Top Iranian security official Ali Larijani said on Monday that Iran will not negotiate with the United States, as Tehran fired missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states.

Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Ali Larijani, made it clear on Monday that the country will not negotiate with the United States and is currently focused on defending itself.

Larijani stressed that Iran’s armed forces did not initiate the conflict, framing the military response as purely defensive.

“This is the very gist of the matter when it comes to Iran’s rhetoric over the past few days,” he said.

When asked about potential diplomatic engagement, a spokesperson from the Iranian Foreign Ministry told Al Jazeera that Tehran had already attempted negotiations twice: once in 2025, which was interrupted by Israeli air strikes, and now again, as Iran faces renewed attacks while awaiting planned talks with both the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

President Donald Trump, who had previously encouraged Iranians to challenge their government, indicated on Sunday that he remained open to dialogue with Iran’s new leadership.

Since the strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have died in the ongoing conflict.