Iran rejects mediation, ambassador insists it will not negotiate with the United States

The Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, reaffirmed Tehran’s refusal to engage in mediation offers from several countries aimed at easing the escalation of the Middle East conflict because Iran will not negotiate with the United States. He made the remarks at his residence in Jakarta on Thursday, referring to Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry statement that Jakarta is prepared to facilitate dialogue to restore security and calm, and to President Prabowo Subianto’s willingness to act as mediator. ‘We have no negotiations of any kind with our enemies, because we no longer trust what is called negotiation,’ the ambassador said. He emphasised that Iran has held negotiations with the United States three times, all of which ended with Washington violating the agreements or launching attacks. He outlined that the first negotiation related to nuclear issues that led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme reached in 2015 between Iran and major world powers. The US later pulled out of the agreement. ‘The second negotiation was five rounds; during the talks they attacked our country in the middle of the negotiations,’ he said, referring to the June 2025 attack. As for the third negotiation, Iran and the US had been conducting it with Oman as mediator. Delegations from Iran and the United States were conducting an indirect third round in Geneva, Switzerland, before the US-Iran military operation escalated. Referring to the negotiations that ended prematurely, the envoy stressed that this time Iran will not open space for negotiations and will pursue victory. ‘This concerns a commitment to negotiations and guarantees that negotiations will continue until a result is achieved. For now, we will not accept any form of negotiation and we will pursue this war until Iran’s victory,’ he said. In addition to Indonesia, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed readiness to act as mediator. According to the Kremlin, Putin offered to act as an intermediary by conveying UAE’s concerns about the attack to Iran. The Russian leader made the offer during a telephone call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.