Will not negotiate with US: Top Iranian security official

Iran has ruled out negotiations with the United States amid rising Middle East tensions. Ali Larijani denied reports of backchannel talks, while Tehran condemned US-Israel strikes that reportedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and vowed strong retaliation.

Tehran: Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Monday dismissed reports that Tehran is seeking dialogue with the United States as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East.

Taking to X, Larijani made his position clear, stating, “We will not negotiate with the United States.”

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This remark comes after a report by The Wall Street Journal said that Larijani was seeking a resumption of diplomatic engagement with the US through intermediaries from Oman.

On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling them unlawful aggression and signalling that Tehran would respond without compromise.

Speaking to ABC News, Araghchi rejected Washington’s justification outright.

“What the United States is doing is an act of aggression. What we are doing is an act of self-defence,” he said.

The US and Israel conducted joint airstrikes on Iran on February 28, amid nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran that were underway and progressing. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the military operation.

In response, Iran launched a series of missile attacks across Middle Eastern nations, targeting US military bases.

The United States and six Gulf nations strongly condemned what they described as “indiscriminate and reckless” missile and drone attacks launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran across the region, calling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” that threatens regional stability.

In a joint statement released by the US State Department, the governments of the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates denounced the attacks on multiple sovereign territories.

“The United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran’s indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks against sovereign territories across the region,” the statement said.

US President Donald Trump called the sweeping American military assault on Iran “one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen”, declaring that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead and vowing that combat operations will continue “until all of our objectives are achieved.”