Exchanges of messages between Iran and the United States related to efforts to reach a preliminary memorandum of understanding have been halted for at least several days now, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported Tuesday, citing an informed source.
The source said recent media reports and statements by some Western officials portraying communications between Tehran and Washington as routine "do not reflect the current reality."
According to the source, message exchanges between the two sides regarding what has been described as an initial memorandum of understanding have been suspended for several days now.
The Iranian source said the latest message from Iran to Washington was a "public message" concerning Lebanon that received broad international attention.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that talks with Iran were progressing "at a rapid pace."
"Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday that Tehran had suspended message exchanges with Washington through mediators in protest over Israeli military escalation in Lebanon.
Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people, including late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior military commanders and government officials.
A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, but efforts to reach a broader agreement have so far failed.
