Iran rules out US talks as Tehran prepares for trilateral summit with Russia, China

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that a high-level trilateral meeting with Russia and China will be held in Tehran on July 22, to discuss the nuclear dossier and the snapback mechanism, amid escalating tensions with Western powers.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the Islamic Republic currently has “no plans to hold talks with the US in the current situation,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media. 

He also addressed questions about potential negotiations with the European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal — France, Germany and the United Kingdom — saying Iran remains open to diplomacy when necessary.

“As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is tasked with utilising diplomacy to defend the nation’s rights, we will employ this tool whenever we deem it necessary to secure the rights of people,” he said.

Dismissing claims by a former US Secretary of State that Iran had agreed to enrich uranium below one per cent, Baghaei called the allegation “completely untrue”, adding: “It should be seen and analyzed within the context of internal disputes and political debates in the United States. It’s part of the ongoing rivalry between the two main parties and should not be regarded as factual statements.”

Baghaei also commented on recent European proposals to delay the snapback of UN sanctions, confirming that Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi had sent a letter to the United Nations and Security Council members on the matter. He described the snapback mechanism as “meaningless, unjustifiable, unethical, and illegal,” and accused JCPOA signatories of lacking any legitimate basis for invoking it.

Iran and the European trio are set to meet in Istanbul on Friday, July 25, for deputy minister-level talks focused on nuclear issues.

Baghaei’s comments come amid heightened regional instability. Earlier this year, indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington — facilitated by Oman — were derailed when Israel launched a surprise military campaign on June 13, striking Iranian military, nuclear and residential sites for nearly two weeks.

The United States reportedly joined the offensive on June 22, carrying out airstrikes on three key nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.

Iran responded forcefully. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force launched 22 waves of retaliatory missile strikes under Operation True Promise III, targeting multiple cities across Israeli-controlled territories.

Iran also retaliated against the United States by firing a salvo of missiles at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military installation in the region.

A ceasefire declared on June 24, has since brought an end to the hostilities.

By Aghakazim Guliyev