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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday that Israel was the only obstacle to a nuclear-free Middle East and called on Europe and the international community to take a responsible stand. Araqchi spoke as a new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States on the Iranian nuclear program began in Rome.
An advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei added that the Iranian negotiating team was sent to the talks with full authority. "The leader aims to reach a comprehensive deal based on nine principles," Ali Shamkhani said.
"They are serious intentions, guarantees, balance, the lifting of sanctions, rejection of the 'Libyan model,' avoiding threats, expedited negotiations, restraining trouble-making elements such as Israel and easing restrictions on investments." He added that Iran was there to reach a balanced agreement and not to capitulate.
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The talks resumed after the dramatic reporting in The New York Times that U.S. President Donald Trump had "waved off" plans for an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in favor of diplomacy. On Saturday, Reuters reported, citing Israeli officials, that Israel has not discounted a possible strike against Iran that would be limited and would not require U.S. involvement.
On Friday, Reuters reported that Iran said last week that it was willing to accept certain restrictions on its uranium enrichment project but required firm guarantees from Trump that he would not back out of the deal as he had done in 2018 under pressure from Israel.
An Iranian official told the news agency that the Iranians presented their red lines as they were dictated by Khamenei. Iran would not dismantle its uranium enrichment centrifuges, would not reduce enrichment level to zero and would not negotiate over its missile programs. "That's off limits," the official said.