U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no negotiations with Iran were taking place or scheduled, contradicting earlier indications from both sides that diplomatic efforts were continuing as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz intensified.
Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz was open and operating, while Iran maintained that the strategic waterway remained closed to shipping until Washington met conditions agreed under an interim deal.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He added that the U.S. naval blockade remained in force and claimed that mines in the strait had been removed or detonated.
Trump’s comments came a day after his son in law and special envoy, Jared Kushner, said discussions with Tehran were still underway and had become more substantial.
The diplomatic uncertainty pushed oil prices higher on Tuesday, while global stock markets weakened and borrowing costs across major economies climbed amid concerns over the conflict’s potential impact on inflation and government finances.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz also remained severely disrupted. Preliminary data showed that only single-digit numbers of vessels crossed the waterway on Monday.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while sailing out of the strait, damaging its engine room and leaving one crew member injured. The remaining crew were assisted by the Omani Coast Guard.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the strait would remain closed until the United States lifted its blockade of Iranian ports, removed oil sanctions, released frozen Iranian assets and ended military operations and threats against Tehran.
The latest standoff follows the expiration on Monday of a 60 day framework agreed in June for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and U.S. sanctions. Trump has said he does not intend to extend the arrangement.
Iranian officials have continued to signal that Tehran remains open to dialogue, although adviser to Supreme Leader Mohammad Mokhber said Iran would not equate negotiations with surrender.
The conflict, which began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and disrupted energy markets.
Brent crude, which surged as high as $126 a barrel during the conflict, settled at just above $91 a barrel on Tuesday. U.S. gasoline prices have also risen above $4 a gallon, compared with less than $3 before the war.
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