However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry contradicted Trump’s claim on Monday, saying Tehran was not currently engaged in direct talks with Washington. Trump told reporters as he returned to Washington from a weekend in New Jersey that he had cancelled the planned strikes following requests from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran. He described a deal as “imminent” and said the proposed talks would focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz before addressing Iran’s nuclear programme. When asked whether Iran had been given a deadline to reach an agreement, Trump declined to provide one, adding: “Would I rather make a deal? The announcement of possible negotiations briefly raised hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough, although Iran’s denial of direct talks has created uncertainty over whether the proposed discussions will take place.