US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Washington and Tehran had held 'very good and productive' discussions over the past two days, but did not name the Iranian official involved in the talks.
However, a report in The Jerusalem Post, citing sources, claimed that Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf was leading the talks on behalf of Iran. Ghalibaf swiftly rejected the claim, saying, 'There have been no negotiations with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.'
Ghalibaf is one of Iran's most prominent political figures, with a career spanning military, security and political roles. A former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he has also served as Tehran's mayor, national police chief and a presidential candidate.
The current escalation traces back to the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28. Iran retaliated by targeting US and Israeli assets across the Gulf, disrupting key shipping routes and rattling global energy markets.
