Iran Rejects Talks With US Amid Threats as Trump Keeps Military Option on Table

There can be no negotiations between Washington and Tehran as long as the United States continues to issue threats against the Islamic Republic, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday, amid rising tensions and President Donald Trump’s refusal to rule out military action.

“Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful,” Araghchi said, stressing that if the US wants negotiations to take shape, it must abandon threats, excessive demands, and what he described as illogical issues. His remarks came after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier to the region, a move Tehran views as escalatory.

Speaking in televised comments, Araghchi emphasized that “one cannot speak of talks in an atmosphere of threats,” adding that he has had “no contact” in recent days with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. He also firmly rejected claims of diplomatic outreach, stating that “Iran has not sought negotiations.”