JERUSALEM: Iran said it would not engage in discussions about its nuclear program while under Israeli attack.
Meanwhile, European countries are attempting to persuade Tehran to return to negotiations, and the United States is deliberating its potential involvement in the escalating conflict, according to Reuters.
After a week of military operations, Israel reported striking numerous military sites, including missile production facilities, a research institute linked to nuclear weapons development in Tehran, and other military installations in western and central Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that negotiations with the U.S. are off the table “until Israeli aggression ceases.” However, he later traveled to Geneva to meet with European foreign ministers, where Europe aims to pave the way back to diplomatic talks, Reuters stated.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is unlikely to urge Israel to halt or reduce airstrikes to facilitate negotiations. “It’s difficult to ask for that when one side is winning, but we remain ready and willing to engage,” he said.
Speaking upon arrival in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump expressed skepticism that European negotiators could broker a ceasefire, asserting that Iran prefers to negotiate directly with the U.S. and that Europe’s role would be limited.
Trump also declined to comment on the possible deployment of U.S. ground forces in Iran and disputed statements from his own intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, by affirming that Iran possesses the capability to develop a nuclear weapon. Gabbard had testified to Congress in March that U.S. intelligence assessments concluded Tehran was not actively pursuing a nuclear warhead.
Trump said he would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. would support Israel’s efforts, allowing time to see if cooler heads prevail.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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