BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 28. Iran has not turned to the U.S. with a plea for talks, the Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi told reporters following the Cabinet meeting in Tehran on January 28, Trend reports.
According to him, in recent days, there have been no contacts between the Iranian Foreign Minister and US Special Representative Steve Witkoff.
Aragchi noted that some countries are making efforts and holding consultations as mediators for negotiations. Iran maintains contacts with these countries.
“If the U.S. wants negotiations, then there can be no talk of negotiations under threat. Negotiations have their own circumstances and can be conducted based on equality and mutual respect,” he noted.
On April 12, 19, and 26, and May 11 and 23, 2025, five rounds of indirect talks between Iran and the US on Iran's nuclear program took place. The indirect talks were organized through the mediation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, and were conducted by an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The first, third, and fourth rounds of talks took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and the second and fifth rounds took place in Rome, the capital of Italy.
On the morning of June 13, 2025, Israel launched air strikes against Iran. The strikes killed a large number of high-ranking military officials, generals, nuclear scientists, and other senior officials.
On the same evening, Iran responded to Israel with Operation True Promise III, launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at several targets, including Tel Aviv, resulting in civilian casualties and widespread destruction.
On June 22, the U.S. launched military airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. The airstrikes reportedly destroyed the Iranian nuclear facilities.