American intelligence assessments have indicated that the Iranian regime is unwilling to engage in negotiations to end the war with the US and Israel, The New York Times reported, citing US officials familiar with the information.
According to assessments conducted by multiple US intelligence agencies, the regime believes it is in a strong enough position to continue the war and not cede to US demands.
The report, which was published on Wednesday, also indicated that Iran is willing to keep diplomatic channels open but does not trust the US or believe US President Donald Trump is serious about engaging in negotiations.
Two Iranian officials and one Pakistani official told the NYT that the Islamic Republic might engage in diplomacy under the right conditions. That said, they need to see that the US is willing to seriously discuss ending the war rather than negotiating a temporary ceasefire.
American and Iranian officials both confirmed that the two countries have been exchanging messages through intermediaries, but are not discussing ceasefire terms or ending the war.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran demands a permanent end to the war and that no mediator-facilitated talks have taken place regarding a temporary truce.
Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that Iran’s new leader had asked the US for a ceasefire.
“Iran’s new regime president, much less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a ceasefire!” Trump’s post read, although it is unclear whether he was referring to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, or Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has been in office since 2024.
US claims of talks 'false and baseless'
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson called Trump’s statement “false and baseless” on Iranian state TV, according to a Reuters report.
Iranian officials have repeatedly denied US claims that negotiations have been ongoing or are promising.
Another senior Iranian official told Reuters last week that no plans for negotiations between the US and Iran “appear realistic at this stage,” despite the US presenting a 15-point plan for ending the warfare.
This official said that Tehran had deemed the plan “one-sided and unfair,” serving only US and Israeli interests, and lacking “the minimum requirements for success.”
Reuters contributed to this report.