On Monday, President Donald Trump stated that the US and Iran had engaged in 'productive' discussions over the last two days to resolve the ongoing conflict, but the Iranian foreign ministry refuted the occurrence of any such talks.
Iranian state media reported that the nation has not engaged in any such discussions, and the Iranian embassy in Kabul issued a sharp statement titled 'Trump's Withdrawal Following Iran's Strong Warning'.
A post on the X handle of Iran's Afghanistan diplomatic mission on Monday stated that Trump retreated and announced he had ordered a delay in the attack after the Islamic Republic warned that any US assault on Iran's energy infrastructure would lead to retaliatory strikes on the energy infrastructure across the region.
This article did not refute Trump's striking claim that discussions had been ongoing for two days. However, Iran's Fars news agency, referencing an anonymous source, reported that there are "no direct or indirect communications" with the United States.
Fars reported that Trump reconsidered his decision to target Iranian power plants after Iran threatened to retaliate by targeting power plants throughout West Asia.
Iranian state television provided Tehran's response to Trump's choice to prolong his threat deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz by five days. A graphic appeared on screen stating: 'US president retreats after Iran's strong warning.'
In a post on Truth Social, the US President mentioned that due to the 'tenor' and 'tone' of the discussions, he directed his Department of War to 'delay' any assault on Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.
He characterized the talks he alleged took place as 'very good and productive,' but did not provide many specifics. He also asserted that the parties discussed 'a comprehensive and total resolution of our conflicts in the Middle East.'
On Friday, Trump indicated a readiness to enter discussions with Tehran, albeit with his characteristic contradictory twist.
No one is interested in taking on a leadership role there anymore. We're facing difficulties. We wish to communicate with them, but there's no one available... And you know what? We actually prefer it this way," he mentioned last week.
