The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that there are “back-channel efforts” to restart talks for a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue with the United States, according to a Thursday Sky News interview with an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson.
Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, had said that the US needed to show it had a genuine desire for peace with Iran.
"Diplomacy must not be abused or used as a tool for deception or for a sort of psychological warfare against their adversaries," he said.
He added that diplomacy had been betrayed by the US when Israel attacked during nuclear deal talks with the Trump administration.
Baghaei also said that the US had breached international laws by showing support for the “Zionist aggression.”
However, the spokesman continued, “Diplomacy never ends, there are contacts, indirectly. My minister is talking to Oman, Qatar, and others".
Trump has said that he would be willing to meet with Iran
The official claimed that Iran had held high hopes for a diplomatic relationship with the US that would end the sanctions and deliver a nuclear deal. However, the official stressed that trust in the US was damaged when the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran wants to speak to the US, and that he would meet with representatives of the country "if necessary."
"Iran does want to speak, and I think they'd like to speak to me, and it's time that they do," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews while on his way to a rally in Iowa.
"We're not looking to hurt them. We're looking to let them be a country again."
Possible back-channels through Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with US President Donald Trump and other officials at the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, Fox News reported on Thursday, citing multiple sources.
Reuters contributed to this report.