US President Donald Trump has denied a report by Axios that he offered Iran sanctions relief or access to frozen funds in exchange for an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Trump rejected the report on Monday as renewed mediation efforts continued, while uncertainty remained over whether US-Iranian talks would move forward.
Trump rejects Axios report
“Axios just published a story saying that ‘Trump’ offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds. This is false. I offered them nothing!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, also demanding that the report be retracted “immediately”.
The Axios report, citing sources within the Trump administration, referred to possible US concessions in exchange for Iranian commitments concerning the country’s nuclear energy programme.
US-Iran talks resume
Talks between US and Iranian officials resumed last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, although their future remains uncertain.
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Monday that no new meeting was currently planned.
Trump had suggested on Sunday that negotiations could resume soon, although he rejected a proposal from Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
Strait of Hormuz at centre of conflict
The strategically important waterway, through which one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbon consumption passed before the war, has become a focal point of the conflict that began on 28 February, when the United States and Israel jointly launched an attack on Iran.
Since then, the Islamic Republic has sought control of the strait, while the US has responded to its de facto closure by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports in the Gulf, among other measures.
Previous agreement collapsed
Dialogue between Tehran and Washington had effectively stalled following the collapse of an initial agreement known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
The memorandum was signed in June by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Source: ANA-MPA
