Iran Says Trump Claims Of Peace Talks Are ‘Fake News’
President Trump wrote that peace talks with Iran are ongoing, although Iranian officals denied the claim and called it “fake news.”
Trump, writing in all caps, posted on social media that there had been productive conversations over the last couple of days. He stated that the talks had led him to hold off on striking Iranian energy infrastructure targets.
“BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD,” Trump wrote.
The administration has faced increasing pressure to resolve the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28. The war has resulted in the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil is shipped. Also, oil and natural gas infrastructure in the Middle East have routinely come under drone and missile attacks from Iran, stoking fears of a potential global energy crisis.
Also, last week the Trump administration said it planned to ask Congress for $200 billion to continue to war. The possible funding request was met coolly by lawmakers with some saying that it was a nonstarter. Trump launched the war without seeking congressional authorization.
Trump’s peace talk pronouncements were challenged by Iran, which denied any such negotiations had occurred.
“There is no dialogue between Tehran and Washington,” NPR quoted Iran’s Foreign Ministry via the country’s state broadcaster.
“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,” wrote MB Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker.
Despite Iran’s denials, Trump repeated to reporters Monday that he was in talks and working on a deal. “If this happens, it’s a great start for Iran to build itself back, and it’s everything that we want,” Trump said, according to NPR.
Trump added that the deal would be great for Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
