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President Donald Trump branded the Iranian regime “unbelievably duplicitous,” saying Iranian officials asked for talks on ending the war only to announce that no discussions would be held.
Trump had earlier said that the United States and Iran will hold new discussions Monday afternoon, after he called off intense new strikes to allow for a deal on the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear program.
However, Iran said it was not currently holding talks with the U.S. but was in discussions with Oman over a temporary safe route through the strait.
“We currently do not have negotiations with America,” and Iran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters.
Trump later took to Truth Social, where he wrote: “Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman.’”
Iran did not immediately respond to his comments.
Trump had said Sunday that he agreed to call off the attacks amid what he said were the “perimeters of a deal” that would include resuming shipping through the key global trade route.
Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said the canceled strikes were going to be “the biggest attack since World War II.” The president said that the U.S. was “holding” what would have been a “massive attack,” but that it could still take place “anytime we want.”
Trump, however, said that Iran does not have a deadline to come to an agreement.
“We’re ready to go anytime we want. Would I rather make a deal? I’m not looking to kill people,” Trump told reporters as he returned to Washington from a weekend in New Jersey.
Trump has repeatedly threatened big attacks and then canceled them citing progress in talks — only for the diplomacy to be upended by the two sides resuming tit-for-tat strikes.
This latest twist came after the most recent cycle of attacks failed to break Tehran’s stranglehold on the strait and in fact saw the war expand to the Red Sea and Egypt, threatening even greater fallout for the global economy.
New American casualties and rising energy prices intensified the domestic pressure on Trump, who appeared set to escalate the conflict only to again back away at the last minute.
Trump’s announcement that he had called off the attack came after the State Department on Saturday urged Americans across the Middle East to consider leaving the region or be prepared to depart on short notice. It also warned of flight disruptions and security risks.
The conflict has now entered its sixth month, despite Trump’s repeated early predictions that the war would resolve itself “shortly.”
There was a brief reprieve from fighting in June, when the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the process for talks to end the war. But in early July, Trump declared the ceasefire to be “over” and the countries resumed strikes.
The conflict has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has attacked shipping and asserted its authority by insisting vessels must use its approved routes through the crucial waterway. The U.S. and world powers have sought to break Tehran’s hold, insisting Iran shouldn’t be able to charge a toll for passage.
Iran and Oman, which also borders the strait, have been holding talks to try and resolve the trade route’s future.
Those talks have revolved around creating a new route that would be one path with entry and exit lanes, Baghaei said Monday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, to discuss diplomatic efforts, Iran‘s state media reported Sunday.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a key regional player, spoke with Trump by phone Saturday. According to the Saudi state news agency, he told Trump that dialogue was needed to de-escalate Middle East tensions, and expressed concerns over plans for new strikes against Iran.
Alexandra Marquez is a politics reporter for NBC News.
Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
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