President Trump said Tuesday that the United States is holding no active discussions with Iran and has no meetings scheduled to resolve the nearly six-month-old conflict, even as new military incidents and diplomatic clashes unfolded across the region.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated, “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He added that the U.S. naval blockade “remains in full force and effect” and claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is operational and cleared of water mines.
The remarks follow comments from U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, who told Fox News on Monday that Tehran is “not showing any interest” in a deal that “makes sense” for Washington.
The impasse over the strategic Strait of Hormuz continues, punctuated Tuesday by an attack on a commercial vessel. According to the British military, the ship was struck by an “unknown projectile” during transit, leaving one casualty and damaging the engine room.
The maritime standoff remains central to any broader diplomatic path. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said Tuesday that ongoing talks between Iran and Oman over navigation routes in the strait are critical, noting a final pact “would make it much easier for us to resume the talks between the United States and Iran.” However, Iranian Parliament Speaker and negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insisted the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. lifts its naval blockade.
Ghalibaf also directed sharp criticism at U.S. officials on social media platform X, targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent following Bessent’s threats of sweeping economic sanctions.
“Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement,” Ghalibaf wrote. “Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made.”
Regional friction escalated further on Tuesday when Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward the United Arab Emirates—the first such fire directed at the country in months. The UAE Ministry of Defense reported that both missiles fell into the sea, one within territorial waters and the other outside, causing no damage. In a statement on X, the ministry noted its forces are “on high alert and fully prepared to deal with any threats.”
In Syria, diplomatic and security developments emerged on two fronts. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors gained access to a previously secret nuclear site in Deir ez-Zor. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi announced during a visit to Damascus that inspectors discovered “a few tons of nuclear material that could be misused.” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani described the access as a “voluntary choice” and said the material would stay in the country for “peaceful purposes.”
Simultaneously, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack criticized Israel over unacknowledged airstrikes that struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase.
Writing on X, Barrack stated the strikes “constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” arguing that Syria’s new government has shown a preference for de-escalation. Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the attack as an “unjustified act of aggression.”
To the south, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun prepared for talks in Rome this Thursday regarding the future of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate expires this year. An official confirmed Aoun will meet with Italian leaders and Pope Leo XIV to discuss whether to extend UNIFIL’s mission or transition to a proposed French-Italian multinational force to assist the Lebanese army.
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