'Washington called first': US, Iran held direct talks multiple times since Israeli strikes - What did they talk about?

The United States and Iran have been in direct contact several times since Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites last week. These talks come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

According to a Reuters report, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke multiple times by phone to find a diplomatic way out of this crisis.

The report suggests that Iran has made it clear it will not return to nuclear negotiations with the US unless Israel stops its attacks, which began on 13 June. Araqchi reportedly told Witkoff that Tehran “could show flexibility in the nuclear issue” if the United States pressured Israel to halt the air raids.

A diplomat familiar with the talks said, “The (first) call was initiated by Washington, which also proposed a new offer” to break the deadlock between both sides.

Among the topics discussed was a US proposal first presented to Iran in late May, which aimed to set up a regional uranium enrichment consortium. Under the plan, uranium would be enriched outside of Iran, reducing nuclear tensions. So far, Tehran has rejected the idea.

However, the latest conversations suggest there may be some room for movement, depending on how Washington handles Israel’s military actions.

One week of the Israel-Iran war

It has now been a week since open fighting erupted between Israel and Iran. The violence began after Israeli strikes on key nuclear sites in Iran triggered a series of retaliatory attacks.

The situation has spiralled quickly, with missile and drone attacks from both sides. Although the United States says it is not directly involved, it has helped defend Israeli airspace using missile systems like Patriot and THAAD to intercept incoming Iranian attacks.

According to official reports, over 200 people have died in Iran, and 24 in Israel, since hostilities broke out. With fighting ongoing, the actual toll could be significantlyhigher.