Iran says ready to end attacks if Israel stops assault

TEHRAN, Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Iran is ready to halt its attacks on Israel if Tel Aviv ends its assault on Tehran.

Speaking to foreign ambassadors in Tehran, Araghchi emphasized that the war was “imposed” on Tehran and that Iran was left with no choice but to respond.

“Our defense is fully legitimate and will be carried out with strength, solely in response to aggression,” he said.

“If the attacks cease, Iran’s retaliatory actions will also end.”

Tensions have sharply escalated between Iran and Israel following coordinated Israeli airstrikes on multiple sites across Tehran, including military and nuclear facilities, on Friday, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory strikes within hours.

On Saturday night, Iran initiated a second wave of its operation, dubbed True Promise III, targeting primarily economic and industrial facilities in the Israeli port city of Haifa. In parallel, Israeli strikes hit the defense ministry and oil depots in Tehran.

Iran said that 78 people were killed on the first day of the Israeli assault, and scores, including children, were killed on the second.

The flare-up in hostilities led to the suspension of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US, which had been mediated by Oman. The sixth round of talks had been scheduled for Sunday in Muscat.

- US complicity

Araghchi said the Israeli "aggression" could not have occurred without coordination and support from the US, citing that as a key reason for the breakdown in talks.

He said Iran has “solid and convincing evidence” that US forces and military bases in the region have supported Israeli strikes.

The Iranian minister cited statements made by US President Donald Trump, who said the attacks "couldn’t have happened without American equipment" and hinted at “further stages to come,” as further evidence of US complicity.

Regarding the US denial of involvement in the Israeli strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility in Isfahan province, Araghchi said Iran does not accept the claim due to “contradictory evidence.”

“If the US truly had no role, it must clearly and publicly condemn the attack,” he said, stressing that private messages are insufficient. He also called on the international community to recognize Israel’s “violations of international law.”

Araghchi accused Israel of “repeatedly sabotaging nuclear negotiations,” citing the 2020 sabotage of the Natanz enrichment site during the Vienna talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. He said Iran responded to that incident by increasing its uranium enrichment to 60% and replacing damaged centrifuges with more advanced models.

The foreign minister said that despite the provocations, Iran had entered talks with the US in good faith, holding five rounds and preparing a counterproposal aimed at bridging gaps for a potential agreement.

However, he reiterated that Israel remains opposed to any nuclear accord and is actively working to derail diplomacy.

Araghchi said that Iran has formally requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to convene an extraordinary session to address the latest Israeli attack on Natanz, describing it as a “red line” in international law that Israel has now crossed.