Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi officially stated on Saturday morning that the Islamic Republic has not yet made a decision to resume negotiations with the United States. The diplomat stressed that the existing channels of communication through third parties do not constitute a real diplomatic process, the Russian publication reports. data-sfc-cp="" data-sfc-root="ep" jsaction="" jscontroller="tP2kf#s32ZS" jsuid="uQlSMe_v">„Kommersant“, citing the Iranian news agency ISNA.
The statement by the Iranian top diplomat comes in response to comments from Washington. Previously, the US President Donald Trump noted to the media platform Axios that the US is holding talks with Tehran in a “low-key format“. However, Aragchi was adamant that the existing channels of communication are no longer effective. According to him, countries such as Qatar and Pakistan are acting only as intermediaries for the exchange of messages, which should not be confused with official negotiations. The information was also confirmed by publications in the international news channel CNN.
Parallel to this, the tension between the two sides on the axis for control over Strait of Hormuz remains critical. Tehran insists that the resumption of any dialogue is impossible until the US fulfills its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum and compensates Iran for the damage caused, the Azerbaijani agency Armiya.az reports. According to a statement by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi to “Ukrainska Pravda“, Iran will not bow to American threats and the shipping regime in the strait will be determined solely by Tehran. Currently, the Iranian authorities are developing a new, temporary technical route for the passage of ships in cooperation with Oman, the APA agency specifies.