US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran had asked to continue talks, but stated that the ceasefire is over.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" the President wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that a new round of talks between the US and Iran is expected to take place next week, possibly in Switzerland.
According to the report, regional mediators were working to de-escalate tensions and create the conditions for negotiations to resume after the recent escalation between the sides.
Iran’s Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was quick to deny the reports on a new round of talks.
A source told Fars that claims about finalized preparations for talks in Islamabad and continued technical discussions next week were false and had no factual basis.
The source added that any developments in the negotiation process would be announced only through official channels of the Islamic Republic.
"No negotiations will be held until the Trump administration fulfills its commitments," stressed Mohammad Marandi, a member of Iran’s delegation in the talks.
Trump earlier this week authorized a series of military strikes against targets in Iran. The strikes followed Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters, as the strikes were ongoing, that the Iranians had called him and are desperate to make a deal with the US.
“Iran called a while ago. They want to make a deal so badly," said the President, who added, “I just don't know if they are worthy. I don't know if they are going to honor the deal. That's the problem."
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)