Iran FM: 'No trust, no deal with US' — 'betrayal of diplomacy,' struck twice in 9 months while in talks

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a statement via India Today on March 25 declaring Tehran cannot trust US diplomacy. Baghaei accused Washington of a 'betrayal of diplomacy,' noting Iran was struck 'twice within a span of nine months' while engaged in negotiations over its nuclear program — referencing the June 2025 Twelve-Day War and the current February-March 2026 conflict, both of which occurred while some form of US-Iran nuclear dialogue was in progress. The statement is significant as it comes from the foreign ministry — Iran's diplomatic corps — rather than the IRGC's military command (which made the separate 'don't call your failure an agreement' statement earlier). The foreign ministry's 'no trust, no deal' position establishes a clear Iranian negotiating precondition: Washington must demonstrate credibility before Iran will engage formally. This aligns with Iran's dual-track approach — denying formal talks publicly while diplomatic back-channels (Pakistan, immunity grants for Araghchi) operate in parallel. The 'twice in nine months' framing resonates with Iranian domestic politics: it reinforces the narrative that US diplomacy is structurally unreliable and that Iran's military deterrence is its only reliable guarantee.