Lina Altawell
18 May 2026•Update: 18 May 2026
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that talks with the United States are still ongoing through Pakistani mediation.
“They raised speculation about enrichment and uranium materials, and we announced that it has no basis,” Baqaei said in statements carried by the Mehr News Agency.
“The Americans presented proposals, and we also presented our views,” he added.
Baqaei also responded to a proposed US-Bahraini resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the UN Security Council “cannot accuse Iran of undermining the region’s security.”
“China and Russia know that the main source of insecurity at sea and against free trade is the United States,” he said.
“If the international community wants to take responsible action, it should condemn the actions of the United States,” Baqaei added.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.