Iran reacts to EU's negotiation call after US strikes: 'Can't return to something it never left'
Araghchi said Israel wrecked Tehran-US talks with June 13 strikes, and the US did the same to Iran-EU talks on Sunday.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday accused the United States and Israel of deliberately sabotaging diplomatic efforts by targeting his country’s nuclear facilities, saying both powers had “decided to blow up” negotiations.
Araghchi said Israel had “blown up negotiations” between Tehran and Washington with its June 13 strikes, while the United States had “done the same” to talks with European powers through its latest attacks.
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In response to fresh European calls for Iran to return to the negotiating table, he asked, “How can Iran return to something it never left?”
“Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?” Araghchi asked in a post on X.
“To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must “return” to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?” he added
He also said that Iran’s response would depend on the scale of US aggression, warning that Washington’s actions had pushed the region toward instability. “We will respond in accordance with our rights and national security priorities,” Araghchi said, without providing further details.
Read: Satellite images show trail of destruction at Iran's Fordo nuclear site after US strike
US strikes Iranian nuclear sites
The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself directly into Israel’s war on Tehran’s nuclear programme in a high-stakes move aimed at weakening a long-standing adversary. The attack sparked fears of a broader regional conflict, with Iran accusing Washington of launching "a dangerous war.”
US President Donald Trump claimed in a national address from the White House that Iran’s key nuclear facilities were “completely and fully obliterated.”
Read more: PM Modi speaks with Iran's president, calls for de-escalation, dialogue, diplomacy
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed that the strikes targeted its Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz sites, but insisted that its nuclear programme would continue.
Both Iranian authorities and the UN nuclear watchdog said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the affected locations.
With agencies inputs
