Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that there are currently no talks between Iran and the US, Reuters reported.
Araghchi told Iran's Press TV that the exchange of messages through mediators doesn't constitute a negotiation between the countries, and that Tehran's leadership has no intention of holding talks with the US after reviewing its latest proposal.
The Iranian minister also assured that Iran "is not seeking war and wants a permanent end to the conflict."
Earlier on Wednesday, Press TV cited an Iranian official saying that the US proposal to end the war was "excessive," and that Tehran will end the war only at a time of its own choosing and if its conditions are met.
An Iranian official confirmed to Reuters that the response to the US proposal was not positive and that Tehran was still reviewing it. The official also said that Tehran's initial response has been delivered to Pakistan for conveyance to Washington.
Additionally, Iran has told intermediaries that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement with the US and Israel, six regional sources familiar with Iran's position said.
US didn't receive an official response from Iran
Axios reported that, according to a US official, the Trump administration had not yet received any official messages from Iran rejecting the offer.
The original proposal sent by the US, according to a report by The New York Times, included a 15-point plan to Iran aimed at ending the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The plan, which was delivered to Iran via Pakistan, reportedly addresses Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs, as well as issues regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
According to N12 News, citing three sources familiar with the details of the potential plan, the US is considering declaring a month-long ceasefire during which negotiations on the agreement would take place.
The 15-point plan reportedly contains terms including the dismantling of all existing Iranian nuclear capabilities, a commitment that Iran will discontinue efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, and a requirement that any already enriched uranium be moved out of Iran.
Iran warns of possible new front in Yemen
In a separate event, the semiofficial IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency reported on Wednesday that Iran was ready to "take action in the Bab al-Mandab Strait (connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean) if provoked."
The agency, citing military sources, said that "if the enemy wants to take action on land in the Iranian islands or anywhere else in our lands or to inflict costs on Iran with naval movements in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, we will open other fronts as a surprise for him so that his action will not only not benefit him but will also double his costs."
"The Bab al-Mandab Strait is considered one of the strategic straits in the world, and Iran has both the will and the possibility to produce a completely credible threat against it," the official added.
Goldie Katz and Tobias Holcman contributed to this report.