Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi denied Wednesday that the U.S. is negotiating with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz [1, 2].
The contradiction comes as the U.S. and Iran clash over the closure of the critical shipping lane, raising the risk of military escalation in the region.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. was negotiating with Iran to restore access to the strait [1, 2]. Trump said the U.S. would reopen the waterway soon or would hit Iran very hard [1].
Gharibabadi refuted these assertions during a televised interview on Iranian official media. "The US claim that negotiations with Iran are currently underway is false," Gharibabadi said [1].
The deputy foreign minister said that Iran is only engaging in bilateral discussions with Oman [1, 2]. These talks aim to resolve the status of the Strait of Hormuz, though timelines for a resolution vary across reports.
Some reports indicated a potential deal could be reached by Wednesday, Aug. 5 [3]. Other sources cited a 50-50 chance of an Iran-Oman deal being finalized by Friday, Aug. 7 [1].
Trump's public stance remains focused on a swift resolution through either diplomacy or force [1]. The U.S. administration has not provided specific details on the nature of the alleged negotiations with Tehran [1, 2].
“"The US claim that negotiations with Iran are currently underway is false."”
The discrepancy between the White House and Tehran suggests a significant gap in diplomatic alignment. While the U.S. attempts to project a narrative of direct influence over Iranian decisions, Tehran's insistence on using Oman as a mediator indicates a refusal to grant the U.S. direct diplomatic legitimacy. The threat of military action combined with the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz keeps global energy markets sensitive to any failure in these third-party talks.
