Iran-US war latest: Trump denies offering Tehran sanctions relief to rein in its nuclear programme

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Close Trump says US will win Iran conflict ‘very soon’ On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump has rejected reports that Washington had offered Tehran sanctions relief. Trump dismissed reports that his administration had offered Iran access to frozen funds or sanctions concessions in exchange for nuclear commitments. Both Axios and CNN cited US officials as saying the Trump administration was preparing to offer sanctions relief in exchange for “concrete” steps to rein in Iran’s nuclear programme. “This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump did confirm on Monday that US officials had spoken with mediators in New York , as he insisted the US will win its war in Iran “very soon”. Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office , the US president promised the price of gas would come tumbling down after the war, adding he believed it would be over “quickly”. “We’re going to ‌win, as far ‌as I’m concerned, it’s going to be ⁠one way or the other,” Mr Trump said. “It’s going to go pretty quickly.” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was prepared for a “doomsday” war with the US , while at the same time keeping channels for diplomacy open. 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Here’s why Trump and Rubio don’t know as much as they think they do Key Points Explosions head 'likely warning shots' at vessels in Strait of Hormuz UK releases suspects as Iran denies role in RAF Fairford Trump denies sanctions relief for Iran Iranian president’s defiant UN speech accuses US of ‘terrorism’ and flouting international law Gulf nations keep oil flowing despite Iran war as costs mount Analysis: Trump and Rubio don’t know as much as they think they do Trump and Rubio don’t know as much as they think they do Despite Andy Burnham’s recent charm offensive, America’s leaders will be among the last to know genuine secrets held by British intelligence because the White House is not trusted not to leak, explains world affairs editor Sam Kiley Adam Withnall 29 September 2026 09:37 Iranian court upholds sentence of 74 lashes against artist for performing without hijab An Iranian appeals court has upheld a sentence of 74 lashes against singer Parastoo Ahmadi for performing without the mandatory hijab, her lawyers said. Ahmadi, 29, performed in a sleeveless dress during a YouTube livestream in December 2024, prompting legal proceedings. A court in Qom convicted her and eight members of her team on charges including “offending public decency” through “obscene and indecent material”. Their appeal was “rejected” without a hearing, according to her lawyers. One lawyer said: “In our view, holding the concert was not a crime at all,” while Amnesty International warned that “flogging constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and violates the absolute prohibition on torture and other ill treatment”. Maroosha Muzaffar 29 September 2026 09:00 US and Iran separately talk with mediators in latest bid to end war US and Iranian officials held separate talks with mediators on Monday in a renewed effort to end the seven-month war. Further negotiations are expected to centre on an amended version of Iran’s seven-day proposal, which calls for an end to hostilities, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, sanctions relief and the lifting of the US blockade, in return for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said: “If the Americans claim they are seeking an agreement or a peaceful solution, we have presented that solution,” while adding that “our conditions are ⁠clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met”. Trump had rejected Iran’s proposal but said further talks could take place this week. Maroosha Muzaffar 29 September 2026 08:00 Senior Hamas commander killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City An Israeli airstrike has killed Izz al-Din Al-Beik, the head of Hamas’s armed wing in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. Israeli prime minister ⁠Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister ⁠Israel Katz ‌said the Israeli military had targeted and killed ‌Beik, who ‌they said has been involved in ⁠the planning of attacks and recruitment of militants. Medics and Hamas sources told Reuters that Beik was killed in an Israeli strike on an apartment building in Gaza City's Nasr neighbourhood around dawn on Tuesday. Adam Withnall 29 September 2026 07:41 Shipping through Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, data showed on Monday, following attacks on tankers as US-Iran talks aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict stalled. Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, while none were recorded on Sunday, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler. This compares with 31 vessels that crossed during the previous weekend. Despite those figures, US secretary of state Marco Rubio has claimed the Strait is largely open. Maroosha Muzaffar 29 September 2026 07:00 Rubio warns Iran with nuclear weapon would ‘blackmail the world’ US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz remains largely open, with oil flows close to pre-war levels apart from Iranian oil, but warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an “unacceptable risk”. He said Tehran could use nuclear weapons to “blackmail the world and to kill people”, potentially controlling the strait and energy supplies. Rubio also criticised Iran’s leadership, saying: “Who calls the shots in Iran are radical Shia clerics with an apocalyptic vision of the future. They believe that it is a religious calling to trigger about the last days of the world, the apocalypse.” He accused Iran of using money from sanctions relief and economic sales to build weapons and “export the revolution” rather than “improve the lives of the Iranian people” .“They use the money to fund Hezbollah, they use the money to fund Hamas, they use the money to fund Shia militias in Iraq… they use the money to sponsor terrorism and assassination plots,” he said. Maroosha Muzaffar 29 September 2026 06:00 UK releases suspects as Iran denies role in RAF Fairford Five British men in their early 20s have been released on bail after being arrested near RAF Fairford over suspected terrorism and explosives offences. British counterterrorism police said the investigation was ongoing and that they were examining possible links to Iran, Russia or non-state armed groups, including whether the suspects may have been acting as proxies for a foreign government. Police have not publicly tied Iran to the arrests.Iran has categorically denied any involvement, calling the allegations “unfounded and malicious”, according to a statement by Iran’s embassy in London. US president Donald Trump said the incident “might be” connected to Iran, while UK ministers warned of threats from Iran and its proxies. Maroosha Muzaffar 29 September 2026 05:00 Trump denies sanctions relief for Iran Donald Trump has rejected reports that Washington had offered Tehran sanctions relief. Trump dismissed reports that his administration had offered Iran access to frozen funds or sanctions concessions in exchange for nuclear commitments. “This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Meanwhile, Trump confirmed on Monday that US officials separately spoke with mediators, without giving further details. He also said: “We’re going to win, as far as I’m concerned, it’s going to be one way or the other. It’s going to go pretty quickly.” Maroosha Muzaffar 29 September 2026 03:57 Recap: Men arrested over RAF Fairford ‘bomb plot’ released on bail Five men arrested over a suspected bomb plot near an RAF base have been released on bail, the Metropolitan Police has said. The suspects, who are all British nationals aged in their twenties and from London, were arrested over potential terror offences in Whelford, Gloucestershire , in the early hours of Sunday. They were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of terrorism offences, after a villager dialled 999 when she saw three vans and a group of masked men near the base. You can read more below: Men arrested over RAF Fairford ‘bomb plot’ released on bail The suspects, who are all British nationals from London, will remain under police investigation Nicole Wootton-Cane 29 September 2026 03:00 Iranian state actors targeting UK dissidents, activists and journalists with spyware British intelligence has issued a warning after finding Iranian spies have targeted dissidents with spyware that can enable tracking of their movements. Dissidents, activists and journalists were targeted by state actors that impersonated their contacts on messaging apps to trick them into downloading spyware called Chosen Brick, the National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, warned. The malware gave agents access to the person’s contacts, emails and social media messages as well as a device’s microphone and content on the screen. You can read more below: Iranian state actors targeting dissidents and activists with spyware Iranian agents used social engineering tricks such as fake MRI test results to lure victims in, the NCSC said Nicole Wootton-Cane 29 September 2026 02:00 Newer 1 / 3 Older