United States President Donald Trump said that Washington has consented to a request from Iran to continue negotiations, as war between the two countries continues.

Still, in a social media post on Friday, he reiterated his view that the June 17 ceasefire has ended.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

“We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”

Hours later, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman denied new negotiations had been requested with the US, saying only that it had accepted a visit by a Qatari delegation seeking to find a way through the impasse, Iranian state television reported.

The two sides have repeatedly offered different accounts of their dealings throughout the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28 .

Iran’s lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also appeared to signal on Friday that officials were still willing to take the diplomatic route.

“At any moment the Americans betray the understanding, we are ready for full-scale defence and will stand firm against them and defend the rights of the Iranian people.”

“Ending the war is a priority for the countries of the world, but everyone should know that this conflict will never end with Iran’s surrender,” he added.

Wave of attacks
Trump’s latest statement comes as both sides have traded two days of attacks over the passage of commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

In late June, the US and Iran similarly exchanged strikes, after Trump accused the Iranian government of violating the ceasefire by launching drones against container ships.

Since Tuesday, the US has had about 170 targets in Iran, according to US Central Command, the military branch that oversees operations in the Middle East. Iran retaliated by targeting US assets across the region.