Iran rules out talks as long as US makes 'unreasonable demands'

Iran will not return to negotiations with the United States as long as Washington makes "unreasonable demands," the Iranian foreign minister said on Wednesday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Tehran and Washington engaged in five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations that ended after Israel launched a 12-day war, which culminated in the US bombing Iran's nuclear sites.

"Talks that were ongoing with the US as well as New York negotiations were suspended and did not go forward because of excessive US demands," Abbas Araghchi said, according to Tasnim.

Last month an Iranian insider told Reuters that "several messages have been conveyed to Washington for resumption of talks via mediators in the past weeks, but Americans have not responded".

Earlier this month Iran's government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said that American officials did not attend a meeting proposed by Iran in New York during the UN General Assembly.

Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran had contacts with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff through mediators, reiterating that Iran "has always been committed to diplomacy and peaceful solutions".

The United States, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear programme as a veil for efforts to try to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

(Reuters and TNA staff)