Iran Denies Talks With US on Ceasefire Extension, Contradicting Anadolu Report
Iran has denied that it is holding talks with the United States on extending a 60-day ceasefire, contradicting an earlier report by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency that claimed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts had succeeded in securing an extension.
Reuters contacted a senior Iranian official following the Anadolu report. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were no talks between Iran and the United States regarding an extension of the ceasefire.
The Iranian official said Tehran considers the previous interim agreement to have expired and therefore sees no question of extending it.
“From Iran’s perspective, there is no existing ceasefire period that requires an extension,” the official said, adding that there was consequently no basis for negotiations on extending it.
According to the official, the United States must first comply with the terms of the interim agreement reached in June.
Earlier, Anadolu Agency, citing Pakistani sources, had reported that Washington and Tehran had agreed to extend the 60-day ceasefire, although the duration of the proposed extension had not been specified.
The United States and Iran had agreed in June to a 60-day negotiating period under an interim arrangement aimed at maintaining the ceasefire while paving the way toward a permanent peace agreement.
However, US President Donald Trump declared the interim agreement terminated on July 7. Iran also suspended certain military and diplomatic activities under the agreement shortly afterward.
The conflicting reports come as Pakistan continues diplomatic efforts to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran a day earlier, where he held detailed discussions with the Iranian president, foreign minister and his counterpart on the restoration of the memorandum of understanding with the United States and the revival of the ceasefire agreement.
The latest Iranian denial casts doubt on reports that Washington and Tehran have already agreed to extend the ceasefire, highlighting the continuing uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts to revive the agreement.
