Iran’s foreign minister lashes out at West for torpedoing negotiations “US and Israel Blew Up Diplomacy”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the United States and Israel of destroying diplomatic efforts, stating that it is these countries—not Tehran—that are derailing the negotiation process, while European nations continue to urge Iran to return to the talks table.

“Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy,” Araghchi wrote on June 22 in a post on his Telegram channel, as per Caliber.Az.

“This week, we held talks with the E3/EU (France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union) when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,” he added.

“What conclusion would you? To Britain and the EU’s High Rep, it is Iran that must ‘return’ to the table. But how can Iran to something it never left—let alone blew up?” the Iranian foreign minister asked.

His remarks came as the US carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on June 21, escalating the situation further and casting doubt over the prospects for a diplomatic resolution.

The already tense situation between Israel and Iran, which is in its 10th day on June 22, deteriorated sharply as US President Donald Trump announced late on June 21 that American forces conducted airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The attacks, described by Trump as a “spectacular military success,” aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, which the US and Israel claim pose a severe threat to global security.

The US operation involved B-2 Spirit stealth bombers deploying GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bombs designed to penetrate deeply buried targets. The primary target, Fordow, is a heavily fortified uranium enrichment facility located 300 feet beneath a mountain south of Tehran, making it one of Iran’s most secure nuclear sites. Six B-2 bombers dropped a dozen MOPs on Fordow, while US Navy submarines launched 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Natanz and Isfahan, according to US officials. Trump claimed the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities.

By Khagan Isayev