RismadarVoice Reporters
August 3, 2026
US President Donald Trump has accused Iran’s leadership of acting “unbelievably duplicitous” after Tehran denied that new negotiations with Washington were scheduled to begin on Monday.
Trump had earlier said the United States and Iran would resume discussions on Monday afternoon after he called off planned military strikes to create room for a possible agreement on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran was not currently negotiating with Washington.
“We currently do not have negotiations with America,” Baghaei told reporters, adding that Iran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days.
He said Iran was instead engaged in discussions with Oman over a possible temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump subsequently criticised the Iranian leadership in a post on Truth Social, accusing Tehran of requesting talks before publicly denying that negotiations were taking place.
Iran had not immediately responded to Trump’s latest comments.
Earlier, Trump said he suspended the planned attacks after what he described as progress toward an agreement that could allow shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump described the proposed military operation as potentially the largest US attack since World War II, but said Washington could still launch it “anytime we want” if an agreement was not reached.
He also said Iran had not been given a specific deadline to reach a deal.
The latest diplomatic dispute comes amid an increasingly prolonged conflict between the United States and Iran, with repeated threats of military escalation followed by renewed diplomatic efforts.
Trump has previously threatened major attacks on Iran and subsequently suspended them after citing progress in negotiations. The diplomatic openings have repeatedly been followed by renewed exchanges of attacks.
The conflict has increasingly centred on the Strait of Hormuz, a major global trade route, where Iran has sought to control shipping routes while the United States and other powers have opposed Tehran’s efforts to restrict passage.
Iran and Oman, which also borders the strategic waterway, have been holding discussions on arrangements for shipping through the strait. Baghaei said the discussions included the possibility of establishing a route with separate entry and exit lanes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also held telephone discussions with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, as part of wider diplomatic efforts, according to Iranian state media.
Reports have it that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also spoke with Trump on Saturday and stressed the need for dialogue to reduce tensions in the Middle East, according to Saudi state media.
