Iran Denies Trump’s Peace Talk Claims
"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, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions," Trump said.
The announcement followed a threat issued by Trump on Saturday to "hit and obliterate" Iranian power plants should Tehran fail to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
IRAN'S REJECTION
Tehran wasted no time pushing back. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signaled Monday that Iran had no appetite for negotiations with Washington, stating flatly that "Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors." Dismissing Trump's claims of ongoing talks, Ghalibaf asserted that Trump's latest rhetoric "is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the U.S. and Israel are trapped."
An Iranian news agency categorically stated that no direct or indirect contact with Trump had occurred, while the foreign ministry characterized Trump's comments as "part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time" for military plans.
The rejection came just days after Trump himself had claimed there was "nobody to talk to" — remarks made following weeks of US-Israeli strikes that he said had severely weakened Iran's leadership structure.
MILITARY BUILDUP
Despite the diplomatic rhetoric, Washington is simultaneously accelerating its military posture across the Gulf. Three Marine expeditionary units are being rushed to the region, including a 2,500-strong force already en route aboard the USS Tripoli, expected to arrive within days. Pentagon officials have declined to confirm specific mission parameters, though reports point to contingency planning to secure critical shipping lanes.
A media report published Thursday revealed that Washington was weighing the deployment of thousands of ground troops to secure the Strait of Hormuz and potentially move against Iran's Kharg Island — situated just 15 miles off Iran's coastline and responsible for roughly 90 percent of the country's oil exports.
US forces struck the island heavily on March 12, though its oil infrastructure was left intact. Analysts warn that a Marine landing there could effectively throttle Tehran's revenue stream and force compliance on the strait — a dramatic escalation from aerial bombardment to ground operations.
Markets responded sharply to Trump's pause announcement, with oil prices retreating and equities surging on cautious hopes of de-escalation.
POST-CONFLICT PLANS
Behind closed doors, Trump administration advisers — including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — have begun preliminary internal deliberations on potential post-conflict governance frameworks, media reported Monday, citing US officials.
When pressed on who would ultimately control the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict, Trump told reporters: "Maybe me -- me and the ayatollah," adding, "whoever the next ayatollah is."
Regional governments responded with measured caution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Monday to defend Israel's national interests while pressing forward with strikes on both Iran and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states, while condemning Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks on their territories, voiced support for reopening the strait and welcomed any halt to hostilities.
Oman, Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan have each been engaged in separate mediation efforts in recent days, though no tangible breakthrough has emerged.
US military reinforcements are expected to be substantially in position by the time Trump's five-day window closes — leaving unanswered the pivotal question of whether diplomacy will gain traction or the pause will simply afford both sides space to regroup as US-Israeli strikes against Iran grind into their fourth consecutive week.
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