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A few hours of talks aimed at excluding the fighting between Israel and Iran failed to create a diplomatic breakthrough as the conflict entered its second week with a new strike between the two enemies.
The European minister and the top Iranian diplomat met for four hours on Friday in Geneva. President Donald Trump continued to overwhelm the US military involvement and worried about a potential strike at nuclear reactors.
European officials expressed hope for future negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci said Tehran is open to further dialogue, emphasizing that while Israel continues its attack, Tehran is not interested in negotiations with the US.
“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if the aggression ceases and if the invaders are responsible for their dedicated crimes,” he told reporters.
On the sidelines at a meeting of Islamic cooperation organisations in Istanbul on Saturday, Araguchi told the AP that it would be “very unfortunate” if the US were actively involved in the war and military.
“I think that’s very dangerous for everyone,” he said.
There is no date for the next lecture.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli military operations in Iran will continue “as long as it takes time” to eliminate the existential threats to Iran’s nuclear program and what they call a weapons of ballistic missiles. The top Israeli general reflected the warning, saying the Israeli military was “ready for a long-term campaign.”
However, Netanyahu’s goals could be out of reach without our help. Iran’s underground Fordouran enrichment facility is thought to be out of reach of all bombs except for the American “Bunkerbuster” bombs. Trump said he would postpone the decision to take part in Israel’s air campaign against Iran for up to two weeks.
The conflict between Israel and Iran exploded on June 13th, with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military facilities, the highest general and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians, and more than 2,000 have been injured, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Israeli Army estimates that Iran retaliated with launching 450 missiles and 1,000 drones in Israel. Most have been shot down by Israeli air defense, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds have been injured.
Israeli Defense Minister said he killed the commander of Iran’s paramilitary revolutionary security forces on Saturday, funding and arming Hamas in preparation for the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel said Saizadi is an elite unit of security guards conducting military and intelligence reporting activities outside of Iran, and is the commander of the Palestinian Corps of the Iranian Quds forces killed in an apartment in QOM city.
Worried about dangers attacking Iranian nuclear reactors
In response to an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, the International Atomic Energy Director warned against attacks on Iran’s nuclear reactors, particularly the only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Buchere.
“I want to make that absolutely clear. In the case of an attack on the Bucher nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,” said Rafael Grossi, director of the UN Nuclear Monitoring Office. “This is the Iranian nuclear site where the outcomes could be the most serious.”
Israel is not targeting Iranian nuclear reactors and instead focuses on Natanz’s main uranium enrichment facility, centrifugal workshops near Tehran, Isfahan’s laboratories and the country’s Arak Heavy Water Reactors southwest of the capital. Grossi repeatedly warned that such sites should not be military targets.
After first reporting visible damage from the strike at Israel’s Arak Heavy Water Reactor on Thursday, the IAEA on Friday said it had assessed “the facility’s main buildings have been damaged,” including the distillation unit.
The damage did not pose a risk of contamination because the reactor was not operating and did not contain nuclear material, Watchdog said.
Iran previously agreed to limit the enrichment of uranium and allow international inspectors to access nuclear sites based on a 2015 transaction with the US, France, China, Russia, the UK and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. However, after Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium to 60%.
Iran has long maintained its nuclear program as a peaceful purpose, but enriching uranium by up to 60% is the only nuclear-free arms state. Israel is widely believed to be the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear weapons program, but has never acknowledged it.
Israel says “difficult days” first
Israel said the fighter plane struck dozens of military targets across Iran on Friday, including a missile production facility, causing Iranian missiles to crash into a city in Haifa, north of Israel, blowing massive amounts of smoke over Mediterranean ports, and wounding at least 31 people.
Iranian state media reported an explosion from an Israeli strike in the industrial area of Rasht along the Caspian Sea coast. Israeli forces had warned Iranians to evacuate areas around the industrial city of Rasht, southwest of downtown city. However, with Iran’s internet down, it is unclear how many people will be able to see the message for more than 48 hours now – over the course of 48 hours.
Israeli forces believe it has destroyed most of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and contributed to a steady decline in Iran’s attacks.
However, some of the roughly three dozen missiles that Israel said Iran fired on Friday slipped the country’s air defense system, causing air raid sirens across the country, and sent rap shots into residential areas in southern Versaiva, a frequent target of Iranian missiles that hit hospitals on Thursday.
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Mehmet Guzel of Istanbul contributed to this report.
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