Iran’s top diplomat says talks with US complicated by American strike

By David ROSING

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran’s first diplomat said that the possibility of new negotiations with the United States on the nuclear program of his country was “complicated” by the American attack on three of the sites, which he conceded caused “serious damage”.

The United States was one of the parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement in which Iran accepted limits of its uranium enrichment program in exchange for sanctions relief and other advantages.

This agreement collapsed after US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States unilaterally during his first mandate. Trump suggested that he was interested in new discussions with Iran and said the two parties would meet next week.

In an interview on Iranian state television Thursday evening, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, left open the possibility that his country will enter its nuclear program again, but suggested that it would not be any soon.

“No agreement has been concluded to resume negotiations,” he said. “No time has been ready, no promise has been made, and we did not even talk about restarting the talks.”

The American decision to intervene militarily “made it more complicated and more difficult” for interviews on the Iranian nuclear program, said Araghchi.

In Friday prayers, many imams underlined the message of the supreme chief of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of the day before that war had been a victory for Iran.

The religious Hamzeh Khalili, who is also the deputy chief of Iran, swore during a prayer service in Tehran that the courts would pursue the people accused of spying for Israel “in a special way”.

During the war with Israel, Iran hanged several people which he had already in detention for charges of spying, arousing the fears of activists that he could make a wave of executions after the end of the conflict. The authorities would have arrested dozens in various cities for cooperation with Israel.

Israel attacked Iran on June 13, targeting its nuclear sites, its defense systems, its high -ranking military officials and its atomic scientists in incessant attacks.

In 12 days of strikes, Israel said that he had killed around thirty Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the group of human rights activists based in Washington.

Iran has drawn more than 550 ballistic missiles in Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those who have suffered damage in many regions and killed 28 people.

Israeli military spokesperson Brig. General Effie Defrin said on Friday that in some regions he had exceeded his operational goals, but was to remain vigilant.

“We have no illusion, the enemy has not changed its intentions,” he said.