Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed U.S. claims of ongoing negotiations with Tehran as "fake news," accusing Washington of attempting to manipulate global oil markets. In a statement posted on X, Qalibaf denied any discussions with the United States, asserting that such claims were part of a strategy to "escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel are trapped." He emphasized that Iranian officials remained resolute in their support for the country’s supreme leader and vowed to pursue "complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors." The remarks came in response to remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously claimed that Washington and Tehran had engaged in "very good and productive conversations" aimed at resolving hostilities in the Middle East. Trump stated that he had instructed the Department of Defense to delay military strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, contingent on the success of ongoing talks. He described the discussions as "very strong," involving his adviser Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and suggested that Iran might be willing to abandon its nuclear ambitions in exchange for peace. Iranian state media and officials swiftly rejected Trump’s assertions, framing the U.S. pause in strikes as a tactic to "lower energy prices and buy time for the implementation of military plans." Fars and Tasnim news agencies criticized the claims as psychological warfare, arguing that Tehran would continue its defense efforts until "the required level of deterrence is achieved." They also dismissed the notion of negotiations, stating that Iran’s stance had remained consistent since the conflict began.#tasnim_news_agency #iranian_state_media #iranian_parliament_speaker #mohammad_bagher_qalibaf #fars_news_agency
Trump delays power plant strikes, Iran war continues amid diplomatic talks President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would postpone military strikes against Iranian power plants for at least five days, deferring a potential escalation in the ongoing conflict. The decision came hours before his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil flows. Trump claimed the U.S. and Iran were engaged in "productive" negotiations aimed at achieving a "complete and total" resolution to the war, though Tehran denied direct talks. The conflict, now in its fourth week, has intensified tensions across the Middle East, driven by rising energy and food prices and the threat of a global economic crisis. Trump’s reversal temporarily eased fears of a major escalation, but the situation remains volatile. Iranian officials dismissed the U.S. claims of dialogue, accusing Washington of using the delay to "reduce energy prices and buy time to implement military plans." They also warned that Iran could retaliate by targeting energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, including facilities that supply drinking water to the region. Despite the pause in strikes, the war between Israel and Iran continued. Israeli forces, operating alongside U.S. military units, maintained their operations in Tehran, while Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz persisted. International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned that the situation could lead to an energy crisis more severe than the 1970s oil shocks or the impact of the Ukraine war combined. Oil prices surged globally, with U.S. crude oil prices rising over 70% since the start of the year and retail gas prices increasing by nearly 93 cents per gallon.#iran #strait_of_hormuz #president_donald_trump #jared_kushner #iranian_state_media
