Iran accused the United States of dictating terms for negotiations Monday as Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish officials met in Tehran in a regional effort to avert renewed fighting.
The Associated Press reported that the meeting's agenda had not been set. Delegations were in the Iranian capital to help reduce tensions and press for a deal, while Iran's spokesman said discussions would address urgent regional threats.
At a weekly news conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington had shown little interest in substantive negotiations. He said Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons and accused the U.S. government of invoking the nuclear dispute to justify military action. State-run IRNA carried his remarks, Anadolu Agency reported.
Baqaei said Britain, France and Germany had made no new negotiating proposal. He accused the three governments of supporting the restoration of United Nations (U.N.) sanctions and failing to condemn attacks on Iran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish delegations were in Tehran for regional security discussions. Baqaei also confirmed a recent visit by Qatari representatives, saying their discussions covered bilateral cooperation and regional mediation.
The Associated Press reported that Pakistan and Qatar helped broker a June arrangement that tied restoring Strait of Hormuz shipping to ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and widening talks to include Iran's nuclear program. Renewed attacks by both sides soon brought the arrangement down, the AP reported. Anadolu Agency said disputes over its implementation, including sanctions, the blockade and navigation through the strait, continued to hinder diplomacy.
Anadolu Agency also noted the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, from which the United States withdrew in 2018.
At a Friday rally, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could choose limited military action or reach a deal, and questioned whether Tehran would commit to serious talks. EconoTimes previously covered Trump's comments on possible limited action. In a Sunday interview with German broadcaster ARD, Baqaei said Iran was still sending messages to Washington through intermediaries, as described in EconoTimes' earlier report on the interview.
Anadolu Agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was scheduled to travel to Russia Monday night for a gas-exporters summit.
