Iran and the United States have not exchanged any messages since Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to a senior Iranian diplomat on Monday.
“It has only been a few days since the new American administration took office, and no messages have been exchanged,” said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi in an interview with the ISNA news agency.
During his first term, Trump pursued a “maximum pressure” strategy, pulling the U.S. out of the landmark nuclear deal that imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
While Tehran stuck to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after the U.S. withdrawal, it began scaling back its commitments as Washington’s actions persisted. Since then, efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have struggled.
“We have to plan calmly and patiently. When the other side (Trump) announces their policies, we will act accordingly,” Takht-Ravanchi said.
Earlier this week, Trump expressed hope that military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities could be avoided, aiming for an agreement instead.
Iran has consistently shown a willingness to return to the nuclear deal, with President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July, calling for an end to his country’s international isolation.
Earlier this month, before Trump’s official return, Iranian officials held nuclear discussions with counterparts from Britain, France, and Germany. Both sides described the talks as “frank and constructive.”
Takht-Ravanchi confirmed that these discussions were the third round, following two earlier rounds in Geneva and New York last year.
He indicated that another round of talks was expected “within a month,” though no specific date had been set. Takht-Ravanchi also emphasized that Iran and European countries had agreed on the framework of the JCPOA, which involves limiting Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for lifting sanctions.
“We will not include non-nuclear issues in the negotiations, as was done in the JCPOA negotiations,” he added.
