WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 -- The gap between what Donald Trump says is happening and what is actually happening on the Iran diplomatic front widened on Monday to the point where both governments were publicly contradicting each other, and US officials were quietly correcting their own president.

Trump posted on Truth Social that Washington was in talks with Tehran. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the opposite: "We are not negotiating with the United States at this time." Then US officials told CBS News there are no new negotiations planned - only the ongoing track involving special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and their Iranian counterparts through intermediaries.

The clarification satisfies no one. A track involvi...