23 hours ago
Last Updated:June 14, 2025, 18:59 IST
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday called further nuclear talks with the United States “meaningless” after Israeli strikes.
Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump (Reuters File Image)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday called further nuclear talks with the United States “meaningless" after Israeli strikes wreaked havoc on the country. Esmail Baghaei’s remarks have put further talks between the two nations, into doubt.
“The US did a job that made the talks become meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran’s territory," Baghaei was quoted as saying by state-run media, adding that Israel had crossed all Iran’s red lines by committing a “criminal act" through its strikes. However, he stopped short of saying that the talks were cancelled.
US President Donald Trump had demanded Iran to strike a nuclear deal to halt its controversial nuclear programme, threatening Tehran with military action. The prospect of further talks was cast into further doubt after Iran withdrew from official talks with the US on Friday.
Baghaei accused the US of supporting the Israeli attack. He said that the Israeli regime “succeeded in influencing" the diplomatic process and claimed the strike would not have happened without Washington’s permission.
‘Unjustifiable’: Iran’s Top Diplomat
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said nuclear talks with the United States would be “unjustifiable" after Israeli strikes on his country — an indication there would be no negotiations this weekend. The US and Iran teams were scheduled to hold talks in Oman on Sunday.
Like other Iranian officials, he also accused the US of being complicit in Israeli strikes. “The continuation of the indirect talks between Iran and the US is unjustifiable in a situation where the wildness by the Zionist regime continues," he said.
Trump had been seeking a new nuclear deal to place limits on Iran‘s disputed uranium enrichment activities, and a sixth round of talks over Tehran’s nuclear program had been scheduled between the United States and Iran in Oman.
Trump’s Reaction To Israeli Strikes
However, Trump praised the Israeli assault on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, calling the attack “excellent" and warning that “there’s more to come." He said the US knew about the strikes but were not involved, while pushing for Iran to make a deal.
“We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it," he said, adding, “They got hit hard, very hard—about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come. A lot more." He also said he had directed his administration to negotiate with Iran.
The US President’s comments come after a night of intense Israeli airstrikes on Iranian soil, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claiming to have targeted nuclear facilities and high-ranking military figures.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...
Read More
Tehran, Iran
First Published:News world Iran Says Nuclear Talks With US 'Meaningless' After Israeli Strikes
