A direct communications channel between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days, Axios reported on Monday, citing a US official and a source with knowledge of the matter.
It is unclear how substantive the exchanges between Araghchi and Witkoff have been, but they mark the first known direct communication between the two sides since the war began more than two weeks ago, the report said.
For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Araghchi sent text messages to Witkoff focusing on ending the war, Axios reported, citing the US official and the source.
At the same time, the US official told Axios that Washington “is not talking” to Tehran.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and that they are “talking to our people.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the United States does not know Iran’s new leadership. “All their leaders are dead. We don’t even know who we are dealing with,” he said.
Iranian officials have publicly claimed in recent days that they are not engaged in any ceasefire negotiations with the Trump administration. They say Iran is not interested in a temporary ceasefire that would allow the United States and Israel to regroup and launch new attacks, but instead wants guarantees that any peace deal would be permanent.
Translate This Article
