Iran Official Confirms Talks With Trump Administration: Report

The Trump administration has reached out to Iran through mediators, hoping to cut a deal to end hostilities, according to a report.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told CBS News that the country had received “points from the U.S. through mediators and they are being reviewed.”

The comment contradicts a social media post by Iranian official MB Ghalibaf. Ghalibaf wrote, “No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”

The confusion could stem from the fact that much of Iran’s leadership has been killed since the war began on February 28. Although Iran named Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader, Trump has previously said he’s not sure that Khamenei is alive. It has been reported that he was injured early in the conflict.

CBS News reported that Trump said that the U.S. was in contact with a “top person” in Iran. He said that it was not Khamenei and he did not want to name the person “because I don’t want him to be killed.” Israel has aggressively targeted top Iranian officials.

The Trump administration has faced increasing pressure to resolve the conflict. The war has largely shut down shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil travels. Also, oil and natural gas infrastructure in the Middle East have come under drone and missile attacks from Iran, stoking fears of a potential global energy crisis.

Last week, the Trump administration said it planned to ask Congress for $200 billion to continue the war. The request was met coolly by lawmakers with some saying that it was a nonstarter. Trump launched the war without seeking congressional authorization.

The news of potential talks between the U.S. and Iran follows a social media post by Trump in which he referenced “very good and productive” talks with the Iranian leadership.