Trump denies talks with Iran amid ongoing Hormuz standoff

President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States is not engaged in talks with Iran and has not scheduled any, while insisting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open. In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump wrote that the naval blockade of Iranian ports remains "in full force and effect" and that "all water mines have been removed or detonated." He also posted a map depicting the strategic waterway as "New US Territory."

The comments represent Trump's latest about-face. On Monday, he had claimed that the US was engaged in back-channel conversations with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a claim that Tehran quickly rejected. According to a US official who spoke to Al Jazeera, "positive talks" with Iran have been ongoing, but Trump has decided to wait and instructed his negotiating team to hold off until Tehran is ready to make a deal.

Iran and Oman continue negotiations

Iran and Oman, the two countries bordering the Strait of Hormuz, continue talks on managing the strait despite Trump's threat to bomb Oman if it interferes with US efforts. In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump said, "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them." This is not the first time Trump has threatened Oman; in May, he warned the country would "behave just like everybody else, or we'll have to blow 'em up."

Oman has historically acted as a mediator between the US and Iran, hosting nuclear negotiations before the war broke out in February. The day before US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said that Iran had agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium, meaning it would never have enough material to create a nuclear weapon if it reached a deal with the US. However, a senior US administration official told reporters that Oman was "duplicitous" during negotiating efforts and that US officials "threw them out" of the mediation role.

Qatar said on Tuesday that mediators are awaiting the expected Iran-Oman deal before pushing Washington and Tehran to resume talks.

Iran's conditions for reopening Hormuz

Iran has reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington meets the terms of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June with the aim of ending the hostilities that began in March. The MoU expired on Monday.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a senior Iranian official, said the strait would remain shut until the US met MoU conditions, including lifting the blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions, releasing Tehran's frozen assets, and ending threats and military operations. Ghalibaf accused the US of "squeezing" Tehran for concessions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US maritime blockade has contributed to goods shortages and price increases in Iran. According to data from Kpler, Tehran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz, with 80% of transits now taking the Omani route.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, appeared to respond to Trump's post on social media, though the content of his response was not detailed in available reports.

UAE suspends trade with Iran

The United Arab Emirates said it is suspending all trade and financial transactions with Iran "in light of regional escalations," according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Afra Al Hameli. The announcement came after the UAE detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Tuesday, both of which landed in the sea. Iran denied firing the missiles, which the UAE said were "targeting maritime navigation."

The trade suspension adds to the economic pressures in the region. Oil prices rose on the news, with Brent gaining 1.3% to $92.20 a barrel and WTI rising to $85.24 a barrel. The diesel crack spread skyrocketed to $102 a barrel on Monday, a record high and nearly triple pre-war levels.

Regional escalations and international reactions

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged an Israeli strike on a military airport in northwestern Syria, saying it was due to an imminent deployment of Turkish troops. The US condemned the strike as an "unnecessary escalation," with US special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack using that phrase. Turkey condemned the strike as well, calling Netanyahu's claims "untenable."

Syrian state media reported that eight air strikes hit the Abu al-Duhur military base in Idlib's eastern countryside, causing damage but no casualties.

NATO said it is prepared to "address any threat" amid reports that Iran might attack US targets in Europe.

In a separate incident, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad accused Israel of undermining the peace process after an airstrike killed at least six people in Gaza. Medical officials at al-Shifa Hospital said a 13-year-old boy and his father were among those killed, and more than a dozen other people were injured.

In a symbolic gesture, Iranian diplomats in India posted a map of the US with California highlighted as "NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN."