Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
President Donald Trump on Monday, September 28, 2026, categorically denied a report by the news outlet Axios that his administration had offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for concrete steps on its nuclear programme, calling the story "untrue" and a "HOAX" in a post on his Truth Social platform. "Axios just released a story that 'Trump' offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING!" Trump wrote, adding that the news outlet should "withdraw this fake story, IMMEDIATELY". The denial came as US and Iranian officials spoke separately with Qatari mediators on Monday as part of a renewed effort to end seven months of war, according to a report by the Times of Israel.
The Axios report, which cited unnamed US officials, claimed that Trump was willing to provide sanctions relief and release frozen Iranian funds in return for concrete Iranian steps regarding its nuclear programme. The story was published in English by Axios and in Hebrew by Israel's Channel 12 news. Trump's reaction was swift and unsparing. He called the report "a HOAX, used only for purposes of satisfying their Trump Derangement Syndrome," a phrase he has used repeatedly to dismiss critical coverage. The White House did not provide further clarification on the specifics of the report or the nature of the negotiations that were allegedly under discussion.
The denial came after Trump rejected an Iran-proposed ceasefire deal over the weekend. Iran's proposed peace deal demanded a suspension of the US blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Iran reopening the rest of the strait and resuming talks over its nuclear programme, according to local media reports cited by China Daily. In response to Trump's rejection of its peace proposal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that it was "up to President Trump to choose" between diplomacy and continuing the war. "We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war," Araghchi said. The bellicose language underscored the high stakes of the diplomatic impasse, with both sides positioning themselves for either a negotiated settlement or a further escalation of hostilities.
The broader context of the negotiations is a seven-month war that has destabilised the Middle East and disrupted global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that normally carries a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied gas, has been effectively blockaded. Iran's seven-day plan, presented last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, envisages an end to all hostilities in Iran and Lebanon, the unfreezing of billions of dollars' worth of Iranian assets, an end to sanctions on Iranian oil, and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports. In return, Iran would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the two sides would resume talks on Iran's nuclear programme and Trump's stated wish to seize or eliminate its highly enriched uranium. The plan, which was presented to mediators but not formally conveyed to the US, according to Araghchi, represents the most detailed outline of Iran's terms for de-escalation since the conflict began.
Trump's public rejection of the proposal on Saturday, followed by his denial of the Axios report on Monday, has created a confusing and contradictory picture of the state of negotiations. On the one hand, Trump told Axios on Sunday that he expected US negotiators to engage in further talks this week. On the other hand, his Truth Social post on Monday suggested that no concessions had been offered and that the US position remained unchanged. The discrepancy may reflect a deliberate strategy of ambiguity, designed to keep Iran and the mediators guessing about Washington's true intentions. Alternatively, it may indicate a genuine disconnect between the President's public statements and the discussions being held by his negotiators. The White House has not clarified which interpretation is correct.
The diplomatic manoeuvring is further complicated by the involvement of multiple mediators. Qatari officials have been shuttling between the two sides, and US officials spoke with mediators on Monday, according to Trump, who briefed reporters at the White House without providing further details. Iran's Foreign Minister remained in New York after attending the General Assembly, indicating that the diplomatic track remains active even as the military situation on the ground remains volatile. Araghchi said Iran expected to receive the US response to its latest ceasefire proposals and its conditions for restoring passage of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. "If the Americans claim they are seeking an agreement or a peaceful solution, we have presented that solution," he said. "Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met."
For now, the situation remains fluid. Trump has denied offering sanctions relief and frozen funds, but the Axios report, if accurate, suggests that his administration is prepared to make significant concessions if Iran takes concrete steps on its nuclear programme. The denial may be an attempt to preserve negotiating leverage, to avoid appearing weak in the eyes of domestic critics, or to signal to Iran that it must offer more before the US puts anything on the table. What is clear is that the war continues, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz persists, and the diplomatic track, though active, has yet to produce a breakthrough. The coming days will reveal whether Trump's denial was a negotiating tactic or a definitive rejection of the terms that Iran has proposed. Either way, the stakes could not be higher, for the region and for the global economy.
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