New Delhi, Jun 21: As missile exchanges between Israel and Iran enter their second week, hopes for reviving nuclear diplomacy are dimming rapidly. Iran has ruled out any talks on its nuclear programme while under attack, just hours after Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned of a “prolonged campaign” against Iran.
Speaking to European diplomats in Geneva on Friday, Iran’s chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi said Iran was open to diplomacy — but only “once Israel’s aggression is stopped.” Quoted by the BBC, Araghchi insisted Iran’s nuclear programme remained “peaceful” and condemned Israeli strikes as violations of international law. “Iran will continue to exercise its legitimate right of self-defence,” he said, adding firmly that “Iran’s defence capabilities are non-negotiable.”
The Iranian diplomat’s comments came as the military conflict intensified. On the ground, Iran fired a new salvo of missiles targeting the northern Israeli city of Haifa, reportedly killing one Israeli woman who suffered a heart attack, bringing Israel’s total death toll to 25, according to the BBC. In retaliation, the Israel Defence Forces struck missile storage and launch sites in western Iran, continuing a series of airstrikes that have already killed senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that the Geneva talks between Iranian and European officials “started out tense but became much more positive” as discussions progressed. However, an Iranian source told the network that Tehran would not agree to give up its uranium enrichment capabilities, calling it a “bold red line.”
US President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated that Iran had a maximum of two weeks to show willingness for talks or face potential American military action. “I’m giving them a period of time,” Trump told reporters. “Two weeks would be the maximum. We want to see whether or not people come to their senses.”
The US president was also sceptical of the European diplomatic push, dismissing its relevance. “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe,” Trump said. “They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this.”
European leaders meanwhile, remain committed to finding a political solution. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy acknowledged that the situation was “perilous and deadly serious,” and urged Iran and the US to return to diplomacy within the “short window” now available, reports international media. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, quoted by the BBC, also cautioned against further militarisation. “There can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem,” he said. “It is dangerous to want to impose regime change in Iran.”
Iran’s leadership, however, remains unmoved by such appeals. An official in the Iranian presidency told CNN that diplomacy with the US could “easily” resume — but only if President Trump orders Israel to halt its strikes. Trump, for his part, said it would be “very hard” to make such a request, according to CNN.
The war has already taken a heavy toll. Iran’s health ministry reported that 224 people had been killed so far, while a human rights group cited by the BBC puts the unofficial death toll at 639. Iranian retaliation has included hundreds of ballistic missiles fired at Israeli targets, escalating fears of a wider regional war. With neither side willing to back down and diplomacy at a standstill, the conflict threatens to escalate further. As Israeli Foreign Minister Eyal Zamir warned in a televised address, the country must brace for “difficult days ahead,” reported the BBC.
For now, the missiles continue to fly, and the window for diplomacy appears to be narrowing by the day.
