Iran would resume nuclear talks with US with guarantees
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war".
Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated".
"The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said.
Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.
Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests.
He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors.
"The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said.
Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
with AP
Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war".
Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated".
"The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said.
Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.
Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests.
He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors.
"The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said.
Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
with AP
Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war".
Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated".
"The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said.
Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.
Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests.
He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors.
"The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said.
Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
with AP
Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war".
Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated".
"The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said.
Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.
Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests.
He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors.
"The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said.
Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon.
US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
with AP
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Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel.
