Iran declared on Friday that ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States are now “meaningless” following Israel’s largest-ever military strike against Iran. Tehran accused Washington of supporting the attack and undermining the diplomatic process.
“The other side (the U.S.) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency. “You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time allow the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran’s territory.”
Baghaei added that Israel had “succeeded in influencing” the diplomatic efforts, suggesting that the Israeli attack would not have occurred without U.S. permission.
Earlier, Iran accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel’s actions, a claim that Washington has denied. At the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. urged Tehran that it would be “wise” to continue negotiations over its nuclear program.
The sixth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. was scheduled to take place on Sunday in Muscat. However, following the Israeli strikes, it remains uncertain whether the talks will proceed.
Iran maintains that its uranium enrichment program is solely for civilian purposes, rejecting allegations from Israel that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team were aware of the impending Israeli attacks but still believed there was room for an agreement with Iran.
