Chaos erupts as Trump’s bold Iran claims send markets reeling, only for a Senator to destroy his entire narrative as a ‘lie’

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) directly accused President Trump of “lying” about ongoing talks with Iranian officials, as reported by The Hill. This strong statement comes after a tumultuous day where Trump’s claims of progress in the conflict sent financial markets into a frenzy, only to be contradicted by key figures.

Earlier, President Trump had announced a five-day halt to U.S. strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. He framed this pause as a result of “very good” and “productive conversations” aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with Iran. The president also stated that his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had engaged with their Iranian counterparts.

When pressed for names, Trump declined to identify the Iranian officials, saying he wanted to protect them from potential harm. He also mentioned that he believes he’s “dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader,” though he confirmed he hasn’t spoken directly with the new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father on March 8 and hasn’t been seen publicly since.

This direct denial from an alleged Iranian contact throws a huge wrench into President Trump’s narrative

Interestingly, reports have now surfaced, citing an Israeli official, that Witkoff and Kushner had been in contact with Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament. However, Ghalibaf himself swiftly denied any such negotiations. Taking to X, he wrote that “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”

The initial announcement from the president had quite the impact on markets. Oil prices saw a dip, and stocks surged, reacting positively to the perceived de-escalation. But Senator Van Hollen quickly dismissed the president’s claims. “We know he’s lying when he says that the Iranians are talking with us and they’re about to give Donald Trump everything he wants. Yes, that’s a lie,” Van Hollen told Kasie Hunt. He further warned that oil and gas prices would inevitably climb unless President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bring an end to the current conflict.

Van Hollen also took issue with President Trump’s earlier threats to target Iran’s power grid. The Maryland Democrat labeled this a potential “war crime,” expressing hope that President Trump would back off from such a drastic measure once the five-day halt concludes.

Van Hollen explained that international law sets very narrow circumstances for targeting infrastructure for military purposes. He pointed out that President Trump’s statement, “Here, unless you open the Strait of Hormuz, we’re going to blow up all your civilian infrastructure,” would clearly violate international law.

The senator emphasized that if individuals commit war crimes, there needs to be systems in place to hold them accountable. When asked about how President Trump could be held responsible, Van Hollen suggested that after he leaves office, he “could still be vulnerable to accountability through the courts and obviously there are international tribunals as well.” He concluded by noting, “Hopefully, Kasie, we won’t get to that point.”