Iranian president Pezeshkian rejects direct talks with US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Sunday that Tehran had rejected a proposal for direct negotiations from US President Donald Trump regarding Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
This marks the first official acknowledgment of Iran’s response to Trump’s outreach and signals a continuation of tensions between the two nations.
As per the news agency AP, Pezeshkian stated that while direct talks were ruled out, Iran remained open to indirect negotiations. “Although the possibility of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected in this response, it has been emphasised that the path for indirect negotiations remains open,” he said.
Trump had previously suggested that military action remained a possibility if Iran did not agree to a deal on its nuclear program. According to Axios, he warned that “bad things” would happen to Iran if no agreement was reached within two months.

Iran’s response via Oman
Iran's response to Trump’s letter was sent through Oman, which has historically acted as a mediator between the two nations, AP reported. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Iran chose Oman because of its role in previous diplomatic efforts and said, “Iran's policy remains firm on not engaging in direct negotiations under maximum pressure and military threats.”
Trump’s letter was delivered to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei via the UAE, highlighting the Emiratis' role in attempting to mediate.
The US and Israel have both made it clear that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Trump’s administration has continued its “maximum pressure” campaign, imposing further sanctions on Iran.
A recent report by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran had accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.
Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes but Iranian officials have increasingly suggested that the country could pursue nuclear weapons due to escalating tensions with Washington.
Trump’s first term also saw a breakdown in US-Iran relations after he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, leading to harsh economic sanctions on Iran. Tehran retaliated with maritime attacks, including one on Saudi Arabia’s oil production facilities. Trump also ordered a drone strike in Baghdad in 2020 that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani.
As indirect talks remain a possibility, Iran’s supreme national security council adviser Ali Shamkhani said that Iran’s response was based on “restraint” but warned that future negotiations must be conducted on “equal footing,” Axios reported.