US President Donald Trump said Washington and Tehran are not currently holding negotiations following the expiry of a 60-day deadline for the two sides to reach a final peace agreement.
“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
The statement came just a day after Trump told Fox News that US government representatives were in direct contact with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Trump has repeatedly made claims about alleged talks or the status of negotiations with Iran that Tehran has subsequently denied.
Trump on Tuesday also claimed, despite evidence to the contrary, that the Strait of Hormuz is open.
“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” Trump wrote.
The 60-day deadline, set out in a preliminary agreement reached in June, expired on Monday without a final peace deal. The two sides remain at odds over several issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping and ports, while Tehran has attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital choke point between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war erupted.