Claim
Iran publicly denied President Trump's assertion that negotiations with Washington were under way, saying instead that it was in contact with Oman but not directly with the United States
Attributed to Iranian officials
Evidence
Multiple independent, mainstream outlets corroborate this claim. NPR, NBC News, The Hill, TIME, Breitbart, Tampa Free Press and The National all reported that Iran's foreign ministry, including spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, explicitly stated Iran was not holding direct negotiations with the United States, and that its only active talks were with Oman regarding a temporary safe shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. This directly contradicted President Trump's public claim that US-Iran negotiations were underway or set to resume. NBC News also reported Trump calling Iranian leadership 'extremely duplicitous' in response to Iran's denial, and The Hill quoted an Iranian statement that talks were 'with Oman' and focused on the Strait of Hormuz shipping route.
Assessment
Multiple independent, reputable news outlets (NPR, NBC News, The Hill, TIME) directly corroborate the specific wording and substance of the claim, including direct quotes from an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirming talks were only with Oman, not the US.
Confidence
Independent, reputable sources corroborate (or refute) this claim directly.
Timeline
Aug 9, 2026, 9:29 PM UTC
ConfirmedInitial assessment.
First observed Aug 9, 2026, 9:29 PM UTC · Last reviewed Aug 9, 2026, 9:29 PM UTC