Trump denies offering Iran sanctions relief for nuclear concessions

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he has offered Iran nothing to end the ongoing war, pushing back on media reports claiming otherwise. Writing on Truth Social, he called the reports untrue.

Axios and CNN, citing unnamed US officials, had reported that Trump was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen Iranian funds as part of a final deal, conditioned on Iran demonstrating "concrete progress" on its nuclear program.

The denial came as Iran's Revolutionary Guards called Trump a "big liar," referencing his statements on nuclear weapons and other issues. A spokesperson, Hossein Mohebbi, said Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons and argued that the US issue with Iran is not really its nuclear program but its broader regional influence, which Washington wants to diminish.

Trump has repeatedly cited preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon as a central goal of the war, alongside ending Tehran's ability to strike its neighbors and creating conditions for Iranians to overthrow their government. Iran does not possess nuclear weapons and denies seeking them, while maintaining it has the right to a domestic civilian nuclear energy program.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation," said Tehran is ready to negotiate over its nuclear program and other matters but will not accept bullying or coercion. He said Iran is not seeking war but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks, adding that Iran had already agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.

On Monday, US and Iranian officials separately held talks with mediators as part of a renewed push to end the seven-month conflict.