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Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Israel war sabotaged diplomacy, but the US can revive it
Israel war sabotaged diplomacy, but the US can revive it By Abbas Araghchi Foreign Minister of Iran In only five meetings over nine weeks, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and I achieved more than I did in four years of nuclear negotiations with the failed Biden administration. We were on the cusp of a historic breakthrough. To address US concerns that Iran may one day divert its peaceful nuclear program, we held detailed, frank discussions — including on the future of Iranian uranium enrichment. There were several ideas for a win-win solution, put forward by both sides, and by Oman. Equally important, we also focused on the termination of sanctions and US involvement in wider economic co-operation that constituted a trillion-dollar opportunity. Iran was open to mutually beneficial collaboration that would electrify the Iranian economy and address US President Donald Trump's priority to revive dying American industries, such as the nuclear energy sector. Things were looking up, with a flurry of messages exchanged. But only 48 hours before a pivotal sixth meeting, Israel launched an unprovoked assault on my country. In addition to safeguarded nuclear facilities, homes, hospitals, our essential energy infrastructure and even prisons were bombed. Cowardly killings of academics and their families were also carried out. This was a profound betrayal of diplomacy. As Iran-US dialogue was finally gaining momentum, the reckless bombardment sent an unambiguous message: Israel prefers conflict over resolution. Israel falsely claimed its air strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In reality, as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty, Iran has always been committed to a peaceful nuclear program under UN monitoring. As any dignified nation under attack would, Iran fiercely resisted the aggression until Israel had to rely on President Trump to end the war it had initiated. Having been wronged once, Iran is now doubly cautious. Our commitment to acting responsibly to avoid a full-scale regional war should not be misinterpreted as weakness. We will defeat any future attack on our people. And should the day ever come, we will reveal our real capabilities, to dispel any illusions about Iran's power. Needless to say, the progress made in talks between Iran and the US has been sabotaged; not by Iran, but by an ostensible ally of America. This is not to mention the fateful decision by the US to allow itself to be cajoled into undermining international law and the NPT with its own strikes. Although Iran has in recent days received messages indicating that the US may be ready to return to negotiations, how can we trust further engagement? Iran signed a comprehensive nuclear deal with six countries in 2015, including the US, which Washington unilaterally abrogated three years later. And after agreeing to new negotiations in good faith, we have seen our good will reciprocated with an attack by two nuclear-armed militaries. Iran remains interested in diplomacy but we have good reason to have doubts about further dialogue. If there is a desire to resolve this amicably, the US should show genuine readiness for an equitable accord. Washington should also know that its actions in recent weeks have changed the situation. Iranians will never agree to surrender. Iran is a millennia-old civilization that has overcome countless invasions, emerging stronger each time. We have always preferred peace, yet we have always been the ones to decide when, and how, aggression against our people ends. As the Israeli regime's miscalculations have proved, Iranians invariably rally in unison against aggressors. Negotiations held under the shadow of war are inherently unstable, and dialogue pursued amid threats is never genuine. For diplomacy to succeed, it must be built on mutual respect. Nor can it survive perpetual sabotage by third parties who fear a resolution. The American people deserve to know that their country is being pushed towards a wholly avoidable and unwarranted war by a foreign regime that does not share their interests. As for Washington, it should know that the aggression has made our scientists and their achievements more dear to us than ever. Trump's promise of 'America First' is, in practice, being twisted into 'Israel First'. Having witnessed the sacrifice of thousands of American lives and the waste of trillions of their taxpayer dollars in our region, Americans appear to have had enough. The path towards peace requires a recognition in the US that respectful dialogue, and not reckless coercion, is the only sustainable way forward. The choice is America's. Will the US finally choose diplomacy? Or will it remain ensnared in someone else's war?
First Post
12-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Confusion Over Iran Nuclear Talks, Trump, Pezeshkian, Tehran Split Firstpost America
Confusion Over Iran Nuclear Talks, Trump, Pezeshkian, Tehran Split | Firstpost America | N18G Confusion Over Iran Nuclear Talks, Trump, Pezeshkian, Tehran Split | Firstpost America | N18G Confusion surrounds the future of Iran-US nuclear talks after Donald Trump claimed Tehran wants to resume negotiations. Iran swiftly denied making any such request, with Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi calling the claim misleading and stressing that recent US and Israeli attacks have damaged trust. In an op-ed, Araghchi warned Iran is now "doubly cautious" and ready to defend itself. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed openness to talks if trust is rebuilt, sparking backlash from hardliners who accused him of being "too soft." As conflicting narratives emerge from Washington and Tehran, uncertainty looms over whether diplomacy is truly back on the table. See More
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Is Iran planning something dangerous? Nuclear experts have a warning after US strikes
Iran could become more dangerous after the 12-day war with Israel and the US strikes on its key nuclear facilities last month, nuclear arms experts have warned. Iran has stopped its cooperation with IAEA and might be getting ready to pull out of the NPT.(REUTERS/ File) The US struck three key Iranian nuclear facilities last month using bunker buster bombs. These were Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. While US President Donald Trump said the strikes obliterated the country's nuclear program, experts have given a big warning regarding Tehran's nuclear future. Nuclear proliferation experts, quoted in an ABC News report, believe the strikes could lead to a "fork-in-the-road" moment that results in Tehran taking a more dangerous and secretive path to obtaining nuclear arms if it chooses to do so. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a bill approved last week by the parliament to halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. The country is also mulling a withdrawal from the 57-year-old Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT). "The last country to pull out of the NPT was North Korea," Howard Stoffer, a professor of international affairs at the University of New Haven and former deputy executive director of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee, told ABC News. The NPT, signed by 191 countries in 1968, said countries, other than those certified as nuclear powers, cannot develop nuclear weapons. However, it allows countries to pursue peaceful civilian nuclear programs, like those for energy use. "They can go right up to the brink, and basically do everything except assemble the weapons in their final form and still be technically in compliance with the treaty. That frightens a lot of countries that are Iran's neighbours, Israel in particular," John Erath, senior policy director for the Centre for Arms and Non-Proliferation, told ABC News. Iran has made it clear that it would 'act according to its own interest' regarding the NPT. The treaty also requires inspection by the IAEA, so it remains to be seen how Tehran fulfils that obligation in light of the new law if it decides to join it. The Iran-US nuclear deal Iran signed a nuclear deal with several world powers led by the United States in 2015, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under the Barack Obama administration. The agreement limited Iran's civilian nuclear program to peaceful purposes in exchange for lifting economic sanctions imposed on the country. President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord during his first term in 2018, calling it "defective to its core" and reimposed US sanctions on Iran. Since then, multiple attempts have been made to negotiate a new deal with Tehran, including by Trump himself, but it hasn't borne fruit yet.
United News of India
27-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Iranian FM admits US-Israel strikes caused ‘serious damage' to its nuclear sites
Tehran, June 27 (UNI) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday acknowledged that US and Israeli strikes had done "serious harm" to its nuclear sites, directly contradicting the stance of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the country's paramilitary group, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "This damage has not been minor — serious harm has been done to our facilities. They are currently conducting a thorough assessment of the damage," he said in an interview with the state broadcaster IRIB News, referring to Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, reports Iran International. Khamenei had earlier boasted that Iran had dealt a 'crushing blow' to the Israeli Defence Forces, and said that the US airstrikes on June 22 did very minimal damage to its nuclear facilities, a stance maintained by the IRGC's top commanders, though the statement was staunchly rebuked and mocked by Jerusalem. Araghchi added that Tehran would not allow the UN nuclear watchdog chief Raphael Grossi into the country as the parliament considers exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which mandates inspections. "For now, we do not intend to allow Mr Grossi into Tehran. As for the inspectors, it still needs to be reviewed — if their presence aligns with parliamentary law, we'll consider it. But clearly, if they want to inspect the destroyed facilities, it means they're trying to assess the extent of the damage." He further accused Israel and the US of starting a war with the country, even though Tehran was willing to come to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear programme. The primary interlocutor behind the Iran-US talks in the last two months, which ended with Israel's surprise attack earlier this month, the FM further warned against the triggering of United Nations "snapback" sanctions. "Iran's nuclear issue will become far more complex and difficult if the snapback mechanism is triggered — just as they made things more complicated by launching a war," Araghchi added, signalling a hard line on reviving talks or making a nuclear deal. "They thought they could destroy our nuclear facilities, leave us empty-handed at the negotiating table, and then say, 'Come, let's negotiate.' That didn't happen.'" UNI ANV PRS
Barnama
27-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Escalating Tension In Middle East Raises Cost Concerns Among Travellers, Insurers
The widespread flight delays, rerouting and cancellations are affecting global travel routes through the Gulf region - despite a ceasefire announced between Iran and Israel. KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) — Air travellers and insurance companies are deeply concerned over possible rise in costs brought on by the escalating geopolitical tension in the Middle East which has led to abrupt closure of major airports in the region, which serve as among the busiest aviation hubs. "The situation had disrupted flight paths to Europe, with airlines forced to avoid the Middle East corridor," he said recently. Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that several Malaysian flights to the Middle East have been cancelled following the missile strike on the US military base in Qatar. Tune Protect Re Ltd chief executive officer Janet Chin told Bernama that the insurer has not observed a spike in claims or inquiries specifically related to the Iran-US conflict. While the impact on insurance claims has remained relatively muted for now, industry players are closely monitoring the situation. The Iran's missile strike on a US base in Qatar, came in retaliation for a US airstrike on Sunday, which targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities, namely Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, marking a sharp escalation in regional hostilities. 'Typically, standard travel insurance policies in the market do not cover events such as these. These situations are generally listed as exclusions in most policies due to the unpredictable and high-risk nature of such events. 'Coverage for these scenarios may be available under specialised or optional add-ons, depending on the insurer, but they are not included as part of a regular travel insurance plan,' she explained. She added that due to the nature of coverage under a standard travel plan that does not cover incidents or events related to war or warlike operations, Tune Protect do not foresee there will be any increase in claims. She said Tune Protect continues to monitor the situation closely and travellers are encouraged to stay informed of travel advisories and understand the scope of their travel insurance coverage before departure. While there has been a marginal uptick in travel insurance purchases through Tune Protect's direct-to-consumer (B2C) channels likely reflecting heightened travel awareness among independent travellers, but there is no clear evidence that it is attributed to the circumstances in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Etiqa Insurance noted there are spikes in enquiries related to flight delays or cancellations caused by the Iran-US base incident from customers and agents. 'Yes, there are spikes in enquiries from customers and agents, but not yet for claims,' said a spokesperson. However, unlike Tune Protect, Etiqa has not seen a surge in demand for new travel insurance policies despite the regional instability. Cancellation Nadia Ahmad Najmi, 25, made the difficult decision to cancel her planned holiday to Europe, despite having everything arranged from flights to itinerary. 'I had been looking forward to this trip for months but with the recent rise in geopolitical tensions, especially with what's happening in several parts of the world right now, I just didn't feel comfortable going through with it. 'My family was also quite anxious. Honestly, their concern weighed heavily on me. So, I decided to cancel and wait until things are more stable. It's frustrating and disappointing but at the same time, peace of mind is worth more than a holiday right now,' she said. Meanwhile, Mohammad Redzuan Imran, 30, who was planning to visit his family in the United Kingdom, also chose to postpone his trip. Although the UK is not directly affected by ongoing conflicts, he noted that flights from Kuala Lumpur often pass through airspace over regions experiencing heightened tensions. 'With all the reports about airlines rerouting or avoiding certain air corridors, it just didn't feel right to take the risk. 'I hope things will stabilise soon so I can rebook when it's safer,' he said. However, owner of Travel for Lifetime Zairol Hasri Md Akhir said his company has not received any cancellations for trips to Europe in September and October. 'Besides, we had already planned from the beginning of the year to purchase flight tickets (no possible cost hike in tickets or insurance). So for this month, there are no trips scheduled by our company,' he said. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
