Ceasefire on the Brink? Iran Says There Are No Talks With the U.S.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today (Sunday) that no direct talks are taking place with the United States, and that there are "exchanges of messages through mediators." According to him, "as long as violations of the temporary agreement continue, there will be no negotiations."

Meanwhile, a Western diplomatic source told the Lebanese newspaper "Nidaa Al-Watan," which opposes Hezbollah, that "Tehran did not seize the opportunity Trump gave it to show flexibility in negotiations. The U.S. has resumed applying military pressure to bring Iran to make concessions."

According to the source, the move came after progress on the nuclear issue remained only partial and Tehran hardened its positions. He noted that "U.S. President Donald Trump gave the Iranians an opportunity to demonstrate greater flexibility. Although Tehran returned to the negotiating table after the announcement of the 'Islamabad' memorandum, the talks produced only partial progress on the nuclear issue."

The Lebanese newspaper reported that the U.S. administration still seeks to restrain "independent Israeli moves" in Iran, but that "Washington relies heavily on the intelligence Israel has gathered regarding Iran, with the central strategic target remaining Iran’s nuclear program, while Hezbollah ranks second in the order of priorities."

On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump is laying the groundwork to declare victory in the war with Iran if it reopens the Strait of Hormuz. Trump even raised the idea of leaving the fighting without achieving a nuclear agreement.