ISTANBUL

Iran denied reports that it had contacted the US in recent days, calling the claims “completely false,” an informed Iranian source told the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The source said reports by Axios about communications between the two sides were “incorrect and unrealistic,” describing the outlet as known for publishing “fake news” about Iran-US relations.

The source added that as military and economic pressure grows on US President Donald Trump, Washington is sending “signals of negotiations” in the political arena to influence global energy markets.

US military operations and destruction targeting Iranian citizens “have not decreased but are increasing,” the source said.

Iran has “no trust” in Trump’s promises, the source added, saying the US leader had “at least twice disrupted progressing negotiations with similar claims and attacked Iran.”

The source also said no agreement would be acceptable if it fails to secure the “long-term national security interests” of Iran and its regional partners.

The regional situation “will certainly not return to what it was before the war,” the source added.

Regional escalation has raged since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”