Iranian president says talks with US ‘meaningless’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared talks with the United States to be pointless on Monday, stating that they only led to fresh aggression from the US, according to state media. Since the beginning of the Middle East war in late February, the US and Israel launched a series of surprise attacks on Iran, while Washington and Tehran were engaged in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

An agreement on a memorandum of understanding was reached in June to facilitate a permanent resolution, but attacks on Iran's vessels in the Strait of Hormuz led to a resurgence of US military operations. Direct negotiations between the two nations have since stalled, with recent indirect talks at the UN General Assembly failing to yield progress.

In recent weeks, the US has shifted its focus toward economic pressure, refraining from strikes on Iran since September 1. Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, affirmed that military means cannot resolve the conflict, emphasizing that only negotiations based on fairness and justice could bring an end to the war. The US and Israel argue that military action is necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, though this objective remains unproven.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in Iran imposing control over the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most crucial shipping lane, targeting vessels attempting to pass without permission. The US has retaliated by imposing a counterblockade on Iranian ports, striking vessels accused of violating the blockade. A tanker was hit while attempting passage on Sunday, and another was turned back on Monday due to threats from Iranian forces, as reported by the UK Maritime Transport Office.