Iran has denied any negotiations are taking place with the United States after President Donald Trump said new talks would begin on Monday in an effort to end their war, now in its sixth month.

The Iranian foreign ministry pushed back against Trump’s announcement, which came after he said he had held off launching new strikes on the Islamic republic to allow for diplomatic efforts.

Washington and Tehran have been at war since 28 February, when the US and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran. Months of on-off diplomacy have led to periods of relative calm since then.

Trump last week threatened to hit Iran “very hard”, with reports suggesting he was considering renewed attacks including against energy infrastructure.

Hormuz shipping route at centre of dispute

But the president pulled back from that threat on Saturday, saying the “perimeters” of a deal were there.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly press briefing that no negotiations with the US were underway.

“We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqaei said.

The Hormuz shipping route remains a major sticking point in efforts to end the war. Iran has obstructed vessels attempting to pass the critical trade corridor, firing on commercial ships.

Before the war, there was free passage through the strait, but Iran now insists on retaining control and charging fees, something the US rejects. Tehran has refused to let ships travel any route other than one which hugs the Iranian coast.

On Sunday, Baqaei told state television that a deal was close on managing Hormuz together with Oman, which sits on the other side of the narrow waterway.

“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides – neither the northern route nor the southern route – but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he said.

However, he insisted that such an agreement did not mean the reopening of the strait.

Trump says talks cover nuclear issue

On Sunday, a tanker off the coast of Oman reported hearing an explosion nearby, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. The ship and crew were all reported safe.

Trump told reporters on Sunday that the new talks with Iran would cover Hormuz and ultimately the denuclearisation of Iran.

“Now what we’re doing is we’re talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, without providing details of the venue or participants.

The president said he had been asked by Iran as well as US partners Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to hold off on further strikes, which he claimed would have been “the biggest attack since World War II”.

Iranian media denied that Tehran had asked Trump not to strike.

Previous ceasefire fell through

Trump has repeatedly claimed a settlement to end the war is near, only for fighting to resume. He has previously issued apocalyptic warnings to Tehran, only to later backtrack by saying diplomacy was underway.

A previous ceasefire deal between the foes fell through last month. It was supposed to open the Strait of Hormuz to ships carrying vital energy exports from the Gulf to feed the global economy.

Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the parliament’s national security commission, said on Sunday that mediators were trying to revive the US-Iran memorandum of understanding that was agreed in June.

“They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Ghashghavi said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X: “We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”

ALSO READ: US military launches ‘powerful’ retaliatory strikes on Iran