Iran denies Trump's claim of peace talks and says there are NO negotiations with US

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:09, 3 August 2026 | Updated: 11:28, 3 August 2026 Iran has denied Donald Trump's claims that there are ongoing peace talks between Tehran and Washington.  Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that there are no ongoing negotiations with the US, but that talks were taking place with Oman on management of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He said: 'We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz.' Last night, Trump claimed to have called off the 'biggest attack since WWII' planned for Iran over the weekend after allies in the region convinced him a nuclear deal was close. Speaking on Air Force One Sunday, Trump confirmed that American allies in the Middle East convinced him to stand down on the 'massive attack' on Iran. 'I was asked to by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, by Qatar, and by Iran to hold off strikes. It would have been a massive attack,' Trump said about pausing the offensive. 'When the allies asked to call it off, you gotta say, "Well, let's see." And the reason why they asked is because I think there's a deal.' Before calling off the attack on Sunday, the president claimed he was 'locked and loaded' to launch an offensive on Iran. Iranian missiles 'Zolfaghar' on display at the Azadi square in Tehran, Iran, July 30 2026 Last night, Donald Trump (pictured) claimed to have called off the the 'biggest attack since WWII' planned for Iran over the weekend He claimed: 'There's a deal on Hormuz and there's a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearisation of Iran.'  Trump added that the US 'had an attack planned that would have been the biggest attack since World War II' that he said would have been 'disastrous' for Tehran. 'They didn’t want us to do it. And frankly, Saudi Arabia didn’t want it either. I thought a deal was imminent,' he said. Trump said he spoke specifically to the Crown Prince and confirmed his preference for deal making over an attack.  He said that there was no deadline to the deal getting done, clarifying that 'we'll just see how it is' and 'we're ready to go any time I want.' 'I'm not looking to kill people. People die, a lot of people die and we don't want that.' He also mused that an attack could potentially create refugees who could be 'flooding' the countries of American allies. 'You don't know where these attacks lead. Will they be flooded with people pouring into their country and disaster? A lot of bad things can happen.' Trump added that he believes the deal will involve both Iran's nuclear program - even suggesting calling it 'the denuclearisation of Iran' - and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The President also declined to comment on reports he was moving US troops out of Kuwait and Bahrain. Trump's announcement saw the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, fall more than four per cent to $83.33 a barrel, while US and European stock futures rose as the prospect of peace in the Middle East was once again raised.   Iran has kept control of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28. Two armed members of Iran's police special forces stand behind a country flag placed on an armoured military vehicle during a pro-Government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 12, 2026 Trump said he spoke specifically to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and confirmed his preference for deal-making over an attack It has insisted that ships transiting the waterway, which is crucial for the global energy trade, should use a route designated by Iran after requesting permission and paying service fees. Baqaei described the talks with Oman as 'constructive', saying they were aimed at reaching an agreement on a new route. 'We hope that both regional and extra-regional actors will appreciate this responsible move by Iran and adopt a constructive approach,' he added. He maintained Iran's position that as long as a US naval blockade on Iranian ports continues, 'the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain unchanged'.