Trump’s comments prompted a positive response from jittery markets and pushed oil prices down, and came ahead of a deadline he imposed for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane or see the US “obliterate” its power plants. The US President then extended his deadline by five more days.
Trump said his administration was speaking with an unidentified “top person”, while warning if talks failed in the next five days “we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out”.
Some media reports, quoting an unnamed source in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said new points as potential precursors to talks between the two sides have been received via mediators.
US media outlet Axios, citing an unnamed Israeli official, identified Trump’s interlocutor as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of parliament and one of its most prominent non-clerical figures.
But Ghalibaf said on X that “no negotiations” were underway, insisting Trump was seeking “to manipulate the financial and oil markets”.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said messages were received from “some friendly countries indicating a US request for negotiations aimed at ending the war”, but denied any such talks had taken place, Iran’s official IRNA agency reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken to Trump and acknowledged Washington thought a deal was possible, but vowed to continue striking Iran and Lebanon to protect Israel.
Trump said his administration was speaking with an unidentified “top person”, while warning if talks failed in the next five days “, we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out”.
Some media reports quoting an unnamed source in the Iranian Foreign Ministry said new points as a potential precursor to talks between both sides have been received via mediators.
US media outlet Axios, citing an unnamed Israeli official, identified Trump’s interlocutor as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of parliament and one of its most prominent non-clerical figures.
But Ghalibaf said on X that “no negotiations” were underway, insisting Trump was seeking “to manipulate the financial and oil markets”.
Africanews
