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Iran said Monday it has not held any direct negotiations with the United States, saying recent contacts were limited to messages conveyed through intermediaries.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said messages were passed through mediators indicating Washington’s desire to negotiate, but no direct talks had taken place.
“First, we have not conducted any direct negotiations with the United States so far. What has been discussed were messages we received through mediators indicating the United States’ desire to negotiate,” Baqaei said in statements carried by the Tasnim news agency.
He also questioned the credibility of U.S. claims about diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran.
“I do not know how many people in the United States take American diplomacy claims seriously. Our mission is clear, unlike the other side, which constantly changes its position.”
Baqaei said Iran had maintained a consistent stance from the outset and was fully aware of the framework guiding its approach, describing proposals received as “excessive and unrealistic.”
The spokesman said meetings hosted by Pakistan were organized “independently” and that Iran did not participate in them.
“It is good that countries in the region are interested in ending the war, but they must clearly understand who started it,” he said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Sunday that Islamabad would be “honored” to host talks between the United States and Iran as part of broader mediation efforts. Pakistan also hosted a quadrilateral foreign ministers’ meeting as part of those efforts.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday encouraged diplomatic initiatives, saying intermediaries including Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt were involved in indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran.
Despite the escalation, Trump said indirect talks with Iran via Pakistani “emissaries” were progressing, adding: “A deal could be made fairly quickly.”
Regional escalation has continued since Israel and the United States launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
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