- Iran ridicules Trump’s claim of imminent
- Iranian officials deny any uranium transfer talks occurred.
- Despite pushback, Trump insists a deal is very close.
- Negotiations remain unresolved, contingent on undisclosed Iranian conditions.
Tensions over the ongoing US-Iran negotiations took a sharper turn after Iran’s state media ridiculed US President Donald Trump for claiming that Washington was on the verge of securing a deal granting America “free oil and free Strait of Hormuz.” Iran’s state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) publicly dismissed the remarks, sharing a clip of Trump’s statement and branding his expectations as unrealistic.
Tehran Ridicules Trump’s Claims
Reacting to Trump’s assertion, IRIB said the US leader was “building castles in the air,” signalling outright rejection of Washington’s narrative that a breakthrough was imminent. The broadcaster reinforced its criticism by invoking a Persian proverb: “the camel dreams of cottonseed, sometimes gulping it down, sometimes eating it grain by grain”, as per a report on NDTV.
The phrase is commonly used to describe wishful thinking or unattainable ambitions. Notably, the proverb had earlier been used by Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to mock Trump before his death in the February 28 US-Israeli strike.
Iran Denies Uranium Transfer Talks
Iranian officials and sources also pushed back strongly against Trump’s claim that Tehran had agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium—an assertion central to his optimism about the talks.
A source close to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf clarified that no such proposal had been discussed. The source directly contradicted the US position, stating that the issue of transferring nuclear material to the United States had not even been raised during negotiations.
Another Iranian source dismissed Trump’s remarks as “another lie,” while emphasising that discussions remain incomplete. The source added that any continuation of talks would hinge on Washington meeting specific Iranian conditions, which have not been publicly outlined.
Trump Insists Deal Is Near
Despite the pushback, Trump has maintained that negotiations are progressing positively. He told reporters that the two sides were “very close” to reaching a peace agreement and described the alleged uranium transfer as a key breakthrough.
The US President reiterated that any deal must permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, ruling out temporary arrangements. At the same time, he suggested that Tehran’s stance had softened in recent weeks following heightened military tensions.
His comments came after a meeting in Tehran involving Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir and Ghalibaf, who had led Iran’s delegation in earlier rounds of talks that concluded without an agreement.
Talks Remain Unresolved
Iranian sources, however, have insisted that negotiations remain far from a final resolution. They stressed that no meaningful progress has been achieved on key issues, particularly regarding nuclear material and long-term commitments.
Officials in Tehran indicated that any forward movement would depend strictly on US compliance with Iran—conditions that remain undisclosed. The divergence between public statements from Washington and Tehran highlights the fragile state of the negotiations, even as diplomatic efforts continue behind closed doors.
