Iran has signalled it may still take part in nuclear talks with the United States, even after recent Israeli military action raised tensions.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told state media on Saturday that no final decision had been made.
“We have yet to decide,” he said, suggesting that Tehran is keeping its options open.
The US remains hopeful that talks on Iran’s nuclear programme will continue. However, Israel’s strikes have cast doubt on the process.
After Friday’s attacks, Iran said it would not attend the sixth round of talks in Oman, which was set for Sunday. These talks were meant to involve US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Still, Mr Baghaei’s comments show Iran might reconsider, despite his criticism that Israel’s actions have “undermined the purpose” of the discussions.
Talks threatened by military escalation
The negotiations aim to prevent military conflict by having Iran stop enriching uranium and abandon plans for nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump had voiced optimism about reaching a deal. At the same time, he warned of serious consequences if Iran refused to cooperate.
However, Israel launched what it called a “pre-emptive” strike on Iran’s military leaders and nuclear facilities. In response, President Trump said Iran might still have a “second chance” to return to the table.
Iran accuses US of enabling Israeli strikes
Mr Baghaei blamed the US for enabling the Israeli offensive. The strikes killed several senior Iranian military officials and many civilians.
“It is hard to believe the Zionist regime acted without US support, coordination or at least approval,” he said.
He added that Iran holds the US government responsible for the outcome of what he called an “unlawful act”.
Diplomatic risk for Tehran
Tehran now faces a tough choice. Walking away from the talks could make it look unwilling to negotiate. But attending might be seen as weakness after the Israeli attack.
On 12 June, the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution declaring Iran in breach of non-proliferation rules. It was the first such ruling in nearly 20 years. Iran responded by announcing a new uranium enrichment site and claimed the resolution was an attempt to spark a crisis.
Hours later, Israel launched more strikes on Iranian targets. Iran then fired dozens of missiles at Israel, killing three people and injuring more than 150.
