Israel’s initial attacks on Iran came at a fragile time for the region, which had already witnessed heightened tensions in the wake of the genocide in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
Iran has reportedly told mediators Qatar and Oman that it “will not negotiate while under attack,” as retaliatory strikes against Israel escalate for a third consecutive day with no truce in sight.
“The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed its response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes,” an official briefed on the talks told AFP on Sunday on the condition of anonymity.
The source also denied reports suggesting that Iran had contacted Qatar and Oman to engage with the United States “to broker a ceasefire with Israel and potentially renew nuclear negotiations.”
Both Gulf states have not commented on the reports. However, Qatar repeatedly called for diplomacy in order to de-escalate the situation and preserve the region’s stability.
Qatar has also long been a crucial mediator in the region and continues to mediate between Hamas and Israel in order to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Oman has been at the forefront of mediation efforts between Iran and the U.S., holding indirect nuclear talks between both sides since April. A sixth round of talks was due to take place in Muscat on Sunday, but Israel’s initial attacks on Iran on Friday jeopardised the negotiations.
Israel initiated the latest aggression on Iran over the pretext of fighting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons. Iran is a signatory of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) whereas Israel is the only non-singatory of the treaty.
Israel has long claimed that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon in a bid to maintain its military power in the region while continuing to occupy Palestine without a threat.
Meanwhile, the U.S., Israel’s top ally and backer, denied being involved in the attacks on Iran, although it had prior knowledge on the assault.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had given “Iran a 60 day ultimatum” to agree to a deal “but they just couldn’t get there”.
“They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump then said on Sunday that “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal”.
“We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings [are] now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!” he said.
Israel’s attacks on Iran came at a fragile time for the region, which had already witnessed heightened tensions in the wake of the genocide in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
Since Friday, Israel has killed at least 220 people in Iran, including 70 women and children, according to the latest updated figure by the local health ministry.
On Saturday, Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he emphasised the need to reduce tensions and pursue diplomatic solutions to achieve lasting peace in the region.
This came a day after Sheikh Tamim held a phone call with Trump, where the latter affirmed Washington’s readiness to take part in efforts to resolve the crisis and preserve regional stability.
