Iran has no plans for talks with US officials: Foreign minister

By Tolga Akbaba, Ahmet Kartal and Rania Abushamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that Tehran has no plans to hold talks with US officials, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise as unfounded.

Araghchi said Iran had carefully examined a message sent by US Vice President JD Vance to senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei and that the matter remained under review by the relevant authorities, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.

He stressed that no talks with US officials were planned and that claims to the contrary did not reflect the truth.

The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, previously reported that Vance had sent a message to Rezaei at President Donald Trump’s direction to revive peace talks.

Trump denied the report, saying Vance’s role was limited to helping provide medical supplies needed by Iran.

Araghchi’s remarks come amid mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran, with reports of progress in indirect talks in Doha.

The efforts seek understandings on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions and navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Israel began attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran retaliated by targeting Israel and US assets in the region before a ceasefire agreement was reached in April.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz on June 18, but its implementation stalled over disagreements concerning security in the strait.

Rania R.a. Abushamala