ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday there is no ceasefire with the US to extend, rejecting reports that Tehran and Washington had agreed to prolong the 60-day period set for negotiations.

Araghchi said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Washington and Tehran on June 14 was intended to end the war, rather than establish a ceasefire that could later be extended.

“We did not have a ceasefire that could now be extended; we had an end to the war, which has now entered a new phase,” Iranian news outlet Shahrara News quoted Araghchi as saying.

Several media outlets reported that the two sides had agreed to extend the 60-day ceasefire or negotiations period, claims Araghchi rejected, saying the period was intended for negotiations toward a final agreement rather than a ceasefire.

“What was discussed regarding the 60 days was actually a 60-day opportunity for negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement. Essentially, there is no such thing as an extension of the ceasefire,” he added.

He also said, “We have not yet decided to resume negotiations with the United States,” reiterating that the exchange of messages through mediators “does not mean negotiations.”

On June 14, Washington and Tehran reached the MoU with a 60-day period set for negotiations toward a final peace deal. After 21 days, however, the deal fell apart, with both sides targeting each other’s interests in the region.

Earlier in August, Araghchi told reporters that he sees “no possibility” of resuming talks until Washington ends its “violations” of a joint understanding and makes amends.

The US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, with Washington maintaining that the offensive was intended to eliminate Iran's nuclear capabilities and impose limits on its missile program.