[New York = E-Daily Correspondent Seong Joowon ] U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the 18th (local time) that there are no ongoing talks with Iran and that no negotiations are scheduled. This denial came just one day after Jared Kushner, the special envoy for the Middle East, stated that talks between the U.S. and Iran were still ongoing. With the U.S. and Iran making diametrically opposed claims regarding whether the Strait of Hormuz is open, the prospects for a ceasefire between the two sides have become even more uncertain.

On that day, President Trump stated on his Truth Social account, “There are no ongoing negotiations or talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran, nor are any scheduled.” He continued, “The naval blockade remains fully in effect,” and claimed, “The Strait of Hormuz is open and operating normally. All mines have been removed or detonated.”
However, Iran’s position is exactly the opposite. According to Iranian state media, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that Iran would continue to close the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. fulfills the terms of the interim agreement signed last June.
Ghalibaf told parliament that the U.S. must fulfill conditions including: △ lifting the blockade on Iranian ports; △ lifting oil sanctions; △ returning Iran’s frozen assets; and △ ceasing threats and military operations on all fronts.
President Trump’s remarks also contradict the explanation given the previous day by Special Envoy Kushner. Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy to the Middle East, told Fox News on the 17th, “I cannot discuss specific details,” but added, “Dialogue between various departments of the U.S. and Iranian governments is probably more active than ever.”
However, President Trump made it clear that day that there were no ongoing or scheduled talks. The day before, when asked by reporters whether the U.S. intended to extend the interim agreement signed with Iran last June, he replied, “No.”
As negotiations between the U.S. and Iran for a ceasefire have reached an impasse, the likelihood is growing that the war—which began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran—will drag on. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the previous day that, with negotiations for a permanent ceasefire at a standstill, Iran would shift to a “fully offensive” military posture.