The Iranian regime claims that Trump has “backed down” and explicitly denies negotiations with the US. But what do the latest information from Washington say?
“We deny US President Donald Trump's claims,” Tehran said on Monday, according to Reuters and the BBC, after the US president announced he had begun negotiations with the Iranian regime.
The regime in Tehran said on Monday that Donald Trump had “given up” on attacking its power plants following a “firm warning” from Tehran, the BBC writes.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, “We deny US President Donald Trump's claims about negotiations taking place between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Cited by CBS News, the foreign ministry added: “The Islamic Republic of Iran maintains its position of rejecting any kind of negotiations before achieving Iran's post-war goals.”
The comments were also made by the Iranian embassy in Kabul, which posted on social media that Trump had backed down on Iran's threats to “target the entire region's energy infrastructure.”
Ultimatum and consequent threats
The US president warned the Iranian regime over the weekend that it would bomb the country's energy infrastructure if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran responded on Monday, saying it would launch attacks on power plants in Israel and across the Middle East region, threatening to mine “the entire Persian Gulf.”
Later, Trump announced the extension of the ultimatum addressed to Tehran and revealed that he has already been negotiating with the Iranian regime for two days the terms of a ceasefire.
“I am pleased to inform you that the United States of America and Iran have had, over the past two days, very constructive and fruitful discussions regarding a full and final resolution of the conflict between us in the Middle East,” the US president wrote on his network, Truth Social.
Sources in the US speak of negotiations starting on Sunday
While Tehran has not confirmed the negotiations, sources in Washington quoted by the US website Axios also said on Monday that officials from Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan held separate talks on Sunday with White House emissaries and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to Fox News, from Washington, Steve Witkof and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner participated in the negotiations.
Iran wants a deal very much, and it could be done in five days at most, Trump told Fox Business Network.
The reaction of the markets, a possible argument for calming the situation
In the all-caps message, Trump said he had instructed the Defense Department to delay attacks on energy infrastructure until negotiations were completed.
Sources cited by Reuters said Washington had kept Israel informed of its negotiations with Tehran and that Israel was likely to follow Washington's lead by suspending any attacks on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.
Trump's comments caused a temporary drop in the price of Brent oil. Global markets also rebounded sharply.
Some commentators noted that the dramatic reaction of the markets was a factor that weighed heavily in Trump's decision to extend the ultimatum.
The potential effects of conflict escalation have also raised concerns.
A danger to the Gulf region
Iran's threat to launch attacks on Gulf power grids has raised fears of massive disruptions to drinking water desalination and further rattled oil markets, Reuters writes.
While attacks on power grids could affect Iran, they could be catastrophic for its Gulf neighbors, which consume about five times as much electricity per capita.
Electricity is essential to power the desalination plants that produce 100% of the water consumed in Bahrain and Qatar.
Such stations use seawater to meet over 80% of the UAE's drinking water needs and 50% of Saudi Arabia's water supply.
