Tehran accused Washington of disrupting the peace talks

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has denied US President Donald Trump's claim that the country's leadership had approved a preliminary peace deal.

The remarks came after Trump said on Thursday that a settlement could be signed as early as this weekend, likely in Europe, and that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had approved the terms. The president said he had called off "scheduled" strikes on Iran after two consecutive days of bombardment, which marked the biggest escalation since a truce was announced in April.

Speaking to Iranian media on Thursday, Baghaei described recent reports as "speculation," adding that "the relevant authorities must review every detail of the text."

"The text has almost been finalized in its major parts. The problem is that the contradictory positions of the United States have always caused turbulence and disruption in this process," Baghaei said. He stressed that Iran would not compromise on "its red lines."

The agreement discussed by negotiators would reportedly extend the truce, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and outline a framework for further talks on Iran's nuclear program. Tehran has repeatedly rejected Trump's demand that it hand over its enriched uranium stockpile and has insisted that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

This week's resumption of hostilities triggered another spike in global oil prices as the US continues to grapple with high inflation and the war with Iran remains unpopular with the American public. Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that his team was close to reaching a deal with the Iranians, but no breakthrough materialized.

Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned on Thursday that Washington's "wrong strategies and impulsive decisions" were creating "an endless quagmire" in the region.

(RT.com)