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WASHINGTON – Iran denied President Donald Trump's assertion that Tehran is set to begin a new round of negotiations with the United States, contradicting the president after Trump said he held off on carrying out "the biggest attack since World War II" to allow talks to restart.Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Aug. 2, said the United States was "all set to go" with what he described as a "massive attack" on Iran over the weekend but scrapped the plans at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.Trump said the three Middle East allies expressed confidence about a deal emerging to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran's nuclear capability. He said Iran "very strongly" asked that the United States hold off on the attack as well."We had an attack that would be the biggest attack since World War II, and it would have been disastrous for them," Trump said. "And they didn't want us to do it, and frankly, Saudi Arabia didn't want it either. They thought that a deal is imminent."Trump said the talks with Iran would begin Monday, Aug. 3.But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday said Iran is not currently holding talks with the United States, telling reporters Tehran is instead in discussions with Oman about a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz."We currently do not have negotiations with America," Baghaei said, according to NBC News, adding that Iran has no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days.'We are, in fact, talking of a solution,' Trump says in responseAt Trump's direction, the United States hit Iran with 13 nights of consecutive airstrikes in July after a memorandum of understanding for the two sides to work on a peace deal fell apart. The pause, which began July 23, was intended to give negotiations another chance, but progress on talks has not materialized.Trump blasted Iran's leadership in a Monday, Aug. 3 post on Truth Social and insisted that talks are underway in response to the latest comments from Iran."Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous!" the president said. "They ask for a meeting, some would say 'beg,' talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with 'Oman.'"Trump added: "Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades. It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!"Trump has often complained that different factions within the same Iran government during negotiations are frequently at odds with each other, making it difficult to decipher Tehran's formal positions.At least 18 U.S. service members have died in action during the war in Iran, which has turned increasingly unpopular among Americans. More than two-thirds of Americans surveyed in a Washington Post/Ipsos poll in July said they disapprove of Trump's handling of the war.Trump said the massive attack on Iran that he held off remains an option if Iran resists a deal that meets U.S. demands."We're ready to go anytime we want," Trump said. "Would I rather make a deal? I'm not looking to kill people, because people die, a lot of people die, and we don't want that."Contributing: ReutersReach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
