Iran War: Trump Claims Peace Talks, Tehran Says It's a Lie
The morning briefing on Trump's five-day pause on Iranian power plant strikes, conflicting signals over whether any talks are actually happening, and what a dozen Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz mean for U.S. energy prices.
President Trump backed away from his own 48-hour ultimatum Monday, claiming the U.S. and Iran had reached “major points of agreement” in peace talks ā but Tehran flatly denied any negotiations took place, and U.S. gas prices remain nearly a dollar higher per gallon than before the war began.
Trump announced on Truth Social that he had instructed the Pentagon to postpone strikes on Iranian power plants for five days, citing what he called “very good and productive conversations.” He said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been involved. Markets surged on the announcement ā the Dow jumped more than 1,000 points and Brent crude fell from $114 to below $99 a barrel. But by midday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry had issued a flat denial, calling the claimed talks “fake news” and accusing Trump of manufacturing the story to manipulate energy markets and buy time for additional U.S. military deployments.
A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official did tell CBS News, separately and exclusively, that Tehran had “received points from the U.S. through mediators” and that they were being reviewed. That single line is the most honest accounting of where things stand: not talks, not silence ā something in between, transmitted through third parties, with the Strait of Hormuz still mined, still effectively closed, and still choking the global economy.
At least a dozen Iranian naval mines remain in the Strait, according to U.S. intelligence assessments reported by CBS News. The five-day clock is now running.
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Quick Hits
- MINES IN THE STRAIT: ā At least a dozen Iranian naval mines remain in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. intelligence assessments shared with CBS News. The mines are identified as Iranian-manufactured Maham 3 and Maham 7 Limpet models. CENTCOM previously released footage of airstrikes on 16 Iranian minelayers. The strait has not reopened. [Source]
- DOW SURGES 1,000 POINTS ON PAUSE ANNOUNCEMENT: ā U.S. markets rallied sharply Monday after Trump's power plant pause, with the Dow rising 2.4% to 46,654, the S&P 500 gaining 2.1%, and the Nasdaq climbing 2.4%. The rally reflects how tightly U.S. markets are now tied to daily war signals ā and how quickly that could reverse. [Source]
- PAKISTAN EMERGES AS MEDIATOR: ā Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif confirmed he spoke with Iranian President Pezeshkian about "the grave situation in the Gulf region" and pledged a "constructive role in advancing peace." Pakistan has allowed some Iranian ships through its waters and has existing relationships with both Tehran and the Trump White House ā making Islamabad the most credible back-channel in play. [Source]
- AL-AQSA REMAINS SEALED: ā The Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem remained closed Tuesday, now into its fourth week of closure ā the longest since 1967. Eid al-Fitr worshippers were again denied access. No Israeli government statement on when it will reopen. [Source]
What to Watch For
Diplomacy: The five-day pause clock started Monday. Watch whether any mediator ā Pakistan, Oman, Qatar ā produces a documented channel between Washington and Tehran by week’s end. Witkoff and Kushner are named as the U.S. side. Iran has not named a counterpart.
Energy: Oil dipped below $99 Monday on the peace-talk announcement. If Iranian strikes on Gulf infrastructure continue or the Strait remains mined, watch for Brent to climb back toward $110. The IEA has already called this the worst energy shock since the 1970s.
Military: CENTCOM confirmed more than 9,000 Iranian targets struck and over 9,000 combat flights flown. Hegseth said each day brings “the largest strike package yet.” Whether U.S. strikes continue during the five-day window is the central question.
Politics: The CBS News poll showing 62% disapproval is significant. Watch for any congressional movement on war powers ā the Gabbard testimony discrepancy has not been addressed and no accountability hearing has been scheduled.
By The Numbers
National average price of a gallon of regular gasoline as of Monday, up from $2.98 before the war began February 28. The last time prices were this high was September 2023.
Share of Americans who disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran war, per a CBS News poll. 57% say the war is going "very to somewhat badly."
Targets struck by U.S. and Israeli forces across Iran as of Monday, along with more than 140 Iranian naval vessels destroyed and upward of 9,000 combat flights flown since February 28.
Days remaining in Trump's self-imposed pause on Iranian power plant strikes. The clock started Monday. Tehran has not confirmed any agreement, and strikes are continuing on both sides.
Quote of the Day
"We received points from the U.S. through mediators and they are being reviewed." ā Senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official, speaking exclusively to CBS News Monday, offering the only confirmed description of any U.S.-Iran contact amid Trump's claim of full peace talks.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-israel-trump-ultimatum-strait-of-hormuz/
Bottom Line
Trump blinked on his own ultimatum ā and the question now is whether that buys anything or just runs the clock. Iran has not confirmed talks, the Strait is still mined, U.S. gas prices are at a two-and-a-half-year high, and Israeli strikes are not pausing regardless of what Washington says.
What was announced Monday as a diplomatic breakthrough looks, in the clear light of Tuesday morning, more like a five-day window with no confirmed counterparty, no named mediator on the Iranian side, and a back-channel that Tehran itself describes only as points received and under review. The accountability question: who exactly is the U.S. negotiating with, and what are the terms? Neither Witkoff nor Kushner has answered that publicly.
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