Iran, which is engaged in armed clashes with Israel, has urgently sent signals through a third country to Israel and the United States that it wants to halt mutual attacks and resume nuclear negotiations, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 16th.
According to WSJ, Iran has indicated to Arab officials that it could return to the nuclear negotiation table with the United States on the condition that the U.S. does not participate in Israeli attacks against Iran. This position emerged shortly after the sixth round of nuclear talks scheduled in Oman on the 15th was canceled due to Israel's strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
At the same time, Iran also conveyed the message to Israel that restraining armed clashes is in their mutual interest. However, WSJ analyzed that Israel, currently dominating the airspace over Iran, is in a position to attempt additional strikes on nuclear facilities and weaken the regime, indicating a low likelihood that Israel would agree to a ceasefire at this time.
Arab diplomats assess that Iran seems to believe that Israel will eventually seek a diplomatic solution as it cannot sustain a war of attrition. However, this assessment is based on the premise that there is no direct military support from the United States.
If the U.S. provides advanced weapons or support for attacking Iran's underground nuclear facilities, Iran's judgment may change, and it appears that Iran is presenting the exclusion of U.S. military support as a condition for negotiations.
WSJ also reported that Iran conveyed a message to Arab officials that if the prospects for negotiations with the United States are unclear, it may accelerate its nuclear program and escalate military conflicts.
Reuters also reported that Iran requested President Donald Trump to exert influence to allow a ceasefire with Israel. This was conveyed by Gulf countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, urging the U.S. to facilitate the resumption of nuclear negotiations and pressure for a ceasefire.
In this regard, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel's attack on Iran as a violation of the United Nations Charter through a joint statement by foreign ministers from 20 countries, including Jordan, the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. They stated, "Israel must cease hostilities and work towards establishing a ceasefire and peace."
The joint statement also emphasized that reaching a sustainable agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program is the only solution, reinforcing the need for negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Meanwhile, President Trump, attending the G7 summit in Canada, warned, "Iran is not winning this war" and that it must engage in dialogue before it is too late.
In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the WSJ report in an interview with U.S. ABC News, stating, "It is not surprising," and accused Iran of trying to entangle the U.S. with lies and deception. He said, "Even during the discussions, Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, posing an existential threat to Israel," and vowed not to allow such attempts in the future.