Iran accused the United States of “contradictory behavior and provocative statements” after the U.S. condemned the country for sponsoring the Yemen-based Houthis amid nuclear talks.

The U.S. and Iran have been holding negotiations in Oman over the past month to make a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting financial sanctions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously warned Iran that it would face consequences for supporting the U.S.-designated terrorist group.

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Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei criticized “the contradictory approach of American decision-makers and their lack of goodwill and seriousness in advancing the path of diplomacy” on Thursday, state media reported.

“The responsibility for the consequences and destructive effects of the contradictory behavior and provocative statements of American officials regarding Iran will lie with the American side,” Baghaei said.

This week, the U.S. State Department announced additional sanctions on “six entities and six individuals based in Iran and China for their role in a network procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”

US AND IRAN ALREADY DISAGREE ON NATURE OF TALKS IN OMAN

The U.S. has been bombing the Houthis intensively since mid-March after their attacks on ships in the Red Sea have forced cargo ships to take longer, and therefore more costly, alternative routes. Iran has insisted that the Houthis act independently.

President Donald Trump abandoned an earlier nuclear deal with Iran during his first term in 2018. He has not ruled out attacking Iran if diplomatic efforts fail.