Iran denies post-strike contact with US envoy

2026-03-17 - 12:40

TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that his most recent contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff took place before the start of what he described as an “illegal military attack” on Iran on Feb. 28, rejecting reports of ongoing communication.“Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public,” Araghchi said in a post on X.His remarks came in response to a report by Axios that claimed Araghchi and Witkoff had exchanged text messages focused on ending the war, marking what it described as the first known direct contact since the conflict began more than two weeks ago.Iran has rejected calls to surrender and has carried out retaliatory drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries.The escalation has disrupted global markets and aviation, while also affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.