Trump just called Iran’s leadership “unbelievably duplicitous” for denying the talks he announced — then told reporters the same talks were happening “right now.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters Monday that Tehran has no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days. What Iran is actually doing, he said, is talking to Oman about a temporary safe route for ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump had spent the weekend saying he called off a massive bombing campaign — one he described as what would have been “the biggest attack since World War II” — because Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran itself asked him to give diplomacy a chance. He said a deal was imminent and talks would resume Monday afternoon.
When Tehran said none of that was happening, Trump posted on Truth Social that Iranian leadership is “unbelievably duplicitous,” that they begged for a meeting, and that “nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished.”
Then he stood in the Oval Office and told reporters the talks were underway anyway. “They’re going on right now,” he said. Asked what his message to the American people was, he answered: “Well, you don’t know, I don’t know, I think we’re going to maybe get something.” Moments later: “I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.”
U.S. officials said there are no new negotiations planned at all, just the existing back-channel between Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Iranian counterparts through mediators.
Eighteen American service members have been killed and hundreds wounded in a war that began in February and was expected to last six weeks. It is now in its sixth month, with 50,000 U.S. troops still deployed. Iran’s leadership is firmly in power.