ISTANBUL

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that his latest contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff was before the "illegal military attack" on Iran that began on Feb. 28.

"Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public," Araghchi said on US social media company X.

His remarks were in response to a report by US news website Axios that claimed Witkoff and Araghchi exchanged text messages focused on ending the war, marking the first known direct communication since fighting broke out more than two weeks ago.

Iran has refused to surrender and retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, disrupting global markets and aviation, and blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil shipments.