Iran Says No Agreement Reached to Restart US Nuclear Talks

Iran has denied reports that negotiations with the United States over its nuclear programme are set to resume, dampening expectations of renewed diplomacy following recent remarks from President Donald Trump suggesting a breakthrough could come as early as next week.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said late Thursday that no discussions had taken place about restarting talks and dismissed speculation as unfounded.

“I say explicitly that no agreement, arrangement or discussion has taken place regarding the initiation of new negotiations,” Araghchi told Iran’s state television. “Some of the speculation about the resumption of negotiations should not be taken seriously.”

President Trump had indicated on Wednesday that a potential meeting could be held next week, raising hopes that Washington and Tehran might revive dialogue that stalled after a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel derailed a fragile diplomatic push.

The US had intervened in the conflict by targeting Iranian nuclear sites, further straining relations between the two adversaries.

While some senior Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi, have signalled limited openness to negotiations, hardline factions continue to oppose any engagement with Washington in the aftermath of the conflict.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Thursday that Iran had emerged victorious from the war but did not clarify whether talks should resume.

Adding to diplomatic uncertainty, Araghchi rejected a recent request from United Nations nuclear inspectors to assess damage at Iranian atomic facilities struck during the Israeli campaign.

He described the impact of the strikes as “considerable and serious” but confirmed that Iran does not “currently” intend to host International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi.

Although IAEA inspectors remained in the country during the conflict, Iran blocked them from conducting inspections due to security concerns. Access has not been restored since the ceasefire, leaving key questions unanswered about the status of Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Israel and Western allies fear the material could be diverted for weapons production, an allegation Iran strongly denies, insisting its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.

The deadlock intensified on Thursday after Iran enacted a new law suspending all cooperation with the IAEA. Officials have accused the agency of providing Israel with justification for its attacks by questioning whether Iran’s programme remains exclusively peaceful.

Analysts note that full suspension of IAEA cooperation would require Iran to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, an escalation Tehran has so far avoided.

With tensions still high and diplomatic channels limited, prospects for a near-term US-Iran agreement appear increasingly remote despite Washington’s push to revive negotiations.