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 press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed reports that Tehran had sought negotiations with the US. “That does not accord with our principles.
Claims that Iran has requested negotiations are merely reports,” Baghaei said in his comments carried by 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, Baghaei said: “At the present time, we are not conducting any negotiations with the American side.” Read: Pakistan, Iran explore path towards new talks with US in a China-initiated push, sources say Asked about Iran's conditions for starting negotiations, Baghaei said the US “must first demonstrate more responsible behaviour.” “The United States must learn how to behave like a responsible government,” he said, accusing Washington of acting “like a mafia gang” over the past one to two years by disregarding international law. “As long as this behaviour continues, we cannot hope to create a favourable public atmosphere,” he added.
On Sunday, Iranian military spokesperson Amir Mohammad Akraminia said the US had halted its attacks over the previous two days and that Iran's "counter-operations" had also stopped. According to an Axios report on Saturday, US President Donald Trump had directed the US military not to launch new strikes on Iran, ending nearly two weeks of daily attacks. Tensions between the US and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Washington carrying out attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting what it said were US military facilities and equipment in countries across the region.
Trump launched his renewed bombing campaign to punish Iran after Tehran fired on ships using a route through the Strait of Hormuz that has been promoted by the US, which has told vessels to sail close to the coast of Oman. Iran says ships may pass only through a channel that runs closer to its own coast, which it controls and where it intends to …
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