President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to slam what he called a “fake” Axios story about him offering up sanctions relief and currently frozen funds to Iran in exchange for promises on their nuclear program.
“Axios just released a story that ‘Trump’ offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX, used only for purposes of satisfying their Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump wrote.
Trump called on the outlet to “IMMEDIATELY” withdraw the story.
The piece claimed that Trump was willing to alleviate those points of economic pressure in exchange for Iran making concessions to its nuclear development. The article came at a time when there has been speculation about where the process of peace-making stands between the two countries and what options are on the table for each party following Trump’s denial of an Iran-proposed ceasefire deal this weekend.
Trump confirmed over the weekend that he rejected an Iranian peace proposal, calling the suggested agreement unacceptable.
“We’re winning tremendously,” Trump said on Saturday. “We have total control of the Hormuz Strait. Massive amounts of oil are coming out of the Hormuz Strait. Last night, we had 29 ships come out. They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal too, but I’m not — that deal would not be acceptable.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Iran’s proposed peace deal exchanged a suspension of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz for Iran agreeing to reopen the rest of the strait and resume talks over its nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sounded off on Trump’s rejection of their peace proposal on Sunday, saying it is “up to President Trump to choose” between diplomacy and the continuation of war.
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war,” Araghchi said.
Trump’s Truth Social post railing against Axios’s reporting also comes as his latest sparring with White House media, following his ban on Politico, MS Now, and CNN from the White House last week. Trump had announced the ban on the three outlets through Truth Social.
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After U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, temporarily ruled against Trump’s ban on the three media outlets last Thursday, the Trump administration allowed the media back on the White House premises. The White House press pool also resumed coverage of Trump on Friday following a brief hiatus imposed in solidarity with the three banned outlets.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Axios for comment.