Iran’s FM says no contact with US envoy Witkoff, no request for talks
“I have not had any contact with Mr. Witkoff in recent days, and we have not requested negotiations,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday, according to state media.
Araghchi was responding to questions about possible message exchanges with Washington, denying reports of direct outreach to US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
He added, however, that intermediaries remain active and that Tehran is in contact with mediating countries “holding consultations,” signaling that indirect channels are still in play even as Iran publicly plays down prospects for talks.
The judiciary identified him as Hamidreza Sabet Esmailipour and said he was arrested on April 29, 2025. It said he was convicted of “espionage and intelligence cooperation,” alleging he communicated with an intelligence officer and handed over documents and classified information.
In a detailed account published by Mizan, the judiciary’s official media outlet, authorities said Sabet Esmailipour had carried out logistical and support tasks for what they described as Israeli intelligence operations, including moving vehicles between provinces and transferring funds. The report alleged some of the vehicles contained explosives intended for sabotage operations, claims that could not be independently verified.
Mizan said the man acknowledged cooperating with Mossad during interrogations and court proceedings, and that his death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court before being carried out by hanging.
Iran has executed more than a dozen people in recent months on charges of spying for Israel, cases that human rights groups say often involve opaque legal proceedings.
Iranian authorities have said more than 700 people were detained on suspicion of espionage or collaboration with Israel following the conflict in June.
US-based rights group HRANA said in a report earlier this month that at least 313 prisoners were executed by hanging during a period of nationwide protests between late December and late January, adding that executions surged alongside mass arrests and a security crackdown as unrest spread and internet access was widely restricted.
