
Iran says nuclear talks with US 'meaningless' after Israel attack, World News
CAIRO - Iran said on Friday (June 13) the dialogue with the US over Tehran's nuclear programme is "meaningless" after Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, accusing Washington of supporting the attack.
"The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
He said Israel "succeeded in influencing" the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission.
Iran earlier accused the US of being complicit in Israel's attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be "wise" to negotiate over its nuclear programme.
The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes.
Iran denies that its uranium enrichment programme is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
[[nid:719066]]
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Sunday's US-Iran nuclear talks cancelled, Oman says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left) arriving in Muscat in May for nuclear talks with the United States. PHOTO: AFP MUSCAT - The latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for June 15 in Muscat will not take place, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on June 14. Oman has been mediating the talks. Mr Albusaidi's statement came a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against Iran, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon. A senior official of US President Donald Trump's administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the June 15 talks had been cancelled. Washington, however, remained committed to the negotiations, and hoped 'the Iranians will come to the table soon,' the official said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.


CNA
40 minutes ago
- CNA
How much damage has Israel inflicted on Iran's nuclear programme?
VIENNA: Israel's strikes on Iran have taken aim at its nuclear facilities, amid fears that the Islamic republic is seeking to develop nuclear weapons - an accusation Tehran denies. Experts told AFP that while the attacks might have caused some damage to Iran's nuclear programme, they are unlikely to have delivered a fatal blow. WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE? Israel's operation included strikes on Iran's underground uranium enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordow, and a uranium conversion facility at Isfahan, according to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing information from Iranian officials. IAEA said on Friday that a key, above-ground component of Iran's Natanz nuclear site had been destroyed, also citing Iranian officials. There was "extensive" damage to the site's power supply, according to a report from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based organisation specialising in nuclear proliferation, which analysed satellite images. A loss of electricity to underground facilities can significantly damage the site's centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium, the ISIS institute said. If backup power is lost, "at the least, the enrichment plant is rendered inoperable for the time being", it said. Iran has said the damage to Fordow, south of Tehran, was minor. But experts said it is impossible at this stage to determine the impact the strikes might have had on uranium stockpiles believed to be stored around the Isfahan site. Ali Vaez, International Crisis Group's Iran project director, told AFP that if Iran managed to transfer significant quantities to "secret facilities," then "the game is lost for Israel". CAN THE PROGRAMME BE DESTROYED? While "Israel can damage Iran's nuclear programme ... it is unlikely to be able to destroy it", Vaez said, arguing that Israel does not have the massively powerful bombs needed "to destroy the fortified, bunkered facilities in Natanz and Fordow". Destroying those would require US military assistance, added Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control Association. She also stressed that Israel's unprecedented attack cannot erase the expertise Iran had built up on nuclear weapons, despite killing nine Iranian nuclear scientists. WHAT ARE THE RISKS TO THE IRANIAN POPULATION? The IAEA has not detected any increase in radiation levels at the affected sites. "There is very little risk that attacks on Iran's uranium enrichment facilities would result in a harmful radiation release," said Davenport. But an attack on Bushehr, Iran's only nuclear power plant, could "have a serious impact on health and the environment", she added. After Israel launched its strikes, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that nuclear facilities "must never be attacked" and that targeting Iranian sites could have "grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond". IS IRAN CLOSE TO DEVELOPING NUCLEAR BOMBS? After the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from a landmark deal that sought to curb Tehran's nuclear activities, Iran has gradually retreated from some of its obligations, particularly on uranium enrichment. As of mid-May, the country had an estimated 408.6 kilogrammes enriched to up to 60 per cent - just a short step from the 90 per cent needed for a nuclear warhead. Iran theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for about 10 nuclear bombs, according to the definition by the Vienna-based IAEA. Iran is the only non nuclear-armed state producing uranium to this level of enrichment, according to the UN nuclear watchdog. While the IAEA has been critical of Iran's lack of cooperation with the UN body, it says that there is "no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear programme". Tehran has consistently denied ambitions to develop nuclear warheads. But Davenport warned the strikes could strengthen factions in Iran advocating for an atomic arsenal.

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Sunday's U.S.-Iran nuclear talks cancelled, Oman says
FILE PHOTO: Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi attends a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo The latest round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat will not take place, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on Saturday. Oman has been mediating the talks. Albusaidi's statement came a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against Iran, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon. A senior official of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sunday's talks had been cancelled. Washington, however, remained committed to the negotiations and hoped "the Iranians will come to the table soon," the official said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.