A senior Iranian official, Ali Larijani, has made it clear that his country “will not give up on negotiations” as tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel escalate. In a post on social media, Larijani accused President Donald Trump of stoking the regional crisis, saying Iran did not initiate aggression but was acting in self-defense.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said the number he had withdrawn from was “excessive demands” to make nuclear talks fruitful. Speaking about the tense efforts between Tehran and Washington, he said the success of the talks depended on “sincerity and realism” and the absence of miscalculations and hard conditions that could derail an agreement.
The remarks came as heavy airstrikes were launched from inside Iran, causing flash floods and landslides in Tehran. According to Iranian officials, more than 200 people have been killed in the attacks since the joint US-Israeli airstrikes began.
The US and Israel have been targeting ballistic missiles, air bases and Iranian military installations. The US military said the B-2 bombers had dropped 2,000-pound bombs on key locations. President Trump boasted that nine Iranian ships had been sunk and a naval base had been largely destroyed.
The war quickly spilled over from Iran to Israel, cutting off other countries in the region. Iran has fired missiles at Israel and Arab countries, including a US military base in Kuwait — which has become the US’s main weapon in the conflict. Israel says 11 people have been killed in attacks on Jerusalem and other incidents.
As for Iran, Bahrain and Kuwait reported that Iranian missiles and drones had been launched from their bases. Similarly, a drone attack on a British base was reported in Cyprus after Britain agreed to use its bases.
Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Lebanon have also joined the fight. Iraqi Shiite militias have claimed responsibility for a US base in Baghdad, while the Illilah have fired missiles at Israel, prompting fresh Israeli airstrikes in Beirut. The Lebanese government has warned that the country could return to war.
