Iran has rejected all demands made by the United States and will not meet with American officials in Pakistan, Iranian state media reported Tuesday.
The decision raises new obstacles for US efforts to revive talks over Iran’s nuclear program. A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Washington had requested the meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit in Islamabad later this week.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the country sees no basis for direct talks under current conditions. The spokesperson added that American pressure tactics have failed in the past and will fail again.
The rejection comes two weeks after the US extended sanctions waivers allowing Iran to access roughly $10 billion in frozen assets for humanitarian goods. Iran has called the waivers insufficient. The country’s central bank reported that inflation remains above 40 percent, a figure that independent economists have said is plausible given currency pressures.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated since October, when the US imposed new sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Those sanctions cut Iran’s crude sales from 1.2 million barrels per day in September to about 500,000 barrels per day in December, according to data from the International Energy Agency.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry had confirmed earlier this month that both US and Iranian delegations were invited to a conference on regional security. Officials in Islamabad said they regret Iran’s decision but respect its position. Pakistan has not yet announced whether the summit will proceed as planned.
Iran’s refusal to meet US officials in Pakistan mirrors a similar episode in 2019, when Tehran canceled planned talks in New York following new sanctions. Analysts tracking the negotiations say the pattern suggests Iran is waiting for the outcome of the 2026 US midterm elections before committing to any diplomatic process.
The United States has not yet announced whether it will send its delegation to Islamabad. State Department officials said they are reviewing next steps. The US has not ruled out indirect talks through European or Gulf mediators.
Iran’s supreme leader has not publicly commented on the latest rejection. However, his foreign policy adviser wrote on social media that “no amount of pressure will bring Iran to the table under duress.” The post did not directly name the United States.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported last month that Iran continues to enrich uranium at levels close to weapons grade. Inspectors confirmed that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium now exceeds 5,000 kilograms, more than 20 times the limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The US withdrew from that deal in 2018. European powers have struggled to mediate since then.