Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says active message exchanges with the United States continue, but accuses Washington of previously betraying negotiations.
Tehran, Iran – Web Desk: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has said that an active exchange of messages with the United States is continuing, even as he accused Washington of having previously betrayed Tehran during negotiations.
According to Al Jazeera, Baqaei told a foreign broadcaster that mediating countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, continue to play an active role in facilitating message exchanges between Tehran and Washington. He said, however, that Iran’s priority remained defending its sovereignty in response to renewed attacks.
Baqaei said Iran had fulfilled its obligations under the Islamabad Memorandum within the agreed 30-day window to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but that the United States launched fresh strikes before that period had even concluded, citing alleged maritime incidents as justification.
He said this marked the third time in the past year that Iranian diplomacy had been undermined by strikes carried out during ongoing negotiations, pointing to a recurring pattern in Washington’s approach.
The spokesman also said the United States had failed to release Iran’s frozen assets as stipulated under the memorandum, despite this being an agreed component of the understanding reached between the two sides.
Baqaei’s remarks reflect Tehran’s continuing effort to balance active diplomatic engagement with deep scepticism over Washington’s intentions, following a pattern in which ceasefire understandings have repeatedly broken down into renewed military confrontation. The Islamabad Memorandum, brokered with Pakistani guarantees, had been intended to extend a truce reached earlier this year and open a window for wider negotiations covering the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.
Despite the renewed hostilities, both Tehran and Washington appear to be keeping diplomatic channels open through third-party mediators, even as trust between the two sides remains severely strained.
It remains unclear whether the current message exchange will lead to a durable de-escalation or merely provide a temporary channel for communication amid continuing distrust.
