Iran reportedly breaks diplomatic contact with US as tension grows
By Sabiu Abdullahi
Direct communication between senior officials of the United States and Iran has reportedly come to a halt as diplomatic relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
A senior Iranian official disclosed to the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that discussions between Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, and the United States special envoy, Steve Wittkof, have been suspended.
The development comes at a time when President Donald Trump has issued threats of possible intervention as Iranian authorities intensify actions against protests within the country. In response, Tehran has vowed to strike United States military bases in the region if it comes under attack.
Over the past year, the United States and several European allies had pursued renewed diplomatic engagement on Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the Iranian official indicated that the current climate has erased any chance of meaningful progress.
He said the threats from Washington have weakened ongoing diplomatic initiatives. He added that proposed meetings between Araghchi and Wittkof, which aimed to address the long-standing nuclear dispute, have been called off.
The official also revealed that Tehran had asked United States allies within the region to “prevent Washington from attacking”.