Trump and Iran Publicly Disagree Over Next Round Of Talks: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, July 10, that the regime in Tehran had contacted his administration and asked the United States to continue negotiations. Trump presented the news as a sign that the most recent round of American strikes, which hit 90 military targets inside the country, were working. But later that same day, Tehran was disputing reports that another round of negotiations or technical discussions had been arranged.
While Iran has so far not directly denied that talks may continue, a source close to the negotiating team told the state-linked Fars News Agency that talks of a new round next week had “no real basis.”
Ford-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons
The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) transit the Atlantic Ocean March 20, 2021, marking the first time a Ford-class and Italian carrier have operated together underway. As part of the Italian Navy’s Ready for Operations (RFO) campaign for its flagship, Cavour is conducting sea trials in coordination with the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office’s Patuxent River Integrated Test Force to obtain official certification to safely operate the F-35B. Gerald R. Ford is conducting integrated carrier strike group operations during independent steaming event 17 as part of her post-delivery test and trials phase of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley McDowell)
What Fars Just Revealed
The Fars news agency published an update on Telegram disputing claims made in Fox News and Al Arabiya that a new round of negotiations was due to take place between Iran and the United States next week. Citing a “well-informed source close to the Iranian negotiating team,” the outlet said the claim is not correct.
The outlet said that technical talks, which began as a result of Iran’s earlier round of drone attacks against commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, will not continue for the time being.
“This informed source, in an interview with a Fars reporter, denied the news published about the finalization of negotiations in Islamabad, as well as the claim that the technical talks will continue next week, and said: this news is a lie and has no real basis,” the outlet reported.
“He emphasized: the news related to the process of negotiations, if there is any change, will be reported only from the official channels of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and claims published by some foreign media cannot be relied upon,” it continued.
The source also told Fars that the Arab network Al Arabiya had published inaccurate claims about negotiations taking place between the two countries for several months, and that this time, those claims were picked up by Fox News.
“These claims were published by Al-Arabiya and Fox News that yesterday, in response to the funeral ceremony for the martyred leader, Trump got angry and spoke with questions about the end of the understanding. However, less than a day later, some American-affiliated media reported the continuation of the negotiations and technical talks; A change that, in the eyes of some observers, shows a contradiction in the declaration of the American government about the process of understanding with Iran,” the update continued.
The original report by Al Arabiya had claimed that the next round of discussions between the United States and Iran was due to be held in Pakistan.
What Trump Had Said
Trump’s comments, which seem to have prompted confusion about what happens next, came from a July 10 Truth Social post. The president suggested that Iran had approached Washington after the latest round of U.S. military strikes.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump said in the post.
The statement represents a pretty significant shift in tone from just days earlier, when the president was publicly declaring the June memorandum of understanding (MOU) dead after Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking during the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump told reporters, “I don’t like them at all. And frankly, I think we wasted a lot of time with them, I think we should just do our business.”
The prior comments hinted that Trump was looking to simply destroy the region through a more prolonged conflict – but his most recent Truth Social post suggests he is once again considering diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
When asked directly whether the MOU remained in effect, Trump made it perfectly clear that the deal was no longer in place.
“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum,” Trump said. “They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people. They’re vicious, violent people and if they had a nuclear weapon they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned it’s over.”
Is He Serious?
Earlier this week, Trump said Iran was “begging” for a deal and warned that Washington would either make a deal favorable to the United States or “finish the job.” But only days later, Iranian forces launched fresh attacks against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting another round of U.S. strikes.
It raises the question: if Tehran was as desperate to secure a deal with the United States as the president claims, deliberately escalating by targeting international shipping would be an odd way to show it.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
