Iran has formally declared it has no plan to hold a second round of nuclear talks with the United States, hardening a rejection first signalled by Iranian state media and deepening the diplomatic crisis ahead of the ceasefire’s midweek expiry.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran on Monday: “As I am speaking to you now, we have no plan for the next round of negotiations.” He accused Washington of showing “a lack of seriousness in pursuing diplomacy” and cited what he called repeated violations of the April ceasefire.
Baghaei described the US seizure of the Iranian commercial vessel Touska at the weekend as “a clear act of aggression” under United Nations resolutions. He said Washington’s conduct — including what Iran described as breaches of Lebanon-related agreements and efforts to impose a naval blockade — had “increased the Iranian people’s distrust of US intentions.”
“The United States, through contradictory behavior and continuous violations of the ceasefire, has shown it is not serious about pursuing diplomacy,” Baghaei said. Iran would decide on the future of any talks “based on its national interests,” he added.
The statement from Tehran’s diplomatic corps is more authoritative than the earlier IRNA denial of the Islamabad round, which emerged at the weekend. It also follows Iranian state television’s rejection of the Pakistan venue earlier on Monday — a message that sent Brent crude surging more than 6% to $96 per barrel.
Pakistan had publicly confirmed it was hosting the US delegation in Islamabad. The Wednesday ceasefire deadline set by President Donald Trump now appears in serious jeopardy. For Sri Lanka, the diplomatic breakdown reinforces the fuel-supply pressure already being felt at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
