Beirut: Iran said Monday that it is not currently engaged in negotiations with the US and that any future talks would depend on Washington changing its conduct.

According to Anadolu Agency, addressing a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei dismissed reports that Tehran had sought negotiations with the US. 'That does not accord with our principles. Claims that Iran has requested negotiations are merely reports,' Baqaei said in his comments carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency. He emphasized that Iran consistently views diplomacy as a tool for safeguarding its interests. 'We have never hesitated to use diplomatic tools to protect our national interests. We consider diplomacy a means of protecting Iran's national interests,' he stated.

While acknowledging that mediators may be conveying messages between the two sides, Baqaei clarified: 'At the present time, we are not conducting any negotiations with the American side.' When questioned about Iran's conditions for initiating negotiations, Baqaei insisted that the US 'must first demonstrate more responsible behavior.' He accused Washington of acting 'like a mafia gang' over the past one to two years by disregarding international law. 'As long as this behavior continues, we cannot hope to create a favorable public atmosphere,' he added.

On Sunday, Iranian military spokesperson Amir Mohammad Akraminia mentioned that the US had halted its attacks over the previous two days and that Iran's "counter-operations" had also ceased. An Axios report on Saturday revealed that US President Donald Trump had directed the US military not to launch new strikes on Iran, ending nearly two weeks of daily attacks. Tensions between the US and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Washington carrying out attacks on Iran and Tehran responding by targeting what it said were US military facilities and equipment in countries across the region.