Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat, told Al Jazeera that Iran was not negotiating with the United States.
Posted: March 31, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that messages were exchanged with the United States directly or through regional countries amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Prime Minister Aragchi told Al Jazeera that contacts with the United States did not mean Iran was negotiating with Washington.
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“I received a direct message from (U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff) as before, but that does not mean we are negotiating,” he said.
“There is no truth to the claim that there are negotiations with any political party in Iran,” he said. “All messages are delivered or received through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there is also communication between security agencies. Tehran has reservations about negotiations with the United States and no decision has been made on negotiations.”
The foreign minister also told Al Jazeera that Tehran has yet to respond to the 15-point proposal sent by the United States and that “we have not submitted any proposals or conditions.”
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tehran, said most of what Araghchi said was not new, but the key update was his contact with Witkoff.
“The new information is that he is in direct contact with Witkoff and some security discussions are taking place,” he said.
Last week, a senior diplomatic source told Al Jazeera that Iran had received a 15-point plan from the United States aimed at ending the war.
The plan includes a variety of proposals, from pledging Iran never to have nuclear weapons to limiting its missile stockpile and range.
However, Iran’s foreign minister reiterated that Iran would only accept an end to all attacks in the region rather than a ceasefire.
