Iran rejects direct talks with US but keeps door open for indirect dialogue

In a statement regarding the letter sent by US President Donald Trump, Iranian official Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran’s official response had been delivered through Oman to the American side.

Pezeshkian clarified that while Iran had explicitly rejected the prospect of direct negotiations with the United States, the possibility of indirect talks remained a viable option, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

"As we have stated before, Iran has never closed the channels of indirect communication. In its response, Iran reaffirmed that it does not avoid negotiations, but rather, it has just been the United States' repeated violations of agreements and commitments that have created obstacles in this path," Pezeshkian explained.

He further emphasized that for any potential negotiations to move forward, the United States would first need to rebuild trust by addressing and rectifying past breaches. Pezeshkian added, "It is the Americans' approach that determines the continuation of the negotiation path."

This latest development comes amid continued tensions between the US and Iran over the future of their nuclear agreement, with Iran stressing the importance of the US honoring past commitments before meaningful talks can resume.

On March 28, President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that "bad things can happen to Iran" if the Iranian authorities do not reach an agreement with the United States regarding the nuclear program. The US leader referenced a letter he had sent to Iranian officials, in which he emphasized that either Washington and Tehran would engage in discussions to address the issues at hand, or Iran would face severe consequences.

Trump's remarks followed his previous threats of "unprecedented bombings" against Iran should the situation fail to resolve diplomatically. The escalating rhetoric marks a continued intensification of tensions between the two nations over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

By Vafa Guliyeva