Iran denied that nuclear talks with the US are scheduled to resume, diminishing prospects for diplomacy after President Donald Trump suggested a deal could come as early as next week.
“I say explicitly that no agreement, arrangement or discussion has taken place regarding the initiation of new negotiations,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with state TV late Thursday. “Some of the speculation about the resumption of negotiations should not be taken seriously.”
Trump had said on Wednesday that the two sides would talk next week and “may” sign an agreement. That would have been their first such meeting since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel – in which the US also intervened – derailed a diplomatic push to resolve tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
While some Iranian officials including the president have indicated a readiness for talks, they face resistance from others who are especially opposed to engagement in the wake of the conflict.
Araghchi also rebuffed a request by the UN nuclear inspectors to assess the extent of the damage at nuclear facilities bombed by the US and Israel, which he described as “considerable and serious.”
Iran doesn’t “currently” intend to host International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, he said.
The Islamic Republic suspended cooperation with the IAEA on Thursday, after officials criticized the agency for giving Israel a pretext to launch its attacks.
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