Iran Says No Nuclear Talks Underway With U.S., Insists Lebanon Ceasefire Is Key Condition for Deal

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that no negotiations are currently taking place with the United States over the details of Tehran’s nuclear program, while also accusing Washington of violating a fragile ceasefire amid ongoing regional tensions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly press briefing that Iran’s immediate priority remains ending the war rather than discussing technical aspects of its nuclear file.

“We know when it is necessary to act on nuclear matters. No negotiations have taken place on the details of the nuclear file. At this stage, our priority is ending the war,” Baqaei said.

His comments come as Tehran and Washington continue to exchange messages aimed at shaping a broader framework agreement to end the conflict that escalated after US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and spread across the region.

However, Baqaei stressed that a ceasefire in Lebanon remains a central condition for any potential agreement with Washington, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to intensify.

“We insist that a ceasefire in Lebanon is an essential condition for any deal aimed at ending the war,” he said, adding that Iran “will take all measures to support Lebanon and the resistance against the Zionist regime’s illegal aggression.”

The statement follows increased Israeli military operations in Lebanon, including the seizure of the medieval Beaufort Castle, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as part of a “dramatic shift” in the campaign against Hezbollah. The UN Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting on the situation.

Baqaei also accused the United States of violating the ceasefire, citing a recent overnight escalation involving US strikes on a telecommunications tower in a southern Iranian port city. Iranian forces, he said, responded by targeting the base from which the attack originated, though he did not provide further details.

“The United States is also violating the ceasefire, including this morning,” he said, warning that Iran would “take whatever measures we deem necessary to defend Iran’s national security.”

Despite the heightened tensions, Baqaei said communication between Tehran and Washington is continuing, although no final agreement has been reached.

“We have not yet reached a final conclusion,” he said, adding that Iran is not seeking concessions but rather the fulfillment of its rights, including the release of frozen assets held abroad under US sanctions.

Iranian officials say any future agreement will depend on securing guarantees that its economic and political demands are met, while negotiations remain stalled amid continued military confrontations across the region.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that American forces carried out a series of “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian radar and drone command-and-control sites over the weekend, marking another escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran amid a fragile and increasingly strained ceasefire.

In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said it conducted “measured and deliberate strikes” on Saturday and Sunday against sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, Iran, in response to what it described as “aggressive Iranian actions.”

The command said the operation was carried out after Iranian forces shot down a U.S. MQ-1 drone operating over international waters.