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Amid optimism in the Trump administration following the latest round of nuclear talks, Iran accused Israel on Monday of attempting to "undermine" the ongoing negotiations with the United States. "A coalition seems to be forming to disrupt and derail the diplomatic process," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei during a press briefing, adding that "the Zionist regime is at the center of this effort."
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(Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP, Mohammed Yassin/Reuters, Iranian Leader's Press Office/ AP)
The accusations came after reports emerged that Israel had planned to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in coordination with the United States, potentially as early as next month. However, these plans were reportedly canceled by President Donald Trump in favor of pursuing diplomatic efforts. Last week, the New York Times revealed details of the thwarted operation, which had been under consideration prior to the ongoing talks.
Since the nuclear discussions began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government officials have consistently stated that Israel will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, even if Washington continues its negotiations. In a statement over the weekend, just days after the Times report, Netanyahu declared, "I will not surrender to murderers." He described Israel as being at a "decisive stage," warning that capitulation now would "endanger the country’s security and your safety."
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Netanyahu emphasized the importance of disrupting Iran’s nuclear ambitions., "If not for the severe blows to Iran's axis, we wouldn’t have changed the face of the Middle East—we would simply continue living under an existential threat," he said.
He reiterated his commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "I am determined to stop Iran’s nuclear program—I will not give up, I will not relent, and I will not back down. Over the years, I have led efforts to strike at Iran's nuclear plans. Without these actions, Iran would have had nuclear weapons 10 years ago."
Despite Iran's accusations, optimism remains in both Washington and Tehran regarding the ongoing negotiations. On Friday evening, Tehran announced that the second round of talks with the United States was "constructive." Expert teams are expected to meet this week to finalize the framework for a potential nuclear agreement. According to Iranian officials, a third round of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled for Saturday.
A senior American official echoed Tehran’s optimism. "We’ve made significant progress in both our direct and indirect talks," the official said, but noted that, as in the previous round last week, Whitkoff and Araghchi held face-to-face discussions. However, Iranian sources emphasized that the talks were primarily indirect, with delegations sitting in separate rooms at the Omani embassy in Rome while messages were relayed by Oman’s foreign minister, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.