Iran will not consider diplomacy until 'aggression is stopped', as Israel warns of 'difficult days ahead'
20 June 2025, 23:44 | Updated: 20 June 2025, 23:46
Iran's foreign minister said it will not resume talks over its nuclear programme while the conflict with Israel continues, after Israel's foreign minister warned Israelis should be "ready for a prolonged campaign."
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Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday, who urged him to resume diplomatic efforts with the US over Iran's nuclear programme.
Mr Araghchi said Iran is ready for diplomacy with the US only if “the aggression is stopped and the aggressor is held accountable for the crimes he committed”.
"We support the continuation of discussion with [Britain, France, Germany and the EU] and express our readiness to meet again in the near future.”
The Iranian foreign minister also said that Iran's nuclear programme was peaceful and that Israel's attacks on it are a violation of international law.
He added that Iran will continue to "exercise its legitimate right of self-defence".
Israel's ambassador to the UN said Iran posed an ongoing threat and added that Israel would not stop targeting Iran's nuclear sites until they were "dismantled."
Israel's foreign minister, Eyal Zamir, said in a video address that his country should be ready for "a prolonged campaign" and warned of "difficult days ahead."
The talks in Geneva, which lasted several hours and involved foreign ministers from the UK, France, and Germany, ended with no progress towards a diplomatic resolution, or a resumption of negotiations between Iran and the US.
US President Donald Trump warned earlier on Friday that Iran had a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, suggesting that he could make a decision before the two-week deadline he set on Thursday.
"I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum," Mr Trump told reporters.
Mr Trump also said of the talks in Geneva on Friday: "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this."
The conflict between Israel and Iran continued for an eighth day as Iran launched a fresh wave of missile strikes targeting cities across Israel.
Nationwide alerts were issued on Friday across Israel, with residents advised to take shelter immediately following reports of incoming missiles, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said.
Seventeen people are said to have been injured, including two seriously, during a ballistic missile strike on the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
Retaliatory attacks continued after the Israeli military confirmed it had also carried out a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, with IDF reports suggesting missile launchers in the south-west of the country were the target.
UK diplomatic staff based at embassies were also withdrawn from Tehran today, citing concerns over the “security situation” in the country.
Israel launched its war on Iran last Friday, attacking both nuclear sites and civilian areas.
At least 639 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Iran, according to the Washington-based group, Human Rights Activists.
Israel said that at least 24 people have been killed in Iranian attacks on Israel.
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