Did Israel just kill the US-Iran nuclear deal? Tehran slams Washington as ‘dishonest’ after sixth round of talks scrapped

A new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, scheduled for this weekend in Oman, has been cancelled. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced the decision on Saturday, saying, “The Iran-US talks scheduled to be held in Muscat this Sunday will not now take place.” He added that “diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace.”

The decision comes just days after Israel launched major airstrikes on Tehran, targeting military and nuclear sites and killing several senior officials and civilians.

Iran accuses US of backing Israeli strikes mid-negotiations

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of “dishonesty” for continuing to support Israel while also engaging in nuclear discussions with Tehran.

“The Zionist regime’s coordination with the United States in its aggression against Iranian territory in the midst of negotiations is a sign of America’s dishonesty and unreliability,” Pezeshkian told the Pakistani prime minister in a phone call, according to a statement from his office.

Washington still hopes for dialogue

Despite the rising tensions, a US official told AFP on Saturday that Washington remains open to talks. “We still hope to have talks,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

However, Iranian leaders appear unwilling to continue discussions under the current circumstances. State media quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying it was “unjustifiable” to carry on negotiations while Israeli attacks were still taking place.

Iran says talks ‘meaningless’ while bombs are falling

In a separate statement, the Iranian foreign ministry described the planned meeting as “meaningless” in light of Israel’s ongoing airstrikes. The ministry placed the blame squarely on the US for enabling the attacks through its alliance with Israel.

“It is obvious that in such circumstances and until the Zionist regime’s aggression against the Iranian nation stops, it would be meaningless to participate in dialogue with a party that is the biggest supporter and accomplice of the aggressor,” said ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.

He further claimed that Washington’s actions had effectively “destroyed” the chances of any productive diplomatic outcome.