Iran has declared that it does not trust mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, both linked to the United States, and does not want them involved in future negotiations. The statement came during ceasefire mediation talks held in Ankara, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and other officials. According to a diplomatic source cited by Middle East Monitor, Iran described past discussions with the two envoys as unconstructive and signaled a preference for indirect communication through trusted third parties.

The talks are part of a broader Turkey-Egypt mediation initiative supported by Saudi Arabia and other regional actors. The effort aims to prevent further escalation of conflict and to protect energy security and regional stability. The proposed plan includes an immediate temporary ceasefire followed by unconditional negotiations, potentially hosted in Istanbul or Muscat.

Sources indicated that the discussions may also explore security guarantees for Iran, expanded oil exports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets as part of possible compensation measures.