TEHRAN, Iran: Iran-US negotiations were not underway on July 27, Tehran said, although mediators were relaying messages during a pause in Middle East fighting.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran had not requested negotiations with Washington. He described reports claiming otherwise as fabrications circulated by the United States.
Baqaei said intermediaries could convey American messages about regional developments. However, he told a weekly press briefing that the exchanges did not constitute negotiations.
His statement contradicted President Donald Trump of the United States, who said Washington was engaged in “very deep talks” with Iran and could resume military action if diplomacy failed, The Guardian reported.
Baqaei confirmed that Iran and Oman were continuing bilateral negotiations over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the talks aimed to develop safe-passage mechanisms while protecting both coastal states’ rights and Iran’s security interests.
Deputy foreign ministers from Iran and Oman held technical discussions on July 24 and 25. Baqaei described the talks as constructive but said they had no connection with Washington, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
Tehran maintained that the waterway remained closed because US actions had created insecurity. Iran has also insisted on controlling transit routes and collecting fees for maritime services.
Iranian state television reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired warning shots before turning back six vessels that attempted to take an unauthorised route, according to an AFP report.
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The diplomatic dispute continued despite a halt in direct attacks since July 25. The pause followed 13 days of exchanges after an earlier agreement collapsed over Hormuz shipping arrangements.
