Iran Rejects Claims of 60-Day Ceasefire Extension With US
Tehran says talks are focused on reviving the June framework, not extending a ceasefire
- Iran rejects ceasefire extension claims
- Tehran seeks US return to June deal
- Talks remain stalled
Iran has rejected reports that it is negotiating a 60-day extension of a ceasefire with the United States, insisting that there is no fixed ceasefire period to extend.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday that discussions through mediators are instead focused on whether Washington will return to an interim agreement reached in June and agree on a timetable for fulfilling its commitments.
The comments came after Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported, citing Pakistani government sources, that Iran and the United States had agreed to extend a 60-day ceasefire linked to the interim agreement.
The Iranian source dismissed the report, saying Tehran does not consider the arrangement to have a defined start date.
“There is no talk of an extension because, from Iran’s perspective, there is no period that began and therefore nothing to extend,” the source said.
The source also accused Washington of breaching the interim agreement within 48 hours and later abandoning it.
The June agreement called for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations on all fronts. However, the arrangement later broke down, with US President Donald Trump declaring it “over” on July 7. Iran’s Foreign Ministry subsequently announced that the agreement had been suspended.
The 60-day provision in the agreement referred to an extendable negotiating period rather than a fixed ceasefire duration. During that period, Washington and Tehran were expected to work towards a broader agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of US sanctions.
Other conditions were also expected to be addressed before further negotiations, including a ceasefire in Lebanon, freedom of navigation in the Gulf and waivers allowing Iran to continue selling oil.
The Iranian source said mediators were now discussing a possible US return to the interim framework and a timetable for implementing its commitments.
“There has been absolutely no progress on this issue,” the source said.
The conflicting accounts highlight the uncertainty surrounding efforts to revive the June framework and prevent renewed tensions between Iran and the United States.
