Trump claims Iran war is nearing its end, but Tehran denies direct talks

President Donald Trump has claimed the United States is "hopefully toward the end" of its seven-month war with Iran, asserting that he has bypassed diplomatic intermediaries to speak directly with officials in Tehran.

According to the president, Iran is desperate to resolve the conflict. "They want to make a deal," Trump told reporters, adding that he had spoken with the Iranian side "directly".

But Iranian officials have swiftly rejected the claims, insisting that no direct negotiations are underway and that their position remains unchanged. Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Trump of sending mixed signals and declared there would be "no talks until Iran’s conditions are met."

The conflict, which has raged for over half a year, has choked global energy corridors and pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel. The economic fallout has been severe, driven in part by Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime channel through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes.

The backchannel breakdown

Trump's claim of direct contact is a major departure from recent practice. Diplomatic efforts have historically relied on third-party mediators, including Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman.

A Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding collapsed last month, with both Washington and Tehran accusing each other of violating their commitments. That agreement was designed to secure a 60-day peace window and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Instead of opening new channels, Tehran says it is focused solely on getting the US to honour that previous agreement. Former Iranian diplomat Abbas Khameyar dismissed Trump's claims of direct calls as a political narrative. "Nobody believes this," Khameyar said, stating that Iran's diplomatic efforts remain firmly within the established framework.

Tensions peak ahead of UN summit

The diplomatic friction comes at a highly sensitive moment. Next week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are scheduled to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Trump administration has approved their visas, but the State Department has imposed tight travel restrictions. The Iranian delegation has also been banned from buying luxury goods or wholesale memberships during their stay, with US officials warning New York retailers to remain on guard.

The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough appears distant. On Iranian state television, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, a political advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, declared that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are removed from power.

Red Sea blockades and military sales

To bypass the closed strait, Saudi Arabia has rerouted its oil exports overland to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, shipping it south through the Bab al-Mandeb strait. However, this route has also come under threat from Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, who have declared a blockade on Saudi shipping.

To support its Gulf ally, the US State Department has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets and military hardware to Saudi Arabia.

At the same time, the US is maintaining direct economic and military pressure on Tehran. The State Department has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information to disrupt the financial networks of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Tensions also remain high over Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Recent satellite imagery from the Institute for Science and International Security shows new earthworks hardening the entrances to a deeply buried facility at Pickaxe Mountain. Trump warned Tehran last week "not to get cute," declaring that the US is prepared to hit the site "very hard."