Direct communication between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently resumed, Axios reported Monday, citing a U.S. official and an informed source.
Axios noted that it remains unclear how detailed or significant the exchanges between Araghchi and Witkoff were, marking the first known direct contact since the start of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28.
According to Axios, sources indicated that Araghchi sent the text messages to Witkoff, although the US official emphasized that Washington is “not talking” to Tehran. Drop Site News previously reported that Witkoff had reached out to Araghchi, with Iranian officials saying the minister was ignoring the reports.
(LiveMint could not independently verify its authenticity)
American-Israeli, Iranian conflict
The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, targeting Iranian leadership and strategic military sites, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials as part of Operation Epic Fury. The attacks marked a major escalation after years of tension and failed negotiations.
Iran quickly responded with missile and drone strikes against Israeli territory, US bases in the Middle East and allied Gulf countries. The swift retaliation widened the conflict and drew in Iran-linked groups such as Hezbollah, prompting further Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Fighting has spread on multiple fronts, including major attacks on US military installations in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
The conflict had major regional and global consequences. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, has been disrupted, pushing up oil and gas prices. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced or killed, particularly in Iran and Lebanon. More than 200 US soldiers were injured in retaliatory attacks in seven countries, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a source.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he was not sure if Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was still alive and noted that Washington did not know who he could be dealing with in Tehran.
“We don’t know … if he’s dead or not,” Trump told reporters at the White House, according to AFP.
He urged US allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after European nations ruled out a NATO mission to reopen the critical waterway that Iran closed during the Middle East war. Trump also called for more “enthusiasm” from other countries, saying he believed France and Britain would participate, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a warning that it could target US companies and their facilities across the region, and called on employees to leave those locations immediately.
“Employees of American companies… are asked to leave these areas immediately. These areas will soon be targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the guards said on their official Sepah News website.
