Earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said no negotiations with the United States were taking place and no meetings were scheduled. The only talks under way, he said, were discussions with Oman over management of the Strait of Hormuz. "'The United States Wall of Steel!' On several occasions, Trump has threatened military action only to later cite diplomatic contacts as a reason for stepping back. So far the United States has failed to compel Iran to relinquish its grip on the waterway, ​sending global oil prices higher and pushing up politically sensitive gasoline ‌prices in the United States.