‘Offered Them NOTHING’: Trump Dismisses ‘Hoax’ Report on Sanctions Relief for Iran

Trump denies offering Iran sanctions relief, calls report a ‘HOAX’

Washington: US President Donald Trump has strongly denied a report that his administration was willing to offer Iran sanctions relief and release frozen Iranian funds in exchange for concessions on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Trump responded on his social media platform, Truth Social, shortly after Axios published a report citing unnamed US officials. The president wrote that the claim was “untrue” and declared: “I offered them NOTHING!” He also described the report as a “HOAX” and called for its withdrawal.

What the Axios report claimed

According to Axios, US officials said Trump was willing to provide economic sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian funds if Tehran took “concrete” steps concerning its nuclear programme.

The report did not identify the officials who provided the information. CNN separately reported, also citing an unidentified US official, that sanctions relief and frozen funds were being considered as part of a possible final agreement if Iran demonstrated concrete progress on the nuclear issue.

Trump's public denial directly contradicts those reports.

US-Iran talks continue through mediators

The dispute over the reported offer comes as diplomatic efforts continue to find a way out of the conflict between Washington and Tehran.

US and Iranian officials held separate contacts with Qatari mediators as part of renewed efforts to end the fighting. Iran has indicated that it is prepared to discuss its nuclear programme and other issues, but President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran would not accept what he described as bullying or coercion.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also said that diplomacy is the route to resolving the crisis. Tehran has linked any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to conditions including a negotiated settlement.

Trump says Iran has been offered nothing

Trump's latest statement makes clear that he does not publicly acknowledge making the reported sanctions-relief proposal.

The president has repeatedly said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is among the central objectives of the US campaign. Iran, meanwhile, says it does not seek nuclear weapons and maintains that it has a right to peaceful nuclear technology.

The conflicting accounts leave uncertainty over what, if any, specific US proposals have been communicated privately through mediators.

Why sanctions relief matters

Sanctions have been a major component of US pressure on Iran, while access to frozen Iranian assets could provide Tehran with significant economic relief.

Any agreement involving sanctions would therefore represent a major element of a potential US-Iran settlement. But Trump's latest public remarks indicate that he rejects the characterization that Washington has already offered such concessions.

The diplomatic effort remains fluid, with both sides communicating through intermediaries while publicly maintaining sharply different positions.