Iran Refuses Nuclear Talks Under Israeli Fire, Says President Pezeshkian
Iranian President tells Macron that negotiations are off the table if Israeli strikes continue; France and Oman urge return to diplomacy as regional tensions soar.
Watan-Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, declared that Tehran will not negotiate over its nuclear program as long as Israel continues its military attacks, which began Friday against the Islamic Republic.
According to a statement from the Iranian presidency, Pezeshkian said:“Iran will not accept irrational demands under pressure and will not sit at the negotiation table while the Zionist regime continues its assaults.”
On his side, Macron posted on X that he had urged his Iranian counterpart to “return quickly to the negotiating table.”
He added:“Iran’s nuclear capability is a serious matter and must be resolved through negotiation. I therefore urged President Pezeshkian to return to talks and reach an agreement, which is the only way to de-escalate the situation.”
Iran Blames Israel for Undermining Negotiations
Earlier on Saturday, Iran accused Israel of sabotaging nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington through its latest attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, stated:“The Zionist regime’s aggression against Iran, which comes in the midst of negotiations with the United States, is yet another sign of Israel’s deep-rooted hostility.”
Additionally, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi announced via X that the scheduled U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Muscat—planned for Sunday—had been canceled.
Oman has long played a mediating role in nuclear diplomacy between Iran and the West.
Background: Israeli Strikes on Iran
These developments come just a day after Israel launched a sweeping air campaign against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and military sites.
The attacks reportedly killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists and were explicitly aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
