An Iranian spokesman said that the regime had not abandoned diplomacy but had not requested peace negotiations.
Iran said on July 27 that the regime did not ask to resume peace talks with the United States and reiterated it maintained control of the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump paused a series of military strikes.
During a press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei announced that Iran had not asked for the resumption of negotiations with the United States.
Messages were still being passed between the sides through mediators, and Tehran had not forsaken diplomacy, but “reports about Iran requesting negotiations with the U.S. are fabricated,” Baghaei said. “This is not in our DNA.”
Baghaei was responding after the Trump administration said over the weekend that the president had paused strikes against Iran.
An Iranian army spokesperson said on July 26 that the regime had paused its own military attacks after the U.S. strikes stopped.
“Iran begged the United States to halt the devastating strikes, and they are desperate for a deal,” a U.S. official told The Epoch Times on July 27.
“President Trump has said he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he retains all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against our allies.”
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz and White House communications director Steven Cheung confirmed on July 26 that Trump had paused additional strikes against Iran.
Waltz reiterated on Sunday that Trump was “keeping all options on the table” during the pause in military strikes.
He told NBC News that the halt was intended to provide space for negotiation with Iran.
Waltz added that negotiations with the regime were “happening at every level.”
Trump said on July 24 that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” for a massive attack against Iran.
He added that he was not in a hurry to intensify U.S. military strikes against the regime and that negotiations remained ongoing.
“Look, we’re talking to them right now,” he said. “I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by for maybe the obvious reason.”
On July 23, U.S. Central Command announced that the military had completed its 13th straight night of strikes against the regime.
