a significant state sponsor of terrorism, reportedly channeling large sums to organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. Iranian leaders frequently engage in public displays where crowds are encouraged to chant sentiments against the U.S. and Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated regarding Operation Epic Fury that there was “definitely an imminent threat.” He expanded on this, explaining that attacking Iran would likely lead to quick retaliatory actions against the U.S., and responding swiftly was crucial to minimizing casualties.

In addition to the Foreign Ministry’s comments, some remaining Iranian leaders continued to issue threats, such as Revolutionary Guards figure Hojatleslam Abdullah Haji Sadeghi, who promised “more surprises” for the United States that were “never seen or heard before.”