Direct diplomatic communication between senior officials of the United States and Iran has reportedly broken down as tensions escalate over Washington’s threat of military action against Tehran.
According to Reuters, contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Wittkof have been suspended, a senior Iranian official disclosed on Wednesday.
The development comes amid renewed threats by US President Donald Trump to take military action against Iran over its violent crackdown on antigovernment protests, months after US forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict launched by Israel in June.
Iran has warned it would retaliate against US military bases in the region if attacked.
As tensions rise, some personnel have reportedly been advised to leave the US military’s Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar, Washington’s largest base in the Middle East by Wednesday evening.
Despite mounting international pressure, Iran’s judiciary signaled a hardline stance. The head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, said swift trials and punishments would be carried out for those detained during the protests.
“If we want to do a job, we should do it now,” he said in a video aired by Iranian state television. “If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly.”
He warned that delays would weaken the deterrent effect.
“If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect.”
Human rights activists have warned that executions of detained protesters could begin soon.
Iran’s Defence Minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, also issued a stern warning, saying the country had “many surprises” for any attacker and that nations assisting strikes against Iran would be treated as “legitimate targets”.
“If these threats are turned into action, we will defend the country with full force and until the last drop of blood, and our defence would be painful to them,” Nasirzadeh said at a security meeting, according to Press TV.
Communication channels between Tehran and Washington had remained open during earlier stages of the unrest, which began in late December over rising living costs and a falling currency before expanding into nationwide antigovernment protests.
Earlier this week, Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran was open to talks with the US on its nuclear programme, “provided that it is without threats or dictates”.
However, the Iranian official cited by Reuters said the renewed US threats had erased any chance of diplomatic progress, adding that planned meetings on resolving the decades-long nuclear dispute had been cancelled.
He also said Tehran had appealed to US allies in the region to “prevent Washington from attacking”.
Iranian state television has acknowledged a high death toll from the protests but blamed “armed and terrorist groups”. State media say more than 100 security personnel have been killed, while opposition activists claim the toll is higher and includes thousands of protesters; figures that cannot independently verify.
