Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday that he never offered Iran sanctions relief, labeling the Axios story a hoax and demanding the outlet retract it. The president’s statement follows an Axios report that quoted unnamed U.S. officials saying Trump was willing to release Iranian frozen funds in exchange for concrete steps on the nuclear program.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was slated to meet Qatari mediators in New York that same day, after a brief session with U.S. representatives at the UN General Assembly. The meeting comes as Tehran’s Foreign Ministry said it had no further direct talks scheduled with Washington.
The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20 % of global oil, has been blocked by Tehran since the U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, pushing U.S. gasoline prices higher and threatening global energy stability.
Trump’s denial arrives amid mounting pressure on his administration to keep sanctions intact while the Middle East war drags on and the midterm elections loom. The U.S. State Department has said no policy shift will occur until concrete nuclear compliance is demonstrated.
The next development will be a briefing from the State Department on Thursday, where officials are expected to detail the administration’s stance on future engagement with Iran.