Iran denies talks with US, says current calm is not a ceasefire

Iran has denied holding any negotiations with the United States at present, stressing that reports claiming it requested to resume talks are untrue. This comes as the exchange of attacks has remained halted for the third consecutive day.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei, speaking at his weekly press conference, said Tehran has not asked to resume talks with the United States. He described reports of direct negotiations in Pakistan or Doha as "fabricated news."

Baghaei emphasized that the current calm does not constitute a ceasefire, warning that any new US action would be met with a response. He added that while Iran has not rejected diplomacy to protect its national interests, it will not take any step that Washington could interpret as a retreat amid what he called "hostile acts and aggression" against Iran.

He noted that intermediaries may convey messages from the US regarding ongoing developments in the region, but this does not mean negotiations are taking place between the two countries. "At present, we are not holding any negotiations with the American side," he said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also defended the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, accusing the United States of violating it before navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz were finalized.

Baghaei's remarks come after three consecutive nights without US strikes on Iran, following 13 nights of continuous bombardment and Iranian responses targeting several sites in the region.