Operatives linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence have quietly signaled openness to talks with the United States about ending the war, according to a report Wednesday, even as both sides publicly dismiss the possibility of negotiations.

According to The New York Times, Iranian intelligence figures conveyed the message to the CIA through the intermediary of a third country’s intelligence service. The communication was relayed through an unnamed nation’s spy agency, the report said, citing Middle Eastern officials and Western officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The outreach suggests that at least some figures inside Tehran’s security establishment may be exploring a potential diplomatic “off-ramp” as the conflict with the United States and Israel intensifies.

However, officials in Washington reportedly remain deeply skeptical about whether the signal represents a serious attempt by Iran to negotiate or merely a probing effort by Iranian intelligence to test U.S. intentions.

Public statements from both governments have so far pointed in the opposite direction.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Tuesday that Tehran was not prepared to negotiate with Washington, rejecting the idea of talks just days after U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes across Iran.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, suggested that Iranian officials had already attempted to reach out — but said the moment for diplomacy had passed.

“They want to talk,” Trump said Tuesday, referring to Iran’s leadership. “But it’s too late.”

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