Iran won’t consider nuclear talks with US until Israeli ‘aggression’ stops, says Foreign Minister Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday (Jun 20) said that Tehran is ready to “consider diplomacy” again only after Israel’s “aggression is stopped”. Araghchi made the remarks following discussions with European powers in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear programme, where top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany were present. This comes as Israel’s military chief warned that the war, which started on June 13, will be “prolonged”. Both sides have continued the attacks as the conflict in the Middle East entered its second week on Friday.

“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once the aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes committed... We support the continuation of discussion with” Britain, France, Germany and the European Union “and express our readiness to meet again in the near future,” Araghchi told reporters following the talks at a Geneva hotel.

Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said in a video statement, “We must be ready for a prolonged campaign.” Zamir’s remarks come eight days after Israel launched a massive wave of strikes as part of a military operation aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – a claim that Tehran has consistently denied. He added, “The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that European powers would not be able to help end the conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump dismissed the chances of Europe making a difference, saying that the talks between Britain, France, Germany and EU diplomats and Tehran's foreign minister “didn't help.”

“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this,” Trump told reporters as he arrived in Morristown, New Jersey. When asked whether he would ask Israel to stop its attacks as Iran had asked, Trump said it was “very hard to make that request right now.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, “We invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for.” He added that there “can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem”. Barrot also warned that it was “dangerous to want to impose a regime change” in Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said that he did not rule out killing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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