Regardless of Trump saying the war was practically over tonight, Iran is not agreeing or denying they’re in negotiations with them.
Many top Iranian politicians are saying that no negotiations are ongoing.
Iran rejected claims that it had entered into negotiations with the United States after US President Donald Trump delayed a threat to target Iran’s power grid, citing what he called constructive discussions with unnamed Iranian officials.
A European official indicated that although there had been no direct talks between the two countries, messages were being passed through Egypt, Pakistan, and Gulf nations, reports RTE.
A Pakistani official along with another source said that direct negotiations to end the conflict could potentially take place in Islamabad as early as this week.
Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that the US and Iran had engaged in “very good and productive” discussions regarding a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East”, reports RTE.
Following this, he said he would delay for five days a planned strike on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
His statement led to a rise in share prices and a sharp drop in oil prices to below $100 per barrel, reversing earlier market declines triggered by his weekend threats and Iran’s warnings of retaliation, reports RTE.
Mr Trump later told journalists that his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had been involved in pre-war negotiations with Iran, held talks with a senior Iranian official into last evening and would continue discussions tomorrow
“We have had very, very strong talks. We’ll see where they lead. We have major points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement,” he said, reports RTE.
Speaking in Memphis, he said Washington had been in talks with Iran “for a long time, and this time they mean business,” adding: “I think it could very well end up being a good deal for everybody”
He did not name the Iranian official communicating with Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner but said: “We’re dealing with the man who I believe is the most respected and the leader”, reports RTE.
“We’re dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid. The people within know who they are. They’re very respected, and maybe one of them will be exactly what we’re looking for,” he said, reports RTE.
An Israeli official and two other informed sources said the Iranian counterpart involved was parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
However, Mr Qalibaf wrote on X that no such discussions had taken place with the United States and mocked the claim as an effort to influence financial markets, reports RTE.
“No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” he wrote, reports RTE.
He said: “Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors. All Iranian officials stand firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved,” reports RTE.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they were launching new strikes on US targets and described Mr Trump’s remarks as “psychological operations” that were “worn out” and ineffective in influencing Tehran’s campaign.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address that he had spoken with Mr Trump and that Israel would continue its strikes in Lebanon and Iran, reports RTE.
However, Mr Netanyahu added that Mr Trump believed US military action could help achieve the war’s objectives through “a deal – a deal that will preserve our vital interests”
Although there was no immediate confirmation of talks as described by Mr Trump, Iran’s foreign ministry pointed to efforts aimed at easing tensions, reports RTE.
It said Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had discussed developments concerning the Strait of Hormuz with his Omani counterpart and agreed to continue consultations.
Iran has effectively shut the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a route through which about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passes, reports RTE.
Mr Trump has called on Iran to reopen the strait, but Tehran has said it will not do so until the United States and Israel halt their attacks.
The Pakistani official said US Vice President JD Vance, along with Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, were expected to meet Iranian representatives in Islamabad this week after a phone call between Mr Trump and Pakistan’s army chief, reports RTE.
More than 2,000 people have been killed since the US and Israel launched the war on 28 February.
Israel should extend its border with Lebanon to the Litani River deep inside southern Lebanon, the country’s finance minister said, as Israeli forces bombed bridges and destroyed homes in an intensifying offensive, reports RTE.
The remarks by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were the clearest indication yet from a senior Israeli official about plans to seize Lebanese territory in a conflict Israel says is aimed at Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Lebanon became involved in the regional conflict on 2 March when Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel, reports RTE.
Since then, Israel has ordered residents to evacuate areas south of the Litani River while carrying out heavy air strikes, viewing the region as a Hezbollah stronghold, which continues to fire rockets into Israel.
Lebanese officials say the Israeli military campaign has killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than a million others from their homes, reports RTE.
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