Saturday, June 21, 2025 - Iran has declared
it will not engage in discussions about its nuclear program while under attack
from Israel, even as European diplomats attempt to revive negotiations and the
United States weighs potential involvement.
Israel, now a week into its military campaign, said it had
struck dozens of Iranian military targets overnight, including missile
production facilities, a nuclear research center in Tehran, and installations
in western and central Iran. In response, Iran launched another barrage of
missiles, hitting areas near residential and industrial zones in the southern
city of Beersheba.
The White House indicated that President Trump will decide
within two weeks whether the U.S. will step into the conflict, citing possible
diplomatic openings with Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that no
dialogue with the U.S. would occur "until Israeli aggression stops."
However, he was expected to meet with European foreign ministers in Geneva,
where hopes remain to chart a path back to diplomacy.
European diplomats say the U.S. remains open to direct
negotiations, though expectations for a breakthrough are low. A senior Iranian
official said Tehran was willing to discuss limits on uranium enrichment but
ruled out any proposal for zero enrichment—especially under Israeli
bombardment.
Israel began striking Iranian targets last week, citing the
threat of a nearing nuclear weapons capability. Iran insists its nuclear
program is peaceful. It has retaliated with missile and drone strikes, which
have resulted in civilian casualties on both sides.
According to a U.S.-based human rights group, Israeli
airstrikes have killed over 600 people in Iran, including high-ranking military
officials and nuclear scientists. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by
Iranian missile strikes.
While both nations claim to be targeting military assets,
reports indicate civilian areas have been hit. An Iranian media outlet reported
a drone strike on a residential apartment in central Tehran.
Experts say Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites pose
limited immediate contamination risks. However, any attack on the Bushehr
nuclear power plant could risk a regional nuclear disaster. Israel maintains it
wants to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat while avoiding such a catastrophe.
The Geneva meeting holds symbolic weight, as it was the site
of the original 2013 interim nuclear accord, later expanded in 2015. The U.S.
withdrew from the deal in 2018. Recent talks collapsed after Israel began its
military campaign on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
President Trump has alternated between warning Tehran and
encouraging dialogue. His regional envoy, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly held
multiple conversations with Araqchi.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the October
2023 Hamas attack on Israel, leading to multiple conflicts involving Iran's
allies across the region.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the military
to intensify attacks on “symbols of the regime” in Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian
state media reported the arrest of a Mossad agent accused of sharing
intelligence via WhatsApp
Though Iranian opposition groups sense potential for change, internal dissent has been suppressed. Despite the turmoil, pro-government rallies were reported across Iranian cities, framed by state media as acts of “rage and resistance.”
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