Iran war live: Tehran says Trump’s peace talk claims are ‘fake news’

Iran rejects Trump claim of peace talks as fighting continues

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Iranian officials dismissed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Tehran had requested negotiations to end hostilities.

The rebuttal came hours after Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Iran “wants to make a deal very badly.”

Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a statement calling the claim “fake news” and said no talks had been requested.

Tensions rose after a series of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and U.S. naval clashes with Iran-backed Houthi forces in the Red Sea.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state television that military operations would continue until “aggression stops.”

Trump spoke to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate after a campaign fundraiser. He said Iran had approached the United States through intermediaries.

“Iran wants to make a deal very badly,” Trump said. “They don’t want to be bombed.”

He did not name the intermediaries or provide details of the alleged outreach.

Iran’s U.N. mission responded in writing within 90 minutes. “There have been no requests for negotiations,” the statement said.

The exchange occurred as Israeli jets continued sorties over Iran’s central provinces for a third consecutive night.

Iran’s defense ministry reported shooting down 15 drones and 9 missiles targeting a uranium enrichment facility near Natanz.

State media showed firefighters extinguishing blazes at a military warehouse outside Isfahan. The facility stores ballistic missile components.

Israel’s military declined to comment on specific targets. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that strikes would “degrade Iran’s nuclear timetable by years.”

The United States has provided intelligence and aerial refueling support to Israel since hostilities began on Friday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American forces had destroyed 3 Houthi missile launchers in Yemen overnight.

Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon that U.S. troops “acted in self-defense after missiles were fired toward shipping lanes.”

The Red Sea remains closed to commercial traffic. Oil prices rose 4.2% to $78.90 per barrel on Tuesday.

European Union foreign ministers scheduled an emergency meeting in Brussels for Wednesday.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc wants “an immediate ceasefire and protection of civilian infrastructure.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urged restraint. “All parties should avoid steps that escalate regional tensions,” Lin said.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council that Israeli strikes “violate international law and threaten global security.”

Background

Iran and Israel have fought a shadow war for decades through proxies and cyberattacks. Direct aerial exchanges began after Iran fired 181 ballistic missiles at Israel on April 13 following an Israeli strike on Iran’s Damascus consulate.

The United States withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal during Trump’s first term. President Joe Biden’s administration failed to revive the agreement after 16 months of indirect talks in Vienna.

Israel opposes any U.S. return to the accord. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Congress in July that a nuclear Iran “would threaten Israel’s existence.”

What’s Next

Israel’s security cabinet meets on Wednesday to review military options. Officials told Channel 12 that strikes could expand to Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal if negotiations fail.