Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed direct contact with United States President Donald Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff amid the ongoing war, but downplayed talks of negotiations in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday.Araghchi also spoke about the future of the Strait of Hormuz – the critical waterway through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas pass in peacetime – after the war is over, and about Iran’s preparations for a potential US ground invasion.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listHere are key takeaways from Araghchi’s interview with Al Jazeera:Talked to Witkoff, but no negotiationsAraghchi confirmed that he had held conversations with Witkoff, Trump’s trusted envoy for peace negotiations around the world, during the current conflict.But the Iranian foreign minister downplayed that contact.“I receive messages from Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” he said.“There is no truth to the claim of negotiations with any party in Iran. All messages are conveyed through the Foreign Ministry or received by it, and there are communications between security agencies,” he added.Araghchi explained that they have never had a “good experience” negotiating with the US, referring to Washington’s decision to withdraw from the Barack Obama-era nuclear deal during Trump’s first term. The US has also twice attacked Iran during negotiations over the past nine months — in June 2025 and with the current war, which began on Februa …
