Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday accused the United States and Israel of deliberately derailing diplomatic negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme by targeting critical nuclear facilities in recent military strikes.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi said:
“Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?”
He directly blamed Israel’s June 13 strikes for destroying progress in Iran-US talks, and said the US strikes on Sunday sabotaged discussions with European Union powers (E3/EU), referring to Britain, France, and Germany.
Responding to renewed European calls for Iran to return to the negotiating table, Araghchi asked:
“How can Iran return to something it never left?”
“To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must ‘return’ to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?” he added.
🇺🇸 US Strikes Escalate Regional Tensions
The remarks come hours after the United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz — in a bold and highly controversial move, seen as Washington directly inserting itself into Israel’s ongoing conflict with Tehran over its nuclear ambitions.
In a televised address from the White House, US President Donald Trump claimed:
“Iran’s key nuclear facilities were completely and fully obliterated.”
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the strikes but maintained that the nuclear programme will continue undeterred.
Both Iranian officials and the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the affected sites.
⚠️ Iran Warns of Consequences
Araghchi warned that Tehran’s response would depend on the “scale of US aggression”, stating:
“We will respond in accordance with our rights and national security priorities.”
He added that Washington’s actions have pushed the region closer to instability, raising alarms about the potential for a broader regional conflict.