U.S. Envoy Witkoff and Iranian Official Araqchi Hold Several Phone Conversations

The U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have engaged in several phone conversations since the onset of Israeli strikes on Iran last week, seeking to find a diplomatic resolution to the escalating crisis.

Araqchi has stated that Tehran will not return to negotiations until Israel halts its attacks, which began on June 13. They also revealed that the U.S. proposal presented to Iran at the end of May was briefly discussed during these conversations. This proposal suggests the creation of a regional consortium to handle uranium enrichment outside of Iranian territory—a proposal that Tehran has refused at this time.