Tehran, Aug 3 (EFE).- Iran said on Monday that it is not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s assertion that talks between the two countries were about to resume. «We currently do not have negotiations with the United States,» Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said during a press conference. Baqaei added that any decision on future engagement with Washington would depend on how the situation develops. His remarks came hours after Trump said Tehran and Washington would resume negotiations on Monday. Earlier, Trump also said he had canceled a «massive attack» against Iran in an effort to preserve the diplomatic process and reach an agreement to end the conflict. Baqaei said Iran is instead engaged in bilateral talks with Oman aimed at reaching an agreement to guarantee the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. «These negotiations are bilateral between two littoral states. Others may play a constructive or destructive role in this process, but the matter rests with Iran and Oman,» he said. He added that an agreement on safe navigation through the strait is «a necessary condition» for its reopening, «but not a sufficient condition.» Baqaei said there would be no significant change in the status of the waterway as long as what he described as US hostility, the naval blockade imposed on Iran, military actions and Washington’s alleged violations continued. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran and Muscat were entering the final phase of negotiations on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, including a proposed new shipping route. He said those talks were separate from any decision on reopening or closing the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments passed before the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel, has become a major flashpoint in the crisis. Iran declared a new closure of the strait on July 12 after new strikes on Iranian territory, while the US subsequently reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports in the area, according to Iranian authorities. EFE ash-sk