Trump says US held Iran talks, Tehran denies contact

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States had held talks with Iran in recent days and had reached agreement on key points of a possible settlement.

He said the talks were led by his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and were expected to continue. Trump described them as ‘very good and productive’ and said there were ‘major points of agreement’, adding that a deal could be within reach.

‘All I’m saying is, we are in the throes of a real possibility of making a deal,’ he told reporters before departing Florida for Memphis.

He declined to say who the United States had been in contact with in Iran, but said it was not the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump said Iran ‘had some leaders left’.

‘We’re dealing with the man who I believe is the most respected and the leader,’ he said.

Iranian media denied the claims. The Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported that there is no direct or indirect communication with the United States and described the statements as psychological pressure from Washington.

At the same time, Trump stepped back from threats to target Iran’s energy infrastructure and said he would postpone any such action. According to media reports, the move followed warnings that Iran could strike power plants in Israel and Gulf countries.

(reuters, max)