Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied last night reports that he had had recent contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, DPA reported.
“My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was before his employer's decision to destroy diplomacy with yet another illegal military attack on Iran“, Araghchi wrote in “Ex“, referring to US President Donald Trump.
“Any claim to the contrary seems aimed solely at misleading oil traders and the public“, the Iranian foreign minister stressed.
Earlier yesterday, the Washington The news website Axios reported, citing a source, that a direct channel of communication between the two sides had been reestablished in recent days. According to Axios, Araghchi had sent text messages to Witkoff about ways to end the war. Reuters quoted a US official as saying that Washington was "not talking" with Tehran.
US Vice President J.D. Vance said he has confidence in Trump when it comes to how the US president is handling the war with Iran, Reuters reported, citing a statement by Vance to reporters at the White House.
“We have a resourceful president, whereas in the past we have had stupid presidents, and I believe President Trump will be up to the task“, Vance said.
Trump said in a telephone interview with “NBC News“ a few days ago that Iran is ready to negotiate to end the war, but Washington is not yet inclined to conclude an agreement, as the proposed terms “are not good enough“.
The US president said that Tehran wants a deal, but the US administration will only accept “very solid terms“. Trump did not specify what exactly they would be, adding only that Iran's complete abandonment of its nuclear ambitions would be part of a possible agreement.
Trump said about ten days ago that Tehran had "called" for a deal, appealing to Washington to conclude an agreement amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Reuters notes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared 61-year-old Iranian-American citizen Kamran Hekmati to be unlawfully detained in Iran, his cousin said last night, Reuters reported.
“This designation is an official recognition by the US government that Kamran is being held on false charges in an attempt by the Iranians to put pressure on the US government,“ Hekmati's cousin, Shohreh Naufar, said in an official statement.