Iran rejects US talks as Larijani dismisses reports of renewed negotiations

Iran's security chief Ali Larijani, who was also an adviser to the country's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a post on X on Monday that Tehran will not negotiate with the US, in response to a report that Iran is trying to revive negotiations with Washington. لن نتفاوض مع الولايات المتحدة https://t.co/cvEweU8ODj — Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 2, 2026 His statement comes in response to Al Jazeera's Breaking News X account, which said in a social media post that the Wall Street Journal has reported on Larijani's "initiative to resume talks with Washington submitted through intermediaries from the Sultanate of Oman." عاجل | وول ستريت جورنال عن مسؤولين: مبادرة لاريجاني لاستئناف المحادثات مع واشنطن قدمت عبر وسطاء من سلطنة #عمان — الجزيرة - عاجل (@AJABreaking) March 2, 2026 Larijani further stated that "Trump plunged the region into chaos with his 'delusional fantasies' and now fears more American troop casualties." He stated that because of his actions, his slogan of "America first" was in fact "Israel first," sacrificing US soldiers for the foreign nation's power-hungry ambitions. Read: Israel widens war with strikes on Tehran, Beirut as Trump signals weeks-long Iran campaign "Today, the Iranian nation is defending itself," the post reads. "The armed forces of Iran did not initiate the aggression." ترامپ با "آرزوهای واهی" منطقه را به آشوب کشاند و حالا نگران تلفات بیشتر نیروهای امریکایی است. وی با عملکرد متوهمانه، شعار خودساخته "اول امریکا" را به "اول اسرائیل" تبدیل کرد و سربازان امریکایی را فدای قدرت طلبی اسرائیل نمود... ۱/۲ — Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 2, 2026 US-Israel war with Iran Iran has vowed retaliation after the assassination of Supreme Leader Khamenei in what Iranian authorities described as a joint US-Israeli air strike on Tehran. President Masoud Pezeshkian said avenging Khamenei’s death was both “a duty and a right”. Iran’s leadership moved quickly to project continuity, setting up an interim council comprising the president, the head of the judiciary, and a representative from the Guardian Council. Cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was named to the body, which will govern until the Assembly of Experts selects a permanent supreme leader. The government also announced a 40-day mourning period and seven days of public holidays, as thousands gathered in Tehran to mourn, though the report said some anti-government Iranians were seen celebrating. Read more: Streets aflame in outrage over attack on Iran The conflict has widened sharply on its second day, with fresh Israeli strikes on Tehran and Iranian missile attacks across the region. Israel’s ambulance service reported nine deaths in Beit Shemesh, while authorities in Gulf states also reported casualties and damage. Shipping near the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted after attacks on commercial vessels, and major operators suspended some regional activity, raising fears of a broader regional and economic crisis.

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