Iran Denies Ongoing Talks with the United States

Iran has stated that it is not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States and that any future talks will depend on a change in Washington’s attitude. During a press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denied reports that Tehran had requested negotiations with the US. ‘That is not in line with our principles. The claim that Iran requested negotiations is merely a report,’ Baqaei said, as quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency. He said Iran has consistently viewed diplomacy as a tool to protect its national interests. ‘We have never hesitated to use diplomatic instruments to protect national interests. We view diplomacy as a means to protect Iran’s national interests,’ he stated. While acknowledging that mediators may convey messages between the two parties, Baqaei said that currently, Iran is not conducting any negotiations with the American side. When asked about Iran’s conditions for starting negotiations, Baqaei said the US must first demonstrate more responsible behaviour. ‘The United States must learn how to act like a responsible government,’ he said. He also accused Washington of acting ‘like a mafia group’ over the past one to two years by ignoring international law. ‘As long as this behaviour continues, we cannot hope for the creation of a conducive public atmosphere,’ he added. On Sunday, Iranian military spokesman Amir Mohammad Akraminia said the US had halted its attacks for the previous two days and that ‘Iran’s retaliatory operations have also stopped.’ According to an Axios report on Saturday, US President Donald Trump ordered the US military not to launch new attacks on Iran, ending nearly two weeks of daily strikes. Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent weeks, with Washington launching attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting what it called US military facilities and equipment in several countries in the region.