Iran on Sunday categorically denied claims by US President Donald Trump that Tehran had agreed to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and had asked Washington to refrain from fresh military strikes. Fars News Agency, citing a source close to Iranian negotiators, said no such agreement had been reached, and a military source quoted by the same agency declared that “as long as the hostile actions and acts of malice by the United States continue, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.” Mehr news agency, citing military officials, described Trump’s allegation as “nothing but a new lie” and said Iranian armed forces were “on high alert and ready for any eventuality.”

The denials came a day after Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the US had been “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran” but that he had agreed to cancel the planned attack after Iran and other Middle Eastern countries requested more time for negotiations. Trump said any prospective deal would include the “Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.” The Iranian military source, however, insisted that passage through the waterway would only be possible via a designated route, in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy and after obtaining a transit permit, and that other routes were unsafe.

Iranian officials also rejected as “baseless” and “false” separate media reports, attributed to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, that Tehran had accepted a proposal under which ships would enter the Persian Gulf through Iranian territorial waters and exit through Omani waters. The military source told Fars that no decision or policy change had been made regarding the strait. Iran has blockaded the strategic shipping lane since the start of the war, requiring vessels to obtain authorisation and pay transit fees. An initial de-escalation effort, the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on 17 June, collapsed after what Iranian state media described as renewed US military aggression, prompting Tehran to resume missile and drone strikes and again shut the waterway.

Viewed from regional capitals, the exchange underscored the fragility of diplomatic channels. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump before the US president’s announcement, emphasising, according to the Saudi Press Agency, “the necessity of prioritising dialogue to reduce tensions.” Iran also held diplomatic contacts with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, with Iranian state media saying the discussions focused on “the risk of escalating tensions and insecurity in the region.” Meanwhile, the US State Department issued fresh security alerts across the Middle East, warning American citizens in ten countries to prepare for possible flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures and other travel disruptions. No new talks have been confirmed, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed under Iranian controls.