Iran on Monday denied holding any direct talks with the United States, insisting that recent contacts have been limited to messages passed through intermediaries.
"First, we have not conducted any direct negotiations with the United States so far. What has been discussed were messages we received through mediators indicating the U.S.' desire to negotiate,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei said in statements carried by the Tasnim news agency.
Baghaei also questioned the credibility of U.S. claims of diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran.
"I do not know how many people in the United States take American diplomacy claims seriously. Our mission is clear, unlike the other side, which constantly changes its position," he added.
He said Iran has maintained a consistent stance from the outset and is fully aware of the framework guiding its approach, describing proposals received as "excessive and unrealistic."
The spokesman also said meetings hosted by Pakistan were organized "independently" and that Iran did not participate in them.
"It is good that countries in the region are interested in ending the war, but they must clearly understand who started it," he said.
Baghaei added that Iran’s parliament is discussing the possibility of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
"The question of public opinion is: what is the benefit of joining a document in which domineering parties prevent us from benefiting from its advantages and rights?" he said.
He stressed that Iran has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and "does not intend to do so."
"Iran’s position remains on the prohibition of all weapons of mass destruction," he added, criticizing what he called the "destructive approach" of the International Atomic Energy Agency and certain countries, which he did not name.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday said that Islamabad would be "honored” to host talks between the U.S. and Iran as part of broader mediation efforts.
The South Asian country also hosted a quadrilateral foreign ministers’ meeting as part of its mediation efforts.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged diplomatic efforts, with intermediaries including Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt involved in indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran.
Despite the escalation, he said indirect talks with Iran via Pakistani "emissaries" were progressing, adding: "A deal could be made fairly quickly."
Regional escalations have continued to rage since Israel and the U.S. launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
