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The scheduled visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to New York has been called off due to US visa complications encountered during preparations, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
As a result of these travel issues, the top diplomat will not participate in the high-level United Nations Security Council session. This diplomatic friction over travel permissions comes at a sensitive time, as back-channel negotiations continue to face hurdles on the ground. Reflecting the mounting frustration, Tehran has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the continuously shifting positions coming from Washington as diplomatic talks to end hostilities persist, warning that such flip-flops are making the negotiation process significantly more complex. The domestic criticism was voiced by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei during her weekly media briefing on Monday. Addressing reporters, the spokesperson confirmed that while the interlocutors have successfully found common ground on a substantial number of areas, it would be premature to view an agreement as imminent. "It is correct that we have reached conclusions on a large portion of the discussion topics, but to say that this means the signing of an imminent agreement is something no one can claim. The frequent changes in the positions of American officials complicate every negotiation," Baqaei said. Shedding further light on the narrow scope of these fragile talks, the spokesperson indicated that the focus remains strictly regional for now. According to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "The focus of the negotiations is on ending the war, and at this stage, we are not discussing details of the nuclear issue." Baqaei clarified that the immediate priority of the current dialogue remains fixed entirely on the cessation of hostilities, noting that specific technical discussions regarding the nuclear file have been kept off the table for the time being, ISNA reported. These cautious remarks from Tehran followed a starkly different, more optimistic public assessment made earlier on Monday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio confirmed that active efforts are underway to hammer out a peace framework between the two nations, though he maintained that Washington is seeking a robust arrangement and stressed that President Donald Trump would refuse to sign off on an unfavourable compromise. When asked about the latest developments on Iran, Rubio told the media, "We're still a work in progress... I think there is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open, and enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on nuclear matters. And hopefully we can pull it off." The US Secretary of State further pointed out that the ongoing diplomatic initiatives enjoy constructive intentions and backing from regional Gulf allies, describing the potential resolution as the "right thing for the world to get done". At the same time, he mirrored the American president's stance, emphasising that Washington does not feel pressured by time to conclude the talks. "As the president said, he's not in a hurry, he's not going to make a bad deal. We're going to give diplomacy every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives. "We're either going to have a good agreement or we're going to have to deal with it another way. We'd prefer to have a good agreement," Rubio said. These intense diplomatic exchanges follow foundational assertions made by US President Donald Trump on Sunday, who claimed that any eventual pact finalised with Tehran would look completely different from the agreements formulated during former President Barack Obama's tenure. Underscoring Washington's strategy of maintaining economic leverage while talking, Trump had also stated on Sunday that Washington has no intention to "rush into a deal" with Iran simply to force a quick fix to the broader security crisis gripping West Asia. The American president made it clear that the strict US "blockade" currently enforced against the Islamic Republic's maritime ports will remain in "full force and effect" until a binding legal framework is finalised, verified, and officially signed by both parties. (ANI)
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