Trump says negotiations with Iran going well but Iran denies talks are happening

U.S. President Donald Trump backed down from his threat to destroy Iran’s power grid, extending a deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by five more days.

Trump says there were constructive talks with a senior Iranian leader over the weekend, but Iran denies any negotiations have been held.

“They called. I didn’t call. They called. They want to make a deal,” said Trump.

Trump is adamant his administration has had “productive conversations” with the Iranian regime.

Talks that he says were so positive, he has ordered a threatened U.S. attack on Iran’s power grid to be delayed, even saying the strait of Hormuz may be reopened soon if discussions pan out.

“We are very willing to make a deal,” said Trump. “There’s got to be a good deal and it’s got to be no more wars — they’re not going to have nuclear weapons anymore. They’re agreeing to that, we have major points of agreement, I would say almost all points of agreement.”

Trump said his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are negotiating with a top-person, declining to say who, but did say it wasn’t the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who hasn’t been seen in public since the war began.

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“We don’t know if he’s living,” said Trump.

Trump says the talks are expected through the week, but the speaker of Iran’s parliament denies any talks have taken place.

A post was made on social media stating the denial.

2/ No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 23, 2026

Oil prices dropped significantly and stock markets rose after Trump’s announcement Monday morning.

The closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s south coast, where 20 per cent of global oil is shipped through and the uncertainty of the length of the war had been pushing the price of oil up, bringing the cost of gas up too, with the price of many goods, including food, expected to follow.

“The longer this conflict drags on, and the longer we have the strait closed, the higher probability we’re going to see prices way higher than they are today,” said energy analyst Amena Bakr.

Trump’s five day extension for Iran to open the strait prevented a massive escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war — Saturday night, Trump said within 48 hours he would quote “obliterate” Iran’s power plants.

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping by attacking vessels in the region.

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