'No talks or conversations going on with Iran...': Trump denies talks contradicting earlier claim

US President Donald Trump has said there are no talks or conversations underway with Iran, reversing his comments from a day earlier that his administration had established a back channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The conflicting statements come as tensions over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz remain high.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He added that the “Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect” while claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operating and that all naval mines had been removed or detonated.

Trump’s back-channel claim

Trump’s latest comments came a day after he told Fox News that his administration had established a back channel with the IRGC. “They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump said, adding that he had “no time schedule” and was “not in a hurry.”

Iran’s IRGC, however, denied that any back-channel discussions with Washington were taking place.

Trump’s latest position also differs from remarks by special envoy Jared Kushner on Monday. Kushner told Fox News that conversations between the US government and different parts of the Iranian government were “probably more robust than it’s maybe ever been.” He described the discussions as “very positive and active.”

Strait of Hormuz remains key flashpoint

The Strait of Hormuz has remained at the center of tensions between Washington and Tehran since the war began in late February. Trump has repeatedly said the waterway is open, while shipping activity has continued to lag and Iran has disputed the US assessment.

Trump also reiterated that US forces had completed mine-sweeping operations in the waterway. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, meanwhile, said Tehran’s conditions for reopening the critical waterway included the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to US military threats.

Earlier ceasefire breaks down

The latest dispute follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in June, under which they agreed to pause fighting while negotiating a lasting end to the conflict. The arrangement later broke down amid disagreements linked to the Strait of Hormuz.