Evidence

Multiple independent mainstream outlets corroborate this claim across two separate periods. In April 2025, NPR and CBC/Reuters reported that Iranian officials, including statements attributed to Khamenei and the foreign ministry, insisted talks with the US were 'indirect' and mediated by Oman, directly refuting President Trump's characterization of them as direct talks. Wikipedia's entry on the 2025 Iran-US negotiations and Al Jazeera also describe Oman-mediated indirect talks. A similar pattern recurred in August 2026 (per NPR, The National, IranWire, Iran International, The Hill, Washington Times) when Iran again denied direct talks with the US, saying contacts were limited to intermediaries like Oman, Qatar and Pakistan regarding the Strait of Hormuz. No fact-checking organization (Reuters Fact Check, AFP Fact Check, Bellingcat, EUvsDisinfo) has flagged this specific claim as disputed or false; it is reported as straightforward diplomatic reporting by numerous credible news organizations rather than a contested viral claim.