TEHRAN, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran will not enter negotiations with the United States until Washington backs down from its positions, semi-official Fars news agency reported Saturday, rejecting earlier media reports that Iran had sought such negotiations.
Citing a source close to the Iranian negotiating team, Fars said the start of negotiations would depend on U.S. implementation of the recently signed peace memorandum of understanding (MoU), including ending the war and securing an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, as well as resolving issues related to maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz, among other issues.
Also on Saturday, Iranian media released a written message by Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in which he said the deaths of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and others killed in the Israel-Iran war in June last year and the U.S.-Israel-Iran war in February this year must be avenged.
Taking revenge on the "criminals, whose full list is available," is a demand and will of the Iranian nation and must definitely take place, Mojtaba Khamenei said.
Ali Khamenei was killed in late February during the opening hours of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. His funeral ceremonies were held over recent days in Iran and Iraq, with his burial taking place on Friday in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.
In June 2025, Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran's nuclear and military sites, triggering a 12-day war, during which the United States bombed Iran's three major nuclear facilities.
In late February this year, joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeted Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. interests in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
In mid-June, Iran and the United States signed the MoU aimed at ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. However, the two sides have traded fresh attacks since Tuesday night, with the United States launching multiple waves of strikes on Iranian targets and Iran retaliating against U.S. military sites in the Gulf region. ■
