President Trump claims to have contacted Iranian leader, extends deadline for attacks on Iran

 President Trump claims to have contacted Iranian leader, extends deadline for attacks on Iran

 

US President Donald Trump said the US was talking to a “respectable” Iranian leader and claimed that Iran wanted to make a deal to end the war. He also extended by five days a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its power plants.

Trump’s abrupt stance sent oil prices plunging and stock markets tumbling. The development came after a tense weekend of harsh rhetoric between the US and Iran that has led to power outages and water shortages for millions of people in Iran and the Gulf region who rely on desalination plants for their drinking water.

President Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran “wants to make a deal.” He claimed that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner spoke to an Iranian leader on Sunday. However, he did not reveal the identity of the leader, but made it clear that the US had not contacted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

On the other hand, Iran has denied any talks. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that ‘there were no talks with the US’, adding that ‘an attempt is being made to influence the financial and oil markets through fake news.’

Earlier, President Donald Trump said that the US had had fruitful and productive talks with Iran and that he would instruct the military to postpone any military action against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

Trump’s move came after Iran threatened to attack Israeli power plants and facilities that supply power to US bases in the Gulf if the US targeted Iran’s electricity system.

President Trump said in a statement on social media that talks with Iran would continue throughout the week. He wrote: “I have instructed the Department of War to postpone all military action against Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, provided that progress is made in the ongoing meetings and negotiations.”

President Trump said in a message written in large English letters that he had instructed the Department of Defense to postpone attacks until the results of the ongoing negotiations are known.

‘There are no talks between Tehran and Washington’

On the other hand, Iran’s Fars news agency quoted a source as saying that there was no contact with the United States, either directly or through an intermediary.

Iranian media reported on Monday that despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement of talks to end the war, there were no talks between Tehran and Washington.

The Mehr news agency quoted the Iranian Foreign Ministry as saying that “there are no negotiations between Tehran and Washington,” and that Trump’s statements were part of an “attempt to reduce energy prices.”

Other media outlets also carried similar reports.

The Mehr news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying that “Trump’s remarks are aimed at reducing energy prices and buying time for his military plans.”

The statement also said that “some measures are being considered to reduce tensions, but our position is that the United States should be the party to the talks because we did not start the war.”

The price of Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, fell by about 7 percent to around $104 at 1127 GMT.

On Saturday, President Trump warned that Iranian power plants would be destroyed if Tehran failed to “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping within 48 hours. President Trump set a deadline of approximately 7:44 p.m. Eastern Time (2344 GMT) on Monday.

His remarks were followed by threats of retaliation from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which said in a statement on Monday that they would target Israeli power plants and power plants that supply US bases in the Gulf if Trump followed through on his threat to “wipe out” Iran’s electricity system.

The war, which began on February 28 between the US and Israel and has killed more than 2,000 people, has rocked markets, sent fuel prices soaring, fuelled fears of global inflation and shaken the post-war Western alliance.

The threat of potential attacks on the Gulf region’s power systems has raised concerns about widespread disruptions to the desalination of saltwater for drinking water, while also adding to the jitters in oil markets.