The Iranian official news agency, IRNA, reported on Monday that there are no new talks scheduled between Iran and the United States, after US President Donald Trump hinted that they could resume quickly.
IRNA quoted a source close to the Iranian delegation present in New York as part of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, saying that this delegation “does not intend to hold negotiations with the United States.” On Sunday, Trump told Axios that he expected talks to resume with Iran next week, the day after he rejected Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
In a separate context, the American network NBC quoted three American government officials as saying that eight Marines were injured in an Iranian missile attack that targeted a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The three sources told the network that American soldiers were on board the ship at the time of the Iranian attack on September 14.
Officials did not specify the type of ship, but explained that it was not an American warship.
During the recent military confrontations between Iran and the United States, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) attributed part of the attacks to Iranian attempts to target American ships, although it confirmed that no American military ship was damaged as a result of those attempts.
A few days ago, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander claimed that Iranian military forces succeeded, for the first time, in detonating a projectile over an American ship.
Eight American soldiers were injured
The eight Marines, seven soldiers and one officer, were working as part of an infantry battalion combat team.
Their injuries ranged from smoke inhalation to possible traumatic brain injury; Some of them experienced symptoms associated with a concussion, including headaches.
None of the eight Marines' injuries were serious, and they all returned to duty shortly after the accident.
It appears that the US Department of Defense did not publicly announce the attack when it occurred on September 14, and US Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment when asked about the incident.
The names of the eight Marines were registered in the US Department of Defense's casualty database approximately 10 days after the attack.
US President Donald Trump said again that he expects the war with Iran to end “very soon,” and that oil prices will fall significantly afterward.
“I think what will happen is that we will win this war very soon, and once victory is achieved, oil prices will fall sharply back to pre-war levels,” Trump told Fox News on Sunday.
He added: "The essential point is that Iran will not possess nuclear weapons; this is the essence of the matter."
The US President continued his claims that the United States had “actually won” militarily, but stressed that military operations were still continuing.
“If you look at their economy, it has been destroyed,” he said. “They no longer have an economy, and their currency has become worthless, as they say.”
The US President also claimed that the inflation rate in Iran had reached about 300 percent, saying: “I heard the number 318 percent this morning.”
“Their money was lost, their economy collapsed, and their army vanished,” he concluded.
The US President has repeatedly claimed to have achieved a decisive military victory over Iran or to control and open the Strait of Hormuz.
However, data from databases tracking shipping movement around the world show a marked variation in the movement of commercial ships and oil tankers in the Persian Gulf between the periods before and after the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Reports issued by American intelligence and military sources that talk about the destruction of Iranian military power since the start of the American attacks do not exactly match what Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hagest said. Some of these sources estimated that “up to 50 percent of Iran’s missile and drone capabilities are still intact.”
Oil prices exceed $107 per barrel
