Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced on Sunday, May 26 that there are no direct or indirect talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic.

Abbas Araqchi who was visiting Oman categorically denied all reports that suggest negotiations have begun between Washington and Tehran, Iranian media reported.

Earlier in the day, the foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi in Tehran had refuted news attributed to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kuwait Khaled al-Jarallah, who was quoted by Arab media as saying that talks between Iran and the U.S. have started. “There are no talks, direct or indirect, taking place between Iran and the U.S.”, Mousavi said.

The news attributed to the Kuwaiti official said that the trip of Omani foreign minister to Tehran on May 20 signaled the start of talks. Oman played a key role in 2013 to kick off negotiations that eventually led to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran.

But Araqchi denied the news about talks, while he visited Oman just days after the Omani foreign minister was in Tehran.

There was a similar denial by the U.S. State department on Thursday. Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus denied that Washington had sent any special signals or delegations, saying that her country had nothing to hide from its position on tension with Iran.