Iran's foreign ministry denied Monday that talks with the United States were underway or planned, contradicting President Trump's assertion the previous evening that negotiations would begin Monday afternoon.
The denial by spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, along with Tehran's disclosure that it is instead negotiating with Oman on Strait of Hormuz shipping, opens a gap between the two capitals a day after Trump called off what he called "massive" strikes and said the "perimeters" of a deal had been agreed. The president's off-ramp now rests on mediators, not on any direct US-Iran channel.
Oman track
Baghaei said Iran was negotiating with Oman to reach "an understanding over a path to ensure the security of shipping passage through the Strait of Hormuz," according to the BBC. He said Sunday the strait "will in no way return to the status it was before February 28th," the day the war began, the Christian Science Monitor reported. Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency called Trump's account "nothing but a new lie."
Oil eases
US crude fell 5% to $80.79 a barrel and Brent crude fell 5% to $83.87 Sunday night in New York, the Associated Press reported. In early Monday trading in Asia, Brent was quoted 4.5% lower at $83.98 and US crude 4.6% lower at $80.74, according to the BBC, though both remained roughly 20% above pre-war levels. About 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally moves through Hormuz. Vessel-tracking firm Kpler counted 51 crossings through the strait between July 30 and Aug. 2, a 28% drop from the previous four days.
What Trump said
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said Iran "knew the extent of the attack because they saw it forming" and added: "We're talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon." He declined to say where the talks would be held or who would attend. Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, along with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, had urged him against striking. "The reason they asked is [that] they think there's a deal," Trump said. "There's a deal on Hormuz, and there will be a deal on the nuclear."
Regional mediation
A regional official involved in the effort told the Associated Press the proposal calls for the United States and Iran to return to negotiations, for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and for a halt to attacks across the region, including by Iran-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan. In exchange, Washington would end its naval blockade and allow Tehran to export oil, the official said. No deal has been reached.
Pattern of pauses
Trump has announced halts on several occasions since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, only for fighting to resume. Face-to-face talks in Pakistan led by Vice President JD Vance in April did not produce an agreement. Iran's acting defense minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, said on X that Tehran was "neither surprised nor passive" by Trump's latest announcement and viewed adversary threats as "real and credible."
Midterm shadow
The BBC reported that polling showing widespread dissatisfaction with the war, including among Republicans, has raised alarm among conservative strategists before the November midterms. The administration has been largely dismissive of that data, the BBC said.
Whether Monday afternoon produces a meeting or another denial, the fate of tankers moving through Hormuz, one-fifth of world oil and gas, will decide whether the price of a barrel keeps falling or snaps back.