Iranian officials have flatly rejected claims by former United States President Donald Trump that the two countries have been engaged in back-channel negotiations aimed at resolving hostilities in the Middle East.

Iran’s position, carried by state-linked outlets including the Mehr news agency, stressed that there have been no talks of any kind with Washington. The foreign ministry, quoted by Iranian media, said Trump’s assertions were “unfounded” and framed them as part of an attempt to influence global energy markets and push down oil prices.

The denial came after Trump published a bombastic social media post declaring that Washington and Tehran had held “very good and productive conversations” over a two-day period. In the same message, he claimed the discussions were focused on a “complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East” and that, based on their supposed progress, he had ordered a temporary halt to military strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.

The post, riddled with spelling errors and written in capital letters, immediately rippled through energy markets. Traders, conditioned to react to any hint of de-escalation between the United States and Iran, initially treated the message as a potential signal of diplomatic movement, contributing to a sharp drop in oil prices before clarification emerged from Tehran.

Iran’s swift rebuttal underscored the depth of mistrust that has defined relations between the two countries since Washington withdrew from the nuclear agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions. Officials in Tehran framed Trump’s comments as political theater rather than evidence of genuine diplomacy, insisting that any real negotiations would require a clear framework, public acknowledgment, and a change in US policy.

The episode highlights how a single statement from a prominent American political figure can jolt global markets, even in the absence of corroborating evidence. It also reflects the enduring volatility of US-Iran relations, where rumors of talks, threats of military action, and denials from both sides routinely collide in the public arena.

For now, Iran’s message is unequivocal: despite Trump’s claim of “in depth, detailed, and constructive conversations,” Tehran says no such dialogue has taken place, and any suggestion otherwise is a misrepresentation of reality and a manipulation of market sentiment.