US President Donald Trump has said there are no ongoing or scheduled talks with Iran, contradicting earlier suggestions that diplomatic efforts were continuing to end the nearly six-month conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, also maintained that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operating, despite Iran insisting that the strategic waterway remained closed to shipping.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said.
“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he added.
Trump’s position came a day after Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and special envoy, said negotiations with Iran were still taking place and were “probably more robust” than they had ever been.
However, shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz remained severely disrupted. Preliminary shipping data showed that vessel crossings were still in single digits on Monday, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the strait on Tuesday. The incident damaged the vessel’s engine room and left one crew member injured.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said the waterway would remain shut until the United States met conditions contained in an interim agreement signed with Tehran in June.
The conditions include lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports and oil sanctions, releasing Iran’s frozen assets and ending military threats and operations against the country, Qalibaf told parliament.
The June 17 memorandum of understanding provided a 60-day period for negotiations towards a broader agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme and US sanctions. That period expired on Monday, with Trump saying he had no intention of extending it.
The breakdown of the ceasefire and uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have renewed concerns over energy supply and global markets. The waterway is a critical route for international oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and disruptions have contributed to a sharp rise in crude prices since the conflict began.
Brent crude futures, which had climbed to as high as $126 a barrel during the conflict, settled at just above $91 a barrel on Tuesday. Iran has also indicated that it remains open to dialogue with Washington, although Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said the country would not equate negotiations with surrender.