Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has firmly stated that Iran is not engaged in negotiations with the United States and has not replied to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington aimed at ending the ongoing war. He explained that while Iran receives messages from the US, both directly and through regional intermediaries, responses are only given when deemed necessary.
In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, Araghchi emphasized that there are currently no grounds for formal negotiations, although some communication has occurred directly with US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The conflict escalated after US and Israeli strikes on February 28 resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, sparking a wider regional war.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have recently involved countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan. Last week, senior Pakistani officials disclosed that Islamabad had relayed a 15-point US peace plan to Tehran. Iranian media previously suggested that Tehran had countered with a five-point proposal demanding an end to aggression and assurances that neither the US nor Israel would resume hostilities.
However, Araghchi refuted these reports, stating that Iran has not submitted any formal response to the US plan, describing the alleged Iranian counterproposal as speculative media conjecture. The war erupted amid ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear program, reminiscent of a 12-day conflict last June when Israel launched strikes just before planned talks, later joined by the US targeting Iranian nuclear sites.
Araghchi expressed complete distrust toward the US, rejecting any ceasefire proposals and insisting on a full cessation of hostilities along with reparations. Since the conflict began two months ago, Iran has severely restricted maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 20 percent of global oil shipments, declaring the strait closed to what it terms “enemy” vessels.
Recently, Iranian officials have warned of a possible US ground assault following the deployment of the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship carrying approximately 3,500 Marines and sailors, to the region. Araghchi cautioned that Iran is prepared for such an attack and predicted significant losses for US forces.
