&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Zero trust': Iran dumps Witkoff, Kushner as US negotiators, gives ultimatum to Trump: THIS American must lead peace talks")
As the Iran war enters its fourth week, Tehran, as per reports, has signalled it will no longer engage with President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff or his son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to reports from The Guardian, Tehran is refusing to engage further with Witkoff or Kushner, claiming earlier back-channel talks were a "deception" used to mask preparations for US strikes under Operation Epic Fury. Instead, Tehran has now demanded that another US official lead the talks. Who? US Vice President JD Vance. This demand comes as Pakistan and Oman scramble to host a summit between Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, even as the Trump administration continues its military campaign against Iranian assets.
Iras says “zero trust” in current US channel
Iranian sources cited in the report said the country had “zero trust” in Washington following the breakdown of earlier talks and the subsequent US strikes, which began more than three weeks ago.
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme had still been ongoing when the US and Israel launched military action on February 28. Iranian officials now view those discussions as misleading, believing they were used to create a false sense of diplomacy while preparations for strikes were underway.
"With the previous negotiating team, there’s no chance," one diplomatic source told the publication. "The Iranian side regards the request for negotiations as another round of deception for the US-Israeli regime to find out a loophole to aggravate the strikes again," they added.
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The same source added that any future engagement would require a change in personnel. "If the negotiations are going to have any outcome, JD Vance should join." they insisted that "With Witkoff and Kushner, nothing will come out of it. We have seen that in the past".
When will US-Iran talks happen?
There is no clear confirmation from Iran that formal talks are imminent. Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has been mentioned as a potential lead negotiator on Tehran’s side, has dismissed reports of planned discussions as "fake news." However, as per reports, indirect communication channels remain open.
Iran has confirmed that "certain friendly states" have been conveying messages from the US regarding negotiations.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
