Iran has declared negotiations over its nuclear programme with the United States “meaningless” following Israel’s largest-ever military assault on Iranian territory, accusing Washington of enabling the attack.
“The other side [the U.S.] acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday. “You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time allow the Zionist regime [Israel] to target Iran’s territory.”
The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military sites and infrastructure — strikes Tehran says could not have happened without U.S. support or coordination.
The United States has denied involvement in the operation, dismissing the allegations as baseless. Addressing the United Nations Security Council, U.S. officials maintained that pursuing nuclear talks remained a viable and wise option for Iran.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump’s reaction has further fueled Iranian distrust. Describing the Israeli strikes as “excellent,” Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resolve and suggested Iran’s leaders now face a “second chance” to avert total devastation.
“This is their opportunity to save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform, warning that future strikes could be “much worse than anything they know.”
The latest developments have cast doubt over the planned sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, originally scheduled for Sunday in Oman. Iranian officials say the decision to participate remains under review in light of the Israeli offensive.
“It is still unclear what decision we will make for Sunday,” Baghaei told Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
Israel, which views Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat, has pledged to continue military operations until it is satisfied that Tehran has abandoned any alleged weapons programme. Iranian officials maintain their uranium enrichment efforts are solely for peaceful, civilian purposes and accuse Israel of fabricating evidence to justify aggression.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed that the campaign would last “as many days as it takes” to eliminate the so-called “nuclear threat.”
Trump, echoing Israeli determination, claimed the U.S. produces “the best and most lethal military equipment” in the world, much of which, he said, has been supplied to Israel. “And they [the Israelis] know how to use it,” he added ominously.
In Tehran, political analysts warn that the prospects for diplomacy are rapidly fading.
“The Israelis essentially killed the diplomatic solution,” said Hamed Mousavi, a professor of political science at Tehran University, speaking to Al Jazeera. “What was surprising was the Americans were fully coordinating with the Israelis. So I think it’s unlikely the negotiations will continue.”
Mousavi described the public mood in Iran as “defiant,” despite Israeli hopes that the strikes might spark civil unrest or destabilize the regime.
“The Israelis were really expecting protests or riots in Tehran. That hasn’t happened. Instead, people seem united — not with the West, but against this aggression,” he said.
As both sides dig in, the spectre of a broader regional conflict looms, while the nuclear question that once drew negotiators to the table now threatens to become a trigger for war.
BOB Post
