Netanyahu denies knowledge of US-Iran talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denied knowledge of a reported agreement between Washington and Tehran to hold direct negotiations over Iran’s unsanctioned nuclear program.

“I have no information about such contacts and I cannot say whether there is truth in the report,” said the prime minister during an earthquake-preparedness drill in Holon, where he was accompanied by  Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter.

“I can say, though, that Iran has used negotiations to buy time with America,” Netanyahu added.

The New York Times reported Saturday, citing unnamed security officials, that Iran and the US had agreed to hold direct negotiations over Iran’s uranium-enrichment program. The report has since been denied by both the White House and Tehran.

“We don’t have any discussions or negotiations with America,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said, according to Reuters. “The [nuclear] talks are ongoing with the P5+1 group of nations. Other than that, we have no discussions with the United States.”

National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said “it’s not true that the United States and Iran have agreed to one-on-one talks or any meeting after the American elections.”