Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, refuted reports of an imminent meeting between Iranian and US representatives on the nuclear issue, stating that no date, place, or timeframe has been set for such discussions, ISNA reported on July 14.

Indirect negotiations between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff, which had been ongoing since April, were abruptly suspended after Israel launched a major attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 13. The subsequent 12-day conflict, which also saw US strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites, ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24. Since then, Iran has insisted that talks will only resume if there are credible guarantees against further acts of aggression.

Despite recent speculation, including comments from Witkoff himself at the White House in early July suggesting a meeting could occur within a week, Iran has consistently dismissed these reports. Tehran is demanding guarantees that it will not be subjected to further aggression once negotiations resume.

"We will not enter into such a process until we are sure of the effectiveness of diplomacy and the negotiation process," Baghaei affirmed.

When questioned about the European threat to activate the "snapback mechanism" against Iran, Baghaei stressed that such a move would lack "legal or international basis."

The snapback mechanism, stipulated in the 2015 nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers, allows for the reinstatement of all UN sanctions on Tehran if Iran is found in violation of the agreement.

Iran began exceeding the limits set by the JCPOA in response to the US withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and the subsequent re-imposition of tough sanctions that had been lifted.

On this basis, the European parties to the deal – France, Germany, and the UK – have occasionally hinted at the possibility of triggering the mechanism, with some news outlets even reporting that it could be activated as early as July 15.

However, Baghaei contended that Iran continues to consider itself a member of the JCPOA and that its actions to reduce commitments were a direct, permissible response to the other parties' conduct, in accordance with the text of the agreement itself.

"The threat to use this mechanism is political and an act of confrontation with Iran," he asserted, warning that any such move would be met with an "appropriate response" from Tehran. 

 ran continues to see itself as a member of the JCPOA, asserting that its reduction in commitments was a direct response to US withdrawal and European non-compliance.

Iranian officials claim that the European parties themselves have breached the agreement and therefore lack the standing to invoke the snapback mechanism.