Overview
- President Trump said the U.S. held “very good and productive” discussions with a “top person” in Iran and ordered a five‑day pause on planned attacks against Iranian power and energy infrastructure.
- Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rejected reports naming him as the interlocutor, calling the claim “fake news” intended to manipulate financial and oil markets.
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it received U.S. messages via friendly countries but denied negotiations and warned that any strike on energy facilities would trigger a swift response.
- Israeli media and an official cited by Axios identified Ghalibaf and said U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been in contact, a claim not corroborated by Tehran.
- The competing claims come as the war enters its fourth week, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and global energy prices surging.