Tehran Times Retracts Claim Iran Closed Diplomatic Channels With Washington

American media reported that Tehran cut direct communications with Washington, a move described as reflecting rising tensions between the two sides hours before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“According to the government-run Tehran Times, diplomatic channels and indirect talks with the United States have not been closed”

Al-Nashra

The Wall Street Journal quoted Middle East officials saying the step came “in response to the latest American threats,” and that it “complicates efforts to reach a deal to end the war.”

Al-Nashra

By contrast, the same reporting said talks continued via intermediaries, while The New York Times quoted Iranian officials as saying that Tehran halted its participation in direct talks to end the fighting.

A spokesperson for the Iranian government said communications remain open via mediating countries, but have not made any progress yet, adding that “the language of insult and humiliation obstructs the path to any understanding or possible agreement.”

The developments were framed as coming “hours before the expiration of the ultimatum to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz,” where Trump renewed threats of “unprecedented escalation” and warned of “serious consequences” if Tehran does not respond.

The Wall Street Journal again cited Middle East officials on the same point, while The New York Times again quoted Iranian officials on Tehran’s direct-talk halt.

In a separate report, Tehran Times retracted what it reported earlier and confirmed that diplomatic channels and indirect communications “have not been closed.”

The reporting tied the diplomatic dispute to a looming deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump’s ultimatum described as entering “its decisive hours” amid heavy raids across Iran.

One account said the deadline ends at “8:00 p.m. Washington time, 12:00 GMT, on Tuesday,” and described Trump’s warning that “An entire civilization will die tonight.”

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Another Reuters-cited account said an Iranian source told Reuters that Pakistan continues to forward messages, but “the United States has not changed its tone toward Iran,” while also quoting the source saying, “There are no negotiations with the United States that want Iran to surrender under pressure.”

The same Reuters-cited source said Iran “will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for hollow promises,” and warned that “the entire region would fall into darkness if the United States attacks Iranian power plants.”

It also said Qatar conveyed this message to the United States on Monday, and that the source warned Iran’s allies would close the Bab al-Mandab Strait “if the situation gets out of control.”

In parallel, Axios described diplomacy as “racing against the clock” to salvage negotiations, citing officials saying “tangible progress has been made in the past 24 hours” despite doubt about a final agreement before the “8:00 p.m. deadline today.”

Axios also said internal discussions shifted from reaching an agreement to what could be achieved before Trump’s deadline, while White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said “Trump alone will decide the next step after 8 p.m.”

While some reports emphasized a pause in direct channels, others described active mediation and new proposals moving through intermediaries.

“Iran and the United States: International diplomacy is racing against the clock to salvage the Iran war negotiations from imminent collapse, with officials from the United States and Israel telling Axios that tangible progress has been made in the past 24 hours, despite continued doubt about whether a final agreement can be reached before the 8:00 p”

Masrawy

Axios said mediation channels led by Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey had been “active to exchange proposals between Washington and Tehran,” and it cited participation from U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance, envoy Steve Weitkov, and adviser Jared Kushner.

The same Axios report said Iran submitted a counterproposal on Monday, described by the White House as “far better than expected,” prompting mediators to work on redrafting it to bring viewpoints closer.

It also said discussions focused on a package of confidence-building measures including “reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for assurances of ending the war,” with a proposal for a “45-day truce” to draft a comprehensive framework agreement.

Axios added that officials noted a willingness to hold a direct meeting between a U.S. delegation led by J. D. Vance and an Iranian delegation, “perhaps in Islamabad, Pakistan, or to resort to virtual meetings.”

Another report said an Iranian diplomatic source to Al Jazeera stated that Tehran “yesterday submitted a new proposal to the Pakistani mediator.”

In a separate Reuters-cited account, two Pakistani sources said contact with Iran was ongoing and that efforts were underway to bring the sides to the negotiating table, while a Pakistani security official said “Iran shows flexibility in the talks but still insists on preconditions.”

Several reports tied the Iran-U.S. negotiation posture to developments involving Lebanon and Israel, describing conditions under which talks might proceed.

Yeni Şafak quoted a senior Iranian security official who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying an Iranian official told them that negotiations scheduled to be held with the United States in Pakistan may not take place if “Israeli attacks on Lebanon do not stop.”

MTV Lebanon

The same report said the Tehran Times quoted the security official that Israeli attacks on Lebanon constitute a violation of a temporary ceasefire agreement reached with the United States and includes Israel, and it quoted the official saying, “If the attacks on Lebanon do not stop, there will be no negotiations.”

It also described a two-week truce announced by the United States and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, “paving the way for a final agreement to halt the war,” and it said the truce included Lebanon while Washington and Tel Aviv denied that.

The report said on the first day of the truce, strikes left “254 dead and 1,165 wounded,” according to the Lebanese Civil Defense, and it described the strikes as “the fiercest since the start of the aggression in early March.”

Another report said the Foreign Ministry clarified it did not have information about the location of the second round of U.S.-Iran talks and that “no date for the next round has been set yet,” while noting that “Lebanon remains part of the ceasefire in effect.”

It added that a high-level political-security delegation led by Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran from Islamabad, and that Iranian TV sources said the delegation carried a message from Washington to Tehran.

The sources also diverged in how they framed the status of diplomacy and the meaning of Iran’s actions, even when discussing the same core issue of direct versus indirect communications.

“Contact Us Managing Director: Phone: +98 (21)43051000 E-mail: president@tehrantimes”

Tehran Times

Sky News Arabic reported that American media said Tehran cut direct communications with Washington, citing the Wall Street Journal’s account that the move “complicates efforts to reach a deal to end the war,” while The New York Times was quoted saying Tehran halted participation in direct talks.

Yeni Safak

Elnashra, citing the state-owned Tehran Times, said “the diplomatic and indirect channels for talks with America have not been closed,” directly contradicting the earlier “cut direct contact” framing.

Another report said Tehran Times “retracts what it reported about closing the diplomatic channels and confirms that they remain open,” while also leaving the question of progress unresolved by quoting the Iranian government spokesperson that “the language of insult and humiliation obstructs the path to any understanding or possible agreement.”

At the same time, Masrawy’s Axios account described negotiations as continuing through intermediaries and emphasized “tangible progress” in the past 24 hours, while also noting that “media reports have conflicted” about whether Tehran cut direct communications or withdrew from talks.

The same Axios report said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that “Trump alone will decide the next step after 8 p.m.,” placing the decisive framing on the U.S. side.

Meanwhile, بوابة الشروق presented a Reuters-cited Iranian source saying Pakistan continues to forward messages and that there are “no negotiations with the United States that want Iran to surrender under pressure,” which framed the diplomatic channel as active but politically constrained.

Looking ahead, the sources described multiple potential next steps tied to the deadline and to whether talks can be sustained through intermediaries.

Axios said Vance told reporters that “Washington has achieved most of its military objectives and that the Iran war is nearing its end,” and it said “the ball is now in Tehran’s court to provide an appropriate response before the zero hour.”

In the same Axios account, it described confidence-building proposals that included “reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for assurances of ending the war,” alongside a “45-day truce,” and it said officials were considering a direct meeting between delegations led by J. D. Vance.

The Reuters-cited reporting in بوابة الشروق said Iran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz “in exchange for hollow promises,” and warned that the region could “fall into darkness” if the United States attacks Iranian power plants, while also saying Qatar conveyed the message to the United States on Monday.

Another report said the Foreign Ministry had not set a date for a second round and did not have information about its location, while stating that “Lebanon remains part of the ceasefire in effect” and that the nuclear issue is among the topics being discussed.

It also said Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir led a delegation that arrived in Tehran from Islamabad with a message from Washington to Tehran, and that the delegation would discuss upcoming negotiations in the coming days in Islamabad.

Separately, the state-owned Tehran Times account in Elnashra said diplomatic and indirect channels “have not been closed,” while also reporting that an Iranian diplomatic source to Al Jazeera said Tehran submitted a new proposal to the Pakistani mediator.