Iran rules out direct talks with US during Araghchi’s visit

Iran has ruled out any planned meeting with the United States during an ongoing diplomatic visit of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Islamabad, according to officials. In a statement posted on Saturday on X, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed the arrival of a delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the Pakistani capital. He emphasised that the visit does not include talks with US representatives. Baghaei said the delegation would instead focus on conveying ‘Iran’s observations to Pakistani officials’. Araghchi is expected to hold meetings with senior Pakistani leadership as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at easing regional tensions and addressing an “American-imposed war of aggression. ” Earlier, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency dismissed a CNN report claiming a possible meeting between Iranian and US officials in Islamabad. The report had claimed that US President Donald Trump would send his special envoy Steve Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, for negotiations with the Iranian delegation. Rejecting the claims, Tasnim stated that no negotiations with the United States are currently on the agenda and that Araghchi’s visit is strictly focused on bilateral and regional consultations with Pakistan. The agency added that discussions would centre on Iran’s stance regarding ‘an unprovoked aggression against the country’. Tasnim also accused US officials and media of spreading “fabricated narratives” about renewed negotiations over the past several days, citing repeated unverified reports. It pointed to claims involving US Vice President JD Vance travelling for talks, which it said never materialised. Araghchi is scheduled to continue his regional tour with visits to Muscat and Moscow following his stop in Islamabad. Iran and the United States previously held a round of talks in Islamabad earlier this month, but no agreement was reached. The discussions stalled amid what Tehran described as Washington’s “maximalist demands. ” Iran has since maintained that it will not resume negotiations unless the United States lifts what it calls an illegal blockade on Iranian vessels and ports. Tehran has also reiterated that it will keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed to traffic as long as the blockade remains in place.

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