Negotiations in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 (U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China and Germany) along with the European Union. February 11, 2022. (Twitter/Screenshot)
The US-Iran MoU expired Monday as Tehran rejected reports of efforts to extend the agreement.
By World Israel News Staff
Iran has rejected reports that it is entering additional negotiations with the United States to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), dismissing claims of ongoing talks as “delusional” and accusing Washington and other foreign powers of attempting to manipulate Tehran.
The MoU, which was signed in June and was intended to establish a framework for reducing hostilities between the United States and Iran, was set to remain in effect for 60 days. It officially expired Monday, with no agreement in place to extend it.
The expiration comes amid conflicting signals from Iranian officials over whether Tehran is willing to return to negotiations with Washington.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected reports that talks were continuing, saying such claims are part of “media techniques and psychological operations used to sow discord among Iran’s decision-making bodies.”
Baghaei’s comments came shortly after another senior Iranian official dismissed claims by President Donald Trump that Washington and Tehran have maintained a secret channel for negotiations.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi described Trump’s claim as a “delusion” in an interview with the semi-state-controlled Tasnim news agency.
Trump’s claims were “lies” and “fantasies born of delusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and desperation in the war,” Mohebbi stressed.
Mohebbi also said Iran had no intention of negotiating with the United States following what Tehran views as Washington’s “breach of promises” under the June agreement.
Iranian officials have repeatedly complained that the United States failed to fulfill commitments they say were included in the MoU, particularly regarding the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets and the lifting of sanctions.
Trump, however, has maintained that communications between Washington and Tehran remain active.
“We are speaking directly with IRGC officials in Iran,” Trump said earlier Monday.
In recent weeks, at least one Iranian official has suggested that Tehran does not intend to resume negotiations during the Trump administration and could instead wait until Trump leaves office in 2029 before reconsidering its approach to Washington.
However, Iranian diplomatic officials have used somewhat softer language, leaving open the possibility that negotiations could eventually resume.
“We have not yet made a decision to restart negotiations with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media platform Telegram on Saturday.
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