Iran seeks end to hostilities, signals willingness to resume nuclear talks; but on one condition

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - File Photo

Amid escalating conflict following Israel’s military strikes, Iran has urgently begun signaling its desire to de-escalate tensions and return to the negotiating table over its nuclear program, reports The Wall Street Journal.

According to Middle Eastern and European officials, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal, Tehran has been using Arab intermediaries to convey messages to both Israel and the United States, indicating a willingness to resume diplomacy on one condition: that the US stays out of any direct military engagement.

Iran has reportedly told Arab intermediaries that it remains open to renewed discussions about its nuclear program - specifically the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which limited Iran's uranium enrichment and nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, that willingness is conditional on Washington not joining the Israeli strikes, which Tehran views as a red line.

They also passed messages to Israel saying it is in the interest of both sides to keep the violence contained, according to the report.

Meanwhile, according to a Reuters report, Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it is under Israeli attack.

"The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed its response to the Israeli preemptive strikes," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conflict.

The diplomatic overtures come even as Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Iranian military infrastructure, including missile launch sites and nuclear-related targets.

Earlier in the day, Iran said its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remained opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction.

Israel, which said its military campaign will escalate in the coming days, began bombing Iran on Friday, saying Tehran was on the verge of building a nuclear bomb and targeting the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

"We are on our way to achieving our two main objectives: eliminating the nuclear threat and eliminating the missile threat," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in comments to soldiers at the Tel Nof airbase.

Iran has always said its nuclear programme is peaceful, although the United Nations nuclear watchdog the IAEA declared last week that Tehran was in violation of its NPT obligations.

Israel is presumed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal but neither confirms nor denies it. It is the only Middle East state that has not signed the NPT.

Before dawn on Monday, Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defence minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon".

Israeli authorities said a total of seven missiles fired overnight had landed in Israel. At least 100 people were wounded in Israel.

The longtime foes have fought a prolonged shadow war through proxies and covert operations, with Israel battling several Iran-backed groups in the region, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.