Iran Refuses Nuclear Talks Amid Ongoing Israeli Strikes
20 June 2025
Iran has declared it will not resume talks over its nuclear programme while under military attack, following another wave of Israeli airstrikes. The announcement came just hours after Israel's defence minister warned that the conflict with Iran could become "prolonged."
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday, where he reiterated that diplomacy would only resume once Israel ends its military operations. “Our defence capabilities are non-negotiable,” Araghchi said. “Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful, and our actions are in self-defence.”
Escalating Violence
The latest escalation follows Israel's Operation Rising Lion, launched on 13 June. Since then, both sides have exchanged intense missile and drone attacks. On Friday night, Iran fired five ballistic missiles toward central Israel, while Israel responded with targeted strikes on missile launch sites and a nuclear facility in Isfahan.
Explosions were heard near Tel Aviv, and a building in the city caught fire due to falling debris. Israeli officials confirmed that one woman died of a heart attack during a separate missile attack on Haifa, raising the Israeli death toll to 25. Iranian state media reported a 16-year-old was killed and two others injured in an Israeli strike on Qom, south of Tehran.
Israel's military said it had struck key Iranian ballistic missile facilities in the country’s west.
Diplomatic Tensions
The Geneva meeting brought together Araghchi and diplomats from the UK, France, Germany, and the EU. However, the talks yielded no breakthrough.
Araghchi is scheduled to continue discussions with Arab League representatives in Istanbul this weekend.
In contrast, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told Bild newspaper that Israel had “set back Iran’s nuclear programme by at least two years” and vowed strikes would continue until Iranian nuclear facilities were dismantled.
US Weighs Options
President Donald Trump weighed in, warning that Iran has a "maximum" of two weeks to halt aggression or face potential US airstrikes. “They have two weeks—max,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll see if anyone comes to their senses.”
Trump also dismissed Europe’s role in the negotiations, saying, “Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe. They want to talk to us.”
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the current situation as “perilous and deadly serious,” and urged swift resolution. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed that sentiment, warning that “military action alone will not resolve the nuclear crisis,” and said calls for regime change in Iran were “extremely dangerous.”
Rising Casualties
Iran’s health ministry reported that 224 people have been killed so far. However, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, an independent watchdog, placed the unofficial death toll at 657 as of Friday.
As airstrikes continue on both sides, fears are growing that the region is sliding toward a wider and more entrenched conflict.
