External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a telephonic conversation with his US counterpart Marco Rubio on the developments in the Middle East. The two leaders also discussed issues of economic implications of the ongoing conflict and the concerns over energy security.
“Had a detailed telecon this evening with US@SecRubio. Our discussions focused on the West Asia conflict and its impact on the international economy. We particularly spoke about energy security concerns. Agreed to remain in touch,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
This came hours after Donald Trump announced that the US had been holding a meaningful dialogue with Iran to materialise a deal in order to establish peace in the region. He also said that instructions were given to the US military to refrain from attacking the energy infrastructure in Iran, signalling a positive step towards ending the conflict.
"BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WITCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS," he posted on Truth Social.
Iran refutes Trump’s claim
Iran on the other hand rebuffed Trump’s claim, asserting that Tehran was never involved in talks with Washington. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said there had not been any negotiations with Trump on this issue.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that misleading reports are being circulated to influence oil and financial markets. He claimed these efforts are aimed at helping the United States and Israel divert attention from the difficult situation they are currently facing.
“Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors. All Irainan officials stand firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved,” Ghalibaf posted on X.
“No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” he added.
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