Iran VP Aref says US using intermediaries to seek negotiations with Iran

Iran's First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said the United States is resorting to intermediaries to negotiate with Iran, speaking at a meeting of the cabinet of ministers, according to Mehr News. Aref said Washington uses various means and methods, including direct contact initiated by its own president with a lower-ranking official from an African nation, to enlist intermediaries for negotiations with Iran.

Aref congratulated the National Day of Flag, describing the flag as a symbol of Iran's civilization and culture as well as of national unity, cohesion and solidarity. He said people from all walks of life, groups and ethnic backgrounds, alongside prominent figures, gather around the flag to safeguard this front.

He also congratulated the advent of Sacred Defense Week and commemorated the memory of martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, the eight-year Sacred Defense (the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war), the two recent wars imposed by the US and Israel against Iran (the 12-day and 40-day wars), and the martyrs of the Minab school. Aref said the country's victories in the 12-day and 40-day wars were indebted to the efforts, valor and self-sacrifice of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Separately, Aref referred to the message of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei on the start of the new school year, calling it a guiding message and a roadmap for the government in education, science and technology for the current year. The Leader emphasized the need to enhance the quality of education and skills development, and to elevate the status of teachers and address their livelihood issues.

According to Mehr News, Aref made these remarks during the cabinet meeting, where he addressed the US approach to negotiations, the significance of the national flag, and the Leader's message on the new academic year.