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U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington remains engaged in "deep talks" with Tehran but is also prepared to restart military operations if negotiations stall.
"If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," Trump told Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
He said the diplomatic window was narrow, adding that the process must move forward rapidly "or not at all."
Trump said he paused strikes Friday after appeals from regional mediators.
"All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: 'Don't fire,'" Trump said, adding that there was "nothing gained, nothing lost by granting the request."
His remarks came ahead of his scheduled meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, citing threats and concerns over Tehran's nuclear program.
Pakistan mediated a cease-fire in April, and Tehran and Washington later signed a memorandum of understanding in June to allow for further negotiations and end the war permanently.
But tensions flared earlier this month over disagreements on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively blocked during the conflict.
Iran said Monday that it is not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States and that any future talks would depend on Washington changing its conduct.
Addressing a news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed reports that Tehran had sought negotiations with Washington.
"That does not accord with our principles. Claims that Iran has requested negotiations are merely reports," Baqaei said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
He said Iran has consistently viewed diplomacy as a tool for safeguarding its interests.
"We have never hesitated to use diplomatic tools to protect our national interests. We consider diplomacy a means of protecting Iran's national interests," he said.
While acknowledging that mediators may be conveying messages between the two sides, Baqaei said: "At the present time, we are not conducting any negotiations with the American side."
Asked about Iran's conditions for starting negotiations, Baqaei said the United States "must first demonstrate more responsible behavior."
"The United States must learn how to behave like a responsible government," he said.
He accused Washington of acting "like a mafia gang" over the past one to two years by disregarding international law.
"As long as this behavior continues, we cannot hope to create a favorable public atmosphere," he added.
On Sunday, Iranian military spokesperson Amir Mohammad Akraminia said the United States had halted its attacks over the previous two days and that Iran's "counter-operations" had also stopped.
Axios reported Saturday that Trump had directed the U.S. military not to launch new strikes on Iran, ending nearly two weeks of daily attacks.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Washington carrying out attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting what it said were U.S. military facilities and equipment in countries across the region.
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