President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is in contact with Iranian officials and sees a real chance for a deal to end the war. He also said he was delaying a threatened strike on Iran’s power plants for five days after what he described as productive weekend discussions. Iran qui ckly rejected that account. Officials in Tehran said there had been no negotiations with Washington and argued the message was aimed at easing pressure in global energy markets while giving the U.S. more room to prepare militarily. The dispute comes at a tense moment in the conflict. Fighting has already disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil, and the uncertainty helped drive market swings. Trump has said his goals include weakening Iran’s military capabilities, protecting the waterway, and stopping the country from developing nuclear weapons. Those goals remain unresolved. Analysts note that Iran still can threaten regional targets, and questions remain about the status of enriched uranium believed to be buried at damaged nuclear sites. At the same time, more U.S. troops are being sent to the region as pressure continues to build. ...read more read less