WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied offering Iran sanctions relief, writing on Truth Social that “I offered them NOTHING,” Reuters reported. The post was a direct and emphatic rejection of recent news reports describing American outreach to Tehran.
Trump was responding to reports by Axios and CNN that, citing unidentified officials, said the administration had floated sanctions relief as an incentive in its dealings with Iran. The reports rested on single, unnamed sourcing that the president dismissed as false.
The president’s denial drew a sharp line under the administration’s public position, rejecting any suggestion that Washington had put sanctions relief on the table in its contacts with the Iranian government, according to Reuters.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that Tehran was prepared for negotiations but would not accept “bullying,” according to Reuters. His remarks laid out Iran’s public position ahead of any talks between the two countries.
Mediators met separately with American and Iranian officials on Monday, Reuters reported. The discussions touched on conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway for global oil shipments, and oil prices climbed amid the uncertainty surrounding the talks.
The public exchange between Washington and Tehran played out even as diplomatic efforts continued through intermediaries, with no direct meeting between the two sides announced. The back-and-forth underscored the distance between the two governments despite the ongoing mediation. Oil markets reacted to the uncertainty, with prices climbing as traders weighed the prospects for the talks.