Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said late Sunday that assertions that the Israeli and United States strikes on Iran were prompted by an “imminent nuclear threat” were a “heinous lie.”
Writing on X, Araghchi said the claim had been “thoroughly debunked” by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.
He said Iran did not “kill diplomacy,” insisting, “those who blew up the negotiating table did.” Tehran and Washington had completed five rounds of Oman-mediated indirect negotiations aimed at easing US sanctions and curbing Iran’s nuclear program before Israel carried out extensive airstrikes on June 13 targeting military and nuclear sites across the country.
Araghchi accused Israel of trying to sabotage dialogue just as talks were poised to resume. Less than 10 days after those attacks, US forces bombed Iran’s Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan nuclear facilities. The Pentagon has described its actions in the region as defensive and intended to deter further escalation.
The diplomatic fallout follows years of tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, which accelerated after the United States withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under President Donald Trump. Since then, Iran has increased uranium enrichment levels and restricted IAEA inspectors, while repeated efforts to revive the accord have stalled.
Oman has continued to act as an intermediary between the two sides, keeping communication open during the current standoff.
Future cooperation 'impossible'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that cooperation between Iran and the United States is not possible as long as Washington continues to support Israel and to maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East region.
"The Americans sometimes say they would like to cooperate with Iran. Cooperation with Iran is not possible as long as the US continues to support the accursed Zionist regime, maintains military bases, and interferes in the region," Khamenei said, according to state media.
Trump said in October that the US is prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready to do so, saying: "The hand of friendship and cooperation [with Iran] is open."
Talks between the two sides have faced major stumbling blocks such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimize any risk of weaponisation, a plan that Tehran has rejected.