Tehran, June 27 -- Iran has ruled out plans to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview on state television on Thursday, directly contradicting US President Donald Trump's claim that talks were scheduled for next week, The Times of Israel reported.

Araghchi stated that Tehran was still evaluating whether engaging in renewed talks with Washington served the nation's interests. He recalled that five previous rounds of negotiations were cut short following attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities by Israel and subsequently the United States. While Washington and Jerusalem said the strikes aimed to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Tehran insists its programme is strictly for civilian use. Howeve...