Iran said on Saturday it has not yet decided whether to take part in Sunday’s latest round of talks with the US, leaving the door open to participation despite the recent Israeli military escalation.
“It is still unclear what decision we will make,” Esmaeil Baghaei, the representative for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told state-run media.
Hours later, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaya Kallas that he believes Israel's actions were the result of Washington's support and that continuing nuclear talks is "unjustifiable".
The US hopes that talks with Tehran about its nuclear programme will continue, despite Israel's attacks on Iran that have called the merit of negotiations into question.
Following Friday's strikes, Iran said it was withdrawing from the sixth round of nuclear negotiations that were to take place in Oman on Sunday with US special envoy to the Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
But Mr Baghaei suggested that his government is still open to participating, despite saying that Israel’s actions “effectively rendered talks meaningless”.
The talks were supposed to forestall military action against Iran by forcing it to give up all uranium enrichment capabilities and abandon its drive to develop a nuclear weapon. For weeks, US President Donald Trump sounded optimistic that a deal could be achieved, while also threatening dire consequences for Iran if it did not reach an agreement.
Ultimately, Israel rendered those talks moot by launching a “pre-emptive” strike against Iran's military leaders and its nuclear sites. Despite those actions, Mr Trump insisted Iran possibly has a “second chance” to come to the negotiating table.
Difficult position
Mr Baghaei accused the US of being somewhat responsible for the attacks that killed several high-ranking Iranian military officials and dozens of civilians.
“It is inconceivable for Iran – and indeed for anyone in the world – that the Zionist regime could have carried out such a reckless and aggressive act of war in the region without the co-operation, co-ordination, or at the very least the conscious green light of the US.
“We hold the US government responsible for the consequences of this reckless and unlawful act by the Zionist regime,” he added.
Iran finds itself in a difficult position: walking away from the talks would suggest Israel has proven Tehran is not serious about a nuclear deal, while attending could make it appear weak after the Israeli assault.
The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of governors passed a resolution on June 12 formally declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, a move Tehran claimed was “clearly designed to produce a crisis”. Tehran also said it would open a new uranium enrichment site.
Hours later, Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate by firing dozens of missiles towards Israel, killing at least three people and injuring more than 150.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
