Iran foreign minister says no meeting planned with U.S. counterpart

DUBAI - 11 August 2018: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said there was no meeting planned with U.S. officials including his counterpart Mike Pompeo at the United Nations General Assembly, the semi-official news agency Tasnim reported on Saturday.

Asked about the likelihood of a meeting with U.S. officials, including Pompeo, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Zarif said: “No, no such meeting is planned. We have repeatedly announced our position,” Tasnim reported.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed a U.S. call for talks without preconditions last Monday, hours before Washington moved to impose new sanctions in line with President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a 2015 agreement over Iran’s nuclear program.

“About the recent offer by Trump, our official position has been announced both by the president (Rouhani) and myself. The Americans lack honesty,” Zarif was quoted as saying by Tasnim.

Asked whether a message from the United States was to be delivered to Iran by Omani officials, Zarif said: “There is no such message,” Tasnim reported.

Zarif said earlier this week that Oman and Switzerland had acted as mediators in talks with America in the past but that there were currently no direct or indirect talks being held with the United States.