Israeli Channel 12 revealed on Monday, citing a high-ranking official, the identity of the Iranian representative conducting negotiations with the United States, which were previously announced by US President Donald Trump.
According to the channel, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf is Tehran's representative in the talks, noting that discussions to hold a meeting between senior Iranian and American officials are taking place in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, later this week.
The Israeli official said that Tel Aviv was aware of mediation efforts by several countries to start talks between Iran and the United States, but was "surprised" by statements by US President Donald Trump about the progress of these contacts and the existence of alleged agreements on 15 points.
These statements come hours after Trump announced that Washington and Tehran had held "very positive and productive" negotiations, while the Iranian Fars News Agency denied any contact between the two sides, either directly or through intermediaries.
Tasnim news agency also quoted an informed source as saying that Iran “has not conducted and is not conducting negotiations with the United States regarding ending the conflict.”
This announcement comes as the war continues for the 24th consecutive day, with ongoing exchanges of missile and drone strikes, amid reports of mediation efforts led by Qatar, Turkey and Egypt to reach a settlement.
Qalibaf is considered an influential figure in Iran, and he has close ties with the Revolutionary Guard, which may enable him to negotiate on sensitive issues.
