US-Iran Talks Reported to Resume Amid Fighting; Tehran Denies Negotiations
A U.S. political news outlet reported that high-level informal communications between Washington and Tehran have resumed since the outbreak of fighting, but Iran quickly denied any ongoing negotiations.
Axios, citing anonymous sources, said a direct channel between Steve Wittkopf, the United States’ Middle East envoy, and Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, has recently been reopened. The report claimed Araghchi used a direct message to Wittkopf focused on ending the war, which would represent the first direct contact between the two sides since hostilities began last month.
A competing account circulated by another outlet, Drop Site News, quoted a Iranian official saying Wittkopf had texted Tehran first but Araghchi did not respond. Axios, citing a separate U.S. government official, countered that the Iranian side actually initiated the contact, highlighting conflicting narratives about who reached out first.
President Donald Trump, at a press conference, said Iran appeared willing to engage and that discussions with U.S. representatives were underway. Iran, by contrast, has maintained that there have been no negotiations since the war began and has rejected the notion of revived talks for now.
Abbas Araghchi himself pushed back on the report via X (formerly Twitter), writing that his last contact with Wittkopf occurred before Trump authorized a military strike that he described as illegal and aimed at destroying diplomacy. He added that any claim otherwise would mislead oil-market traders and the public.
Iran has consistently said that any negotiations could only restart after the United States and Israel halt attacks on Iran. Tehran’s leadership has argued that past U.S. actions—citing a significant strike during nuclear talks last year—undermine the prospect of talks while aggression continues.
The Axios report also cited a U.S. official dismissing Iran’s reference to reparations, saying the Trump administration remains open to negotiations that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy and allow it to profit from oil sales, provided security guarantees are in place.
For U.S. readers, these developments matter because they affect global energy markets, Middle East security, and the trajectory of U.S. sanctions and diplomacy. Any sustained de-escalation or renewed confrontation in the Persian Gulf could influence oil prices, supply chains, and the calculations of American policymakers, allied governments, and global markets.
Context for non-Korean readers: Abbas Araghchi is Iran’s senior diplomat and foreign minister; Steve Wittkopf is described as a U.S. Middle East envoy in U.S. reporting. The conflict mentioned appears in the report as beginning last month, with Iran’s strategic harbor and energy routes in the Persian Gulf, including Kharg Island, playing a role in Tehran’s and Washington’s public postures. Axios is a U.S. political news site known for early reporting on government and policy matters.