US President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds in exchange for concessions on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Trump made the denial on Monday after Axios reported that the US president was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen Iranian assets in return for concrete steps by Iran concerning its nuclear activities.
“Axios just released a story that ‘Trump’ offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
He described the Axios report as a “HOAX” and called on the news organisation to withdraw the story.
The report, citing unnamed US officials, came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to meet Qatari mediators in New York.
US and Iranian officials held talks in New York last week on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. However, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Monday that Tehran had no further direct talks with Washington scheduled.
The dispute comes amid continuing tensions over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Trump publicly rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the vital waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. The waterway has been effectively blockaded by Tehran since the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Trump said on Sunday that he expected negotiations with Iran to resume in the coming days.
The prolonged conflict has also contributed to higher energy and other commodity prices, while the Trump administration faces domestic political pressure ahead of the November midterm elections.
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