The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied that any direct negotiations are taking place with the United States [1].
This denial comes as tensions remain high over the maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The resolution of this standoff is critical for global energy markets and regional stability, as any failure to restore commercial shipping could trigger further escalation.
Tehran said that all current diplomatic activity follows the specific terms of a memorandum of understanding [1, 2]. According to this agreement, the U.S. would end its naval blockade, and Iran would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz [2].
Officials said that diplomatic contacts are not direct but are instead routed through regional intermediaries in Oman and Pakistan [1]. By avoiding direct talks, Tehran aims to prevent the U.S. from using the negotiation process to exert pressure on the Iranian government [1, 2].
A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the government denies the existence of any direct negotiations with Washington [1]. This position aligns with previous reports from May and July 2026 regarding the limitations of the current diplomatic framework [2, 3].
Parallel to these diplomatic assertions, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council addressed recent military actions. The official said that preemptive missile strikes launched by Iran against U.S. bases succeeded in thwarting an imminent plan for a ground attack against the country [1].
Iranian state television previously reported that the lifting of the blockade is a central pillar of the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. [2]. The Iranian government continues to maintain that the U.S. must honor these specific terms to ensure the restoration of maritime traffic [1, 2].
“The Iranian Foreign Ministry has categorically denied that any direct negotiations are taking place with the United States.”
Tehran is attempting to balance a strategic need for the removal of the naval blockade with a domestic and political refusal to grant the U.S. the legitimacy of direct diplomatic recognition. By insisting on a memorandum of understanding routed through Oman and Pakistan, Iran seeks a transactional outcome—the restoration of shipping—without entering a broader negotiation that could lead to further sanctions or political concessions.
