Iran does not accept temporary ceasefires with US — deputy foreign minister

Lead

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said on Saturday that Tehran does not accept any temporary ceasefire agreements with the United States, warning that such arrangements would eventually lead to a return to war. His remarks, delivered on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Turkey, came as the two countries remain at odds following a failed first round of talks.

Coverage Comparison

Two news outlets — Russia's TASS and India's The Hindu — reported on Khatibzadeh's statements, though with notably different emphases. TASS, the Russian state news agency, framed the remarks as a direct rejection of US and Israeli aggression, quoting Khatibzadeh at length on the consequences of the February 28 military operation. The Hindu, by contrast, focused on the diplomatic process, highlighting the lack of a scheduled date for future negotiations and the failure of the initial round, without attributing blame to either side.

Both reports agree on the core fact: Khatibzadeh said no temporary ceasefires would be accepted. However, TASS included additional context about the military operation and the April 11 Islamabad talks, while The Hindu's brief article did not mention these details.

Key Claims

• Iran rejects temporary ceasefires — According to TASS, Khatibzadeh directly stated: "We do not accept any temporary ceasefires. Because this is a vicious cycle that drains diplomatic resources and then leads to a return to war." This quote was carried only by TASS among the available sources.
• No date for next talks — As reported by The Hindu, Khatibzadeh told journalists, "Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set a date," in reference to the next round of Iran–US negotiations. This claim was also mentioned in TASS's article, though less prominently.
• Initial talks failed — Both outlets reported that the first round of negotiations, held in Islamabad on April 11, failed to reach a long-term settlement. The Hindu described it as "the failure of an initial round," while TASS cited reports from Tehran and Washington citing contradictions.
• February 28 military operation — TASS reported that the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, hitting major cities including Tehran, and that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated against Israel and US targets in the region. This claim appeared only in TASS and has not been independently verified by other sources in this report.

Perspectives

Khatibzadeh's comments reflect Tehran's official stance, as reported by TASS, which framed the conflict as "unprovoked aggression" by the US and Israel. The Hindu's coverage, however, adopts a more neutral tone, presenting the lack of progress in talks as a diplomatic impasse without assigning fault. Both outlets agree that the peace process is stalled, but they diverge on the underlying causes — TASS emphasizing alleged aggression, and The Hindu focusing on procedural obstacles.

As of this writing, no date has been set for the next round of talks, and it remains unclear whether the two sides will return to the negotiating table. The situation is fluid, and further developments are expected.