TEHRAN/WASHINGTON, June 27 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that no arrangement or commitment had been made to resume negotiations with the United States.
In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, Araghchi said the possibility of restarting talks was under consideration but would depend on whether Tehran’s national interests were protected.
Araghchi confirmed that the damage caused by the 12-day war with Israel was “serious” and experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran were conducting a detailed assessment.
On the same day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the United States has no meetings scheduled with Iran, one day after U.S. President Trump said that the two sides would talk and meet “next week.”
Also on Thursday, Iran’s Constitutional Council approved a bill, already ratified by the parliament, to suspend the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The bill has been reviewed by the council and is in line with Iran’s religious regulations, laws and constitution, council spokesperson Hadi Tahan Nazif said in an interview with state-run IRIB TV on Thursday.
Following the approval, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the bill has been submitted to the government for implementation.
On Thursday, both Iran and Israel highlighted victory in the 12-day war. In a video message broadcast by IRIB, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei congratulated the Iranian nation on its “victory” in the war.
“Despite all its propaganda and claims, Israel was almost knocked down and crushed under Iran’s blows,” said Khamenei, adding that the United States gained nothing from the war against Iran and instead received a “harsh slap” in the face.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s recent military campaign against Iran has created a “window of opportunity” to expand regional normalization agreements.
In a video statement, Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli airstrikes on Iran, including targets linked to its nuclear program, missile infrastructure and government institutions, marked what he called “a great victory.”
Despite the recent row, the Trump administration has discussed possible plans to help Iran build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program, easing sanctions, and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources.
Trump administration officials emphasized that several proposals, including several incentives for Iran, have been floated, with one consistent non-negotiable: zero Iranian enrichment of uranium, said the report.
Among the terms being discussed is an estimated 20-30 billion-dollar investment in a new Iranian non-enrichment nuclear program that would be used for civilian energy purposes, it said.
The money would not come directly from the United States, which prefers its Arab partners to foot the bill, it added.
On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel, inflicting casualties and heavy damage.
On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force bombed three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran on Monday attacked the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with missiles.
Following Iran’s attack, Trump announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel would begin around 0400 GMT on Tuesday. Both sides later confirmed the start of the ceasefire.■
Iran says no agreement reached to resume talks with U.S.
