 "Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. File image/Reuters")
Iran has warned European leaders to avoid entering the war, warning countries of “dangerous consequences” if they join the conflict between Iran and the US.
In a phone call with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected the bloc’s “negative and biased” stance towards the US and Israel, saying the attacks were a serious violation of international law and principles Europe claims to defend.
Several European nations have so far kept their distance from the conflict, avoiding direct involvement in offensive operations, though some have extended defensive support to Gulf states. President Donald Trump, in a social media post on Tuesday, renewed his criticism of European allies for not doing more to contribute.
Pezeshkian noted that while Iran has entered negotiations with Washington “in good faith,” the continued US attacks on its infrastructure have derailed discussions, adding that the country has no genuine commitment to diplomacy.
Iran confirms contact with US
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the country has been “exchanging messages” with the US , adding that sometimes those communications come directly from President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The foreign minister said, “What is currently happening right now is not negotiations, but an exchange of messages, sometimes directly with Steve Witkoff and sometimes through regional intermediaries.”
He added that Iran has not yet responded to any of Washington’s proposals to end the war and that it has not submitted any counter-proposals either.
Talking to Al Jazeera, Araghchi said, “Tehran says it will not accept a ceasefire, insisting instead on a complete end to the war across the region, with guarantees that attacks will not be repeated and compensation for damages.”
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View AllTrump says ‘don’t want a deal’ with Iran
US President Donald Trump has said that a deal with Iran is not needed to end the war, as it is “irrelevant” to Washington’s final decision to leave the country.
“Iran doesn’t have to make a deal, no,” Trump said, adding that the US will leave Iran when it is certain that the regime can not build a nuclear weapon “for years”.
The president also gave a new timeline for the war, saying that it will end in “two or three weeks”.