# Did the US and Iran Really Talk? Iran Says No, Direct or Indirect; Trump Says Yes, His Envoy and Son-in-Law Did; US Media: Three Foreign Ministers Passed Messages

On the 23rd, US President Trump suddenly posted that he had conducted "fruitful" dialogue with Iran, causing international oil prices to plummet over 10% intraday. However, Iran quickly denied this.

## Trump Makes Consecutive Statements: We Talked

On the 23rd, Trump posted on social media saying, "Over the past two days, the United States and Iran have had very good and fruitful dialogue regarding a comprehensive and thorough resolution of hostile actions in the Middle East region." The dialogue was "in-depth, detailed, and constructive" and would continue throughout the week.

Trump stated that based on the tone and atmosphere of this dialogue, he has instructed the US Department of Defense to delay military strikes on Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure by 5 days, provided that ongoing meetings and discussions are successful.

On the same day, he told US media again that Iran "very much wants to reach a deal," and the US and Iran "could possibly reach an agreement within 5 days or even sooner." Trump also said the US side was "very willing to reach an agreement with Iran."

According to Xinhua News Agency, after posting on social media, Trump was interviewed by at least 3 media outlets, including CNBC, Fox News, and AFP.

According to the latest US media reports, President Trump said on the 23rd that the US and Iran had conducted "powerful" dialogue and reached key points of agreement.

Trump said the US side had dialogue with Iran's leadership, but not with Iran's Supreme Leader. The dialogue was conducted between US Presidential Special Envoy Witcoff and his son-in-law Kushner with the Iranian side.

Trump said the US and Iran might conduct dialogue by phone on the 23rd. If an agreement is reached, it would be a "great start" for Iran and the entire region.

## Iran Makes Consecutive Denials: We Didn't Talk

Shortly after Trump posted claiming negotiations with Iran, Iran denied having any contact with the US.

First, sources told Iran's Farsnews Agency: "Iran has no direct or indirect contact with Trump. After hearing we would strike all power plants in West Asia, he backed down."

Subsequently, Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that there is "no dialogue" with the US side. The US President's relevant remarks aim to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement military plans.

On the same day, several "senior Iranian leaders" stated that Trump's claim of negotiating with Iran is untrue and that there have been no negotiations between Iran and the US. Iran said Trump "withdrew" the attack because of the "decisive, forceful, and credible retaliatory deterrence" threat made by Iranian armed forces. Iran emphasized that its position on the Strait of Hormuz has not changed and will not change.

## US Media Reveals: US and Iran Communicated Through Three Countries' Foreign Ministers

According to Xinhua News Agency, the American news website Axios reported on the 23rd, citing a US source, that over the past two days, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan conveyed messages between the US and Iran.

The source indicated that the three foreign ministers respectively held talks with US Presidential Special Envoy Witcoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi.

The report also cited another allegedly informed US source saying: "Mediation is ongoing and making progress. Discussions involve ending the war and resolving all outstanding issues. We hope to receive responses as soon as possible."