Iran says the US was the one who asked for dialogue, but claims it has not happened yet

The Iranian Foreign Ministry revealed that messages were received from “some friendly countries indicating an American request for negotiations aimed at ending the war.” That is to say, contrary to President Donald Trump’s version. But, in addition, the official Iranian agency Iran denied that the dialogue had taken place.

The denial was known just a few hours after the North American leader announced the existence of “very good and productive conversations” to end the war.

The president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, described this American announcement as false in a publication on social networks. “The fake news They are used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the United States and Israel find themselves trapped,” Ghalibaf wrote.

The legislator thus echoed previous statements by the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, who also made the same denial.

These statements come as the US-Israel war against Iran enters its fourth week, and the Israeli military announced this Monday the launch of a new wave of attacks against Tehran.

Iran has also continued to launch missiles and drones throughout the Middle East and has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a crucian sea routel of the Persian Gulf through which approximately one fifth of the world’s oil and gas transits.

From Tehran, journalist Ali Hashem, from the Qatari news channel Al Jazeeranoted that while Iran has denied that talks took place, regional actors have been pushing for a reduction in tension.. “There are certain messages that these actors are transmitting,” he explained.

“Right now, everyone is trying to get both sides back to a level where a framework for talks can be established. But how will this be reflected in practice? How will it be demonstrated? That is the big question.”., said.

Hassan Ahmadian, a professor at the University of Tehran, said Trump could be using the possibility of conversations as a way to back out of his 48-hour ultimatum to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure, which would have further escalated the war.

“It seems that mediation efforts have been initiated at the regional level, by Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye, to find a way out of this conflict”Ahmadian told Al Jazeera.

“But the fact that (Trump) insists so much on this mediation effort “It says a lot about his attempt to give in… (regarding the) deadline that he already set for the Iranian threat of retaliation, which would have been really significant, according to the Iranians.”he added. “He wanted to give in, and I think this mediation effort was his way of doing that,” he concluded.