Iran said direct talks with the United States on sanctions relief and nuclear issues have not begun and that a 60-day negotiation period tied to a June 18 memorandum of understanding has lost its meaning after Washington allegedly breached the arrangement. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the memorandum contained no clause setting a 60-day deadline and that the period was intended for negotiations, with room for an extension if no agreement was reached. Iran also said separate talks with Oman are taking longer than expected because the agenda is complex, multiple parties are involved and some countries are trying to disrupt the process. No countries were named, and no timetable was given for the next stage of those talks.