Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei Poto, courtesy of MEHR
Washington and Tehran have been at war since February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, killing at least 200 Iranians, including 150 children, on the first day of the war, though months of on-off diplomacy have led to periods of relative calm.
US President Donald Trump last week threatened to hit Iran "very hard", with the US leader reportedly considering renewed attacks including against energy infrastructure.
But the American president pulled back from that threat Saturday, saying the "perimeters" of a deal were there.
Iran's foreign ministry however denied there were currently negotiations taking place.
"We are not currently negotiating with the United States. Our negotiations are with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei during a weekly press briefing.
Baqaei described the talks with Oman, which sits on the other side of the narrow waterway, as "constructive", saying they were aimed at reaching an agreement on a new route.
"We hope that both regional and extra-regional actors will appreciate this responsible move by Iran and adopt a constructive approach," he added.
He maintained Iran's position that as long as a US naval blockade on Iranian ports continues, "the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain unchanged".
The Hormuz shipping route is a major sticking point in efforts to end the war.
Before the war, there was free passage for all vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran closed the strait in retaliation for the US-Israeli attacks.
On Sunday, Baqaei told state television that a deal was close on managing Hormuz together with Oman
"We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides -- neither the northern route nor the southern route -- but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security," he said.
It begins tomorrow?
On Sunday, a tanker off the coast of Oman reported hearing an explosion nearby, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported, but the ship and crew were all reported safe.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the new talks with Iran would cover Hormuz and ultimately the denuclearisation of Iran.
The US president said at the start of the conflict that the war was necessary to deal with Iran's nuclear programme. Western nations accuse Iran of seeking a bomb, though Tehran insists the programme is entirely civilian in nature.
"Now what we're doing is we're talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, without providing details of the venue or participants.
The president said he had been asked by Iran as well as US partners Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to hold off on further strikes, which he claimed would have been "the biggest attack since World War II".
Iranian media denied that Tehran had asked Trump not to strike.
Trump has repeatedly claimed a settlement to end the war is near, only for fighting to resume. He has previously issued apocalyptic warnings to Tehran, only to later backtrack by saying diplomacy was underway.
A previous ceasefire deal between the foes fell through last month. It was supposed to open the Strait of Hormuz to ships carrying vital energy exports from the Gulf to feed the global economy.
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the parliament's national security commission, said on Sunday that mediators were trying to revive the US-Iran memorandum of understanding that was agreed in June.
That agreement was not intended as a final peace deal, but as a stepping stone to negotiations on a comprehensive agreement, though it did include provisions on Hormuz.
"They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views," Ghashghavi said.
Posting on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said: "We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed."
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