Trump Rubbishes Claims Of Secret Deal With Tehran, Labelling Iran Sanctions Report A 'Hoax'

President Donald Trump on Monday denied a report by the news outlet Axios that he had offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds, as the war in the Middle East drags on. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the story was untrue and that he had offered Tehran "NOTHING." The 80-year-old Republican called the report a "HOAX" and said the news site should withdraw it. The exchange adds a new point of friction to an already tense diplomatic picture, in which public statements from Washington and Tehran have often pointed in different directions and the status of any negotiations has been difficult to pin down.

The Axios story reported that Trump was willing to give Iran sanctions relief and release frozen Iranian funds in return for concrete Iranian steps on its nuclear program. It relied on unnamed US officials, a common practice in reporting on sensitive diplomacy, though one that leaves readers unable to assess the sourcing for themselves. Trump's denial and the outlet's account directly contradict each other. The source material does not say whether Axios has responded to the demand for a retraction or whether it stands by its reporting.

Trump's remarks also did not address whether any informal discussions of sanctions or frozen funds have taken place. Diplomatic activity has nonetheless continued. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was scheduled to meet Qatari mediators in New York on Monday. US and Iranian officials had met in New York the previous week, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, an annual gathering that often provides an occasion for contact between governments that lack regular channels. Iran's state news agency IRNA reported Monday, however, that Tehran has no more direct talks scheduled with Washington.

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That suggests any further exchanges may have to run through intermediaries such as Qatar. Trump's public position has shifted in recent days. On Saturday, he publicly rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, he told Axios he expected talks to resume in the coming days. The two statements, made a day apart, show a president who has turned down one Iranian offer while signalling continued interest in negotiations. The Sunday comment was made to the same outlet whose reporting he attacked on Monday, though the source does not say whether the two are connected.

The Strait of Hormuz lies at the heart of the conflict. The narrow waterway normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied gas, which is why disruption there tends to be felt in global energy markets. Tehran has effectively blockaded the route since the war began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Reopening the strait has therefore been a central question in any prospective talks, and the rejected proposal suggests the waterway features directly in the bargaining between the two sides.

Much now depends on whether Araghchi's meeting with the Qatari mediators produces any movement, and whether direct contact resumes despite IRNA's report. Whether sanctions relief or the release of frozen funds is on the table remains disputed, with the president's denial standing against the account of unnamed officials. Further clarity may come from Axios, the White House or Iranian officials in the coming days, particularly if talks resume as Trump said he expects.

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