Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vehemently denied claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump that backchannel talks are occurring between the two sides. IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohammadi stated that such assertions are merely 'fantasies' born from 'defeat and desperation in the war.' Mohammadi told the state-run Tasnim news agency that 'no talks are taking place with the Americans in this area either,' attributing the lack of dialogue to 'broken promises and the dark experiences of repeated and constant violations of agreements by the United States.' He added that diplomatic matters are handled by other institutions within the Islamic Republic.
Separately, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also dismissed reports of unofficial contacts between Washington and the IRGC, particularly those allegedly occurring through officials in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Baghaei characterized such reports as 'media techniques and psychological operations' designed to sow division within Iran's decision-making bodies.
Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, said in an interview with Fox News that conversations between the U.S. and various parts of the Iranian government were probably more robust than ever, but the two sides had not yet reached an understanding. This comes after Iran's IRGC denied claims that they were conducting backchannel talks with the U.S.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, asserted that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy shipments, will remain closed until the U.S. alters its behavior and accepts Iran's conditions. He also demanded an end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and a region-wide ceasefire.
President Trump stated in a Truth Social post that there are no ongoing talks with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz is open and operating, with all water mines removed or detonated. This follows earlier reports that the two countries were close to extending a 60-day ceasefire after earlier escalations in the U.S.-Iran war. The situation remains tense, with U.S. forces reportedly firing missiles at a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman for allegedly attempting to breach a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Concurrently, six people were reported killed in a Houthi attack on a Saudi cargo vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, highlighting ongoing maritime security concerns in the region.
