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The State Department also eased travel restrictions on Iranian diplomats coming to the United Nations and accepting Europe’s invitations to direct talks.

But then came Mr. Biden’s decision to order military strikes Thursday on several buildings used by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and other groups in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border. The strikes were a response to a rocket attack on Feb. 15 in northern Iraq that killed one civilian contractor and wounded an American service member and members of coalition troops.

Mr. Biden said the strikes were aimed at sending a message to Iran that “you can’t act with impunity — be careful.”

The escalating military tensions coincided with Iran weighing whether it would meet with the Americans, a notion that is just as unpopular within Iran’s conservative factions as it is among many Republican leaders in the United States.

A White House spokesman said Sunday that the United States was “disappointed” by Iran’s rejection of the talks but that “we remain ready to re-engage in meaningful diplomacy,” Reuters reported.

Henry Rome, a senior analyst who follows Iran for the Eurasia Group, a political-risk consultancy, said Iran’s decision in part reflected its leaders’ desire to look resilient in the face of U.S. pressure.

“This is far from a death knell for negotiations,” he said in an email.

In his remarks Sunday, Mr. Khatibzadeh said Iran would respond in kind to both pressure and concessions from Washington.