Iranian top diplomat: US talks show no tangible progress

On June 3, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the ongoing regional conflict have yielded no tangible progress.

Speaking to the Tasnim news agency, Araghchi said communication channels between Tehran and Washington remain open, with both sides continuing to exchange messages concerning the need to halt strikes on Beirut.

Despite the ongoing contacts, the Iranian foreign minister said the diplomatic process has yet to produce concrete results.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that negotiations with Iran could produce a breakthrough "over the weekend," despite Tehran saying no meaningful progress has been achieved.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said, "I hear the negotiation itself is going very well actually. It could happen...over the weekend."

Trump also said he wanted to separate discussions on Lebanon from broader U.S.-Iran talks, stating: "I'd like to separate it, I'd like to have a separate thing, because it is, it is separate."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles remained at the centre of negotiations, while Washington continued to push for limits on Tehran's nuclear activities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said communication channels with Washington remained open but stressed that "no tangible progress has been made in the negotiation process."

Araghchi also warned against any Israeli strike on Beirut, saying: "Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full-scale resumption of the war." He added, "Our armed forces are ready to strike Israel if it attacks Beirut."

By Aghakazim Guliyev