DNA

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday denied a report by the news outlet Axios that he offered Iran sanctions relief and the release of frozen funds, as the Mideast war drags on.

“Axios just released a story that ‘Trump’ offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING!,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

The Axios story reported that Trump “is willing to give Iran sanctions relief and release Iranian frozen funds in return for concrete Iranian steps regarding the nuclear program.” It quoted unnamed US officials.

The 80-year-old Republican called the story “a HOAX” and said the news site should withdraw it.

The reaction comes as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was slated to meet with Qatari mediators Monday in New York.

US and Iranian officials met last week in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The state news agency IRNA reported Monday that Tehran had no more direct talks scheduled with Washington.

On Saturday, Trump publicly rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, Trump told Axios he expected talks to resume in coming days.

The strategic Strait of Hormuz lies at the heart of the conflict. The narrow waterway normally carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied gas.

The route has been effectively blockaded by Tehran since the war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Prices for gas and other products in the US have risen dramatically since the war began, as Trump faces dwindling popularity in national polls and his party worries about losing their majority in Congress in midterm elections come November.