Iran Rules Out Talks With US, Says Mediated Messages Aren’t Negotiations

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said there are currently no talks with the United States and that messages exchanged via mediators do not count as negotiations; Tehran says it is not seeking war and wants a permanent end to the conflict, while it reviews a U.S. plan to end the war (delivered via Pakistan) and has insisted Lebanon be included in any ceasefire. The plan reportedly comprises a 15-point package addressing Iran’s ballistic missiles and nuclear programs, and there are warnings of possible new fronts in Yemen and action near the Bab al-Mandab Strait if provoked; the U.S. has not yet received an official Iran response according to Axios.