Trump rules out Iran talks as Hormuz standoff deepens

President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that no negotiations with Iran are underway or planned, even as Tehran's top negotiator insisted the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington meets a sweeping set of demands — a standoff that has rattled energy markets and left the nearly six-month conflict without a clear path to resolution.

"There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the strait was "open and operating" and that "all water mines have been removed or detonated." He said the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remained "in full force and effect."wtvbam+1

Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, directly contradicted Trump, telling lawmakers the strait would stay shut until Washington lifts its blockade, removes oil sanctions, releases frozen Iranian assets, and ends military operations — conditions tied to a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 whose 60-day deadline expired Monday without a broader deal.tribune+1

Conflicting Signals from Washington

Trump's categorical denial of any diplomatic contact clashed with remarks made just a day earlier by his son-in-law and special envoy, Jared Kushner. Speaking on Fox News ↗ 3.34%, Kushner said conversations between U.S. and Iranian officials were "probably more robust than it's maybe ever been," though he acknowledged the two sides were "not there yet." Kushner said Iran was "not showing any interest in doing something that makes sense for us" and that any agreement would require Tehran to give up its nuclear weapons capability.thenationalnews

The mixed messaging has become a recurring feature of the crisis, which began when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.wtvbam

Shipping Disruptions and Market Fallout

Despite Trump's claims that the waterway is operational, preliminary shipping data told a different story. Ship crossings through the strait were in single digits on Monday, according to Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ↗ 6.40%, compared with more than 130 vessels a day before the war. The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported Tuesday that a vessel transiting outbound through the strait was struck by an unknown projectile, damaging its engine room and injuring a crew member.investing+2

Brent crude futures rose for a third session on Tuesday, settling just above $91 a barrel. American gasoline prices have climbed above $4 per gallon, up from less than $3 before the war, according to AAA. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the expired memorandum "one of the greatest foreign policy fiascos in American history."wtvbam+1

Iran Projects Defiance Amid Pressure

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran was shifting to a "fully offensive" military posture, warning that Iran would conduct a "timely and precise" attack to break the U.S. naval blockade if diplomacy failed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected any notion of surrender. "We won the war, and we also won in diplomacy," he said, according to Iranian state media cited by Moneycontrol.moneycontrol+2

Yet behind the defiant rhetoric, Iranian leaders are worried that mounting economic pressure could reignite the kind of unrest that swept the country in January, according to three Iranian officials who spoke to Reuters. Qalibaf himself acknowledged the public's grievances, calling on Iranians to show unity in the face of hardship.thenationalnews+1

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that resuming broader U.S.-Iran talks would become easier once Iran and Oman finalized a separate bilateral agreement on strait navigation, though no deal has been announced.tribune