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Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said on Saturday that no date had been fixed for the next round of Iran-US peace talks brokered by Pakistan, following the collapse of an initial round of negotiations.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Turkey, Khatibzadeh said discussions on a future meeting could only proceed once both sides agreed on a framework for negotiations.
He added that Iran hoped to move to the next stage as soon as that process was completed.
“Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date.
“We hope that as soon as we can finalise that, then we can move on to the next step”
Khatibzadeh said Tehran and Washington were currently focused on defining a common understanding before entering another round of talks.
According to him, Iran did not want to participate in negotiations likely to fail or become a trigger for renewed escalation. He added that Iran remained committed to diplomacy.
“We do not want to enter into any negotiation or meeting that is destined to fail and could serve as a pretext for another round of escalation,” he said.
“I can assure you that Iran is very much committed to diplomacy”.
The comments came as Pakistan intensified mediation efforts aimed at ending the conflict involving Iran.
Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, concluded a three-day visit to Tehran where he met Iran’s top leadership and negotiators, according to a military statement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also returned home after separate engagements in Turkey.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Egypt and Pakistan were working hard to help secure a final agreement between the United States and Iran.
Speaking at the same forum, he said the region and the wider world were suffering from the continued war and expressed hope that progress could be made in the coming days.
“We hope to do so (reach an agreement) in the coming days,” Abdelatty said, noting that “not only us in the region, but the whole world is suffering from the continuation of this war”.
“We are pushing very hard in order to move forward,” he said.
Turkey and Egypt have joined Pakistan in broader diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire.
Khatibzadeh also dismissed US threats of renewed military action, saying statements from Washington were often inconsistent and contradictory.
Referring to comments by US President Donald Trump, he said it was for the American public to judge whether such statements were coherent and aligned with international law.
“The American side tweets a lot, talks a lot. Sometimes confusing, sometimes, you know, contradictory,” Khatibzadeh said, allegedly referring to US President Donald Trump and his frequent social media posts.
“It is up to the American people to decide whether these statements are consistent and in accordance with international law,” he added.
He said Iran’s position remained clear and vowed that the country would resist external pressure while defending itself.
The deputy minister also rejected US accusations that Iran was threatening freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, after Iranian military officials again declared the waterway closed.
Khatibzadeh said Iran was willing to facilitate safe passage for commercial vessels during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, provided prior coordination was made with Iranian maritime authorities.
However, he accused Washington of attempting to undermine those efforts.
He warned that if ceasefire terms were violated and the United States failed to honour its commitments, there would be consequences.
“Americans cannot impose their will to do a siege over Iran while Iran, with good intention, is trying to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Khatibzadeh said.
“If ceasefire terms are violated and Americans do not honour their commitments, there will be repercussions for them.”
