Iran denounces EU stand in war, denies U.S. talks

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the European Union’s “destructive” stance in the Israel–U.S. war against Iran, calling for a more constructive approach, official sources in Tehran reported.

He made the remarks during a phone call with European Council President António Costa, urging European countries to align their policies with international law and pursue constructive engagement rather than what he described as a destructive approach towards Iran.

According to the President’s Office website, Pezeshkian also said the U.S. “does not believe in diplomacy”, citing two alleged attacks on Iran during negotiations last June and in February this year.

Pezeshkian said Iran has the “necessary will” to end the ongoing war but stressed that guarantees are needed to prevent a “repeat of the aggression”.

As the conflict entered its 33rd day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the latest developments.

• Ilham Aliyev and Masoud Pezeshkian discuss regional tensions and bilateral ties
• Erdoğan urges restraint as Türkiye navigates Middle East tensions
• Iran’s FM Araghchi briefs counterparts on developments of Israel-U.S. war

In his conversation with Bayramov, Araghchi urged all countries, particularly those bordering the Caspian Sea, to take a clear and decisive stance on recent attacks targeting Iran’s coastal areas, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

During his call with Fidan, Araghchi said Iran had not launched any missiles at Türkiye and warned of repeated “false flag” operations.

“Iran is committed to observing the principle of good neighbourliness and respecting Türkiye’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said, adding that Tehran is ready for a joint technical investigation into the incident.

In a separate development, Araghchi said contacts are ongoing with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but not in the form of formal talks.

“Iran receives messages from Witkoff directly, as before, but this does not mean Tehran and Washington are in negotiations,” he said in an interview with Doha-based Al Jazeera TV.

He also revealed that “there are communications between security agencies” of the warring parties, without providing further details.

“We have no faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield results. The level of trust is zero. We do not see honesty,” he said, as the war entered its fifth week with no end in sight. 

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