CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- As the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran drags on, a series of conflicting signals has recently emerged over whether U.S. and Iranian officials are holding talks.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that "productive conversations" have taken place between the United States and Iran, Iranian officials and analysts have denied this, saying Washington is attempting to manipulate the markets.
With Washington and Tehran offering conflicting accounts, the situation around the talks has taken on a "Rashomon-like" quality.
U.S. CLAIMS "PRODUCTIVE TALKS"
Trump threatened on social media Saturday that the United States would target Iranian power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
As the ultimatum neared its deadline, Trump said Monday he had ordered the military to delay strikes on Iranian energy facilities for five days, following what he described as "productive" talks with Iran. In a Truth Social post, he said the two sides had held "very good and productive conversations" over the past two days aimed at reducing hostilities in the Middle East.
Citing the "in-depth, detailed, constructive" nature of the discussions, Trump said he instructed the Pentagon to postpone any strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, pending further negotiations.
Trump's claims of potential diplomatic progress prompted a sharp pullback in oil prices and boosted investor risk appetite. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude fell 10.28 percent to settle at 88.13 U.S. dollars a barrel, while global benchmark Brent crude dropped below 100 dollars after topping 113 dollars in premarket trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite all rose following Trump's announcement.
However, with airstrikes still battering Iran and missiles targeting sites across the Middle East, some of the optimism that had driven the stock rally the previous day faded on Tuesday. Brent crude again approached the 100-dollar mark.
IRAN QUICKLY DENIES
Trump's comments were met with an immediate denial from Iran.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied that any negotiations had taken place with the United States, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Friendly countries had recently sent messages suggesting Washington's desire to begin talks on ending the conflict, but Iran had not responded, IRNA reported, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also rejected the claim on X, saying "no negotiations have been held" with Washington. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said talks with the United States were "meaningless" under current conditions.
Iranian analysts suggested Trump's announcement may have been aimed at calming energy and capital markets, which have been unsettled by the conflict.
"Every week, when markets open, Trump makes statements like these to drive down oil prices. Even his five-day deadline aligns with the energy market closure," Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a University of Tehran professor, said on X. ■
