TEHRAN, Iran (BN24) — Iran has no plans to hold talks with the United States next week, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Thursday, publicly rejecting a claim by President Donald Trump that a meeting was imminent between the two longtime adversaries.
Speaking in an interview broadcast on Iranian state television, Araqchi dismissed the idea of an upcoming dialogue with Washington, asserting that no such engagement is currently scheduled. His comments directly contradicted President Trump’s earlier statement that U.S. and Iranian officials were preparing for negotiations next week in the wake of a fragile ceasefire with Israel.
“There is no meeting planned between Iran and the United States at this time,” Araqchi said. “We are evaluating whether further talks serve our national interest, especially after the disruption of previous rounds.”
The foreign minister referred to five earlier rounds of U.S.-Iran negotiations—widely believed to have been held through intermediaries—which he said were derailed when U.S. and Israeli forces launched a series of coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this month.
Both Washington and Tel Aviv have justified the strikes as necessary measures to degrade Iran’s potential to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran, however, has maintained that its nuclear program is strictly civilian in nature, intended for energy production and medical research.
Araqchi acknowledged that the recent attacks had caused significant setbacks. “The damage to our nuclear infrastructure was not minor,” he said, adding that Iranian authorities were “reviewing the extent of the losses and recalibrating the future course of our nuclear policy accordingly.”
His remarks signal Tehran’s continued skepticism over Washington’s intentions, even as U.S. officials, including Trump, have floated the possibility of renewed talks. The conflicting statements underscore the uncertainty surrounding any future diplomatic engagement between the two nations.
While President Trump said earlier this week that “we’re going to talk to them [Iran] next week” and hinted at the possibility of an agreement, Araqchi’s denial suggests that Iran is not yet ready to return to the negotiating table—at least not on Washington’s timeline.
Diplomatic observers say Tehran’s calculus will likely hinge on a combination of factors, including the full extent of the damage to its nuclear infrastructure, the strength of regional alliances, and its internal political dynamics amid a wave of post-war nationalism.
