March 4 (Reuters) – Iranian intelligence ministry agents have expressed a willingness to negotiate an end to the war to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing officials familiar with the matter.
The New York Times cited Middle Eastern officials and an unnamed Western official as saying the offer was made through an unnamed country’s spy agency.
A source in Iran’s intelligence ministry dismissed the report as “absolute lies and psychological warfare in a war,” Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.
The White House and CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The report added that officials in Washington doubt whether Iran or the Trump administration are truly ready to “exit,” at least in the short term.
On Tuesday, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva temporarily ruled out any talks with the United States, days after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Tehran wanted to engage in dialogue but that it was too late as the United States continued military action against Iran.
(Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Gareth Jones and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)