OMM Newsroom
Iran is not holding negotiations with the United States and has no plans for a meeting in Qatar, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Tuesday, rejecting US claims of ongoing diplomatic contacts.
Rezaei called claims of continued negotiations or a planned Qatar meeting “complete lies”, according to Anadolu Agency, citing the semi-official Tasnim news agency. In a television interview, he accused Washington of making the claims to ease economic pressure and push down oil prices.
“I emphasize that we are not currently conducting any negotiations with the Americans, and there are no negotiations between us and Washington at present,” he said.
Rezaei said Iran had put forward seven conditions that Tehran considers the legitimate rights of its people. He said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until all seven were fully implemented.
“We have communicated our conditions to the American side, but their initial response was insufficient and deceptive, and we are still awaiting an explicit and clear response,” Rezaei said.
He also denied reports of a planned meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, calling them baseless. Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi likewise rejected reports of a planned meeting between Rezaei and Vance, saying Tehran’s two-day proposal remained on the table.
US says diplomatic breakthrough remains uncertain
The statements came a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a diplomatic agreement with Iran might not be possible, describing Tehran’s demands as “outrageous and ridiculous”.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris, Rubio said several countries were continuing to engage Iran with proposals, but Washington was not close to a breakthrough. He said President Donald Trump preferred diplomatic solutions while acknowledging that an agreement might not be achievable.
On Tuesday, Rubio said Washington saw no need to resume major combat operations against Iran, arguing that economic pressure was achieving its objectives. He said the United States would continue its economic campaign against Tehran and warned that American forces remained ready to respond if Iran crossed Washington’s “red lines”.
Separately, Qatar said on Tuesday it had received positive responses from Washington and Tehran on its ongoing mediation efforts, while acknowledging uncertainty about the prospects for an agreement.
The United States and Israel launched a military offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. A ceasefire followed in April, and Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum in June aimed at reaching a peace agreement. Negotiations have yet to produce a final settlement.
