The Islamic Republic accused Israel on Monday of seeking to sabotage its negotiations with Washington over Tehran’s nuclear project.
“A kind of coalition is forming ... to undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference.
Baqaei said the Jewish state was behind the effort.
During a second round of nuclear negotiations held in Rome on Saturday, the United States and Iran reported progress as they agreed to begin drafting a framework for an agreement, according to officials involved in the talks.
The discussions, which were conducted indirectly and mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, took place over more than four hours at the Omani embassy. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led their respective delegations. Negotiators remained in separate rooms throughout the session, a continuation of the format used in earlier rounds.
“We were able to make some progress on a number of principles and goals, and ultimately reached a better understanding,” Araghchi told Iranian state television. He confirmed that technical-level negotiations are expected to resume Wednesday in Oman, where experts will work on drafting the parameters of a deal.
A senior U.S. official confirmed the development, citing “very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions,” according to The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Saturday that Israel was mulling a limited attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to enter into negotiations with Tehran.
Jerusalem’s proposals to attack Iran were first conveyed to the Biden administration and required “significant U.S. support via direct military intervention or intelligence sharing,” according to two former senior Biden administration officials who spoke to Reuters.
These plans were also presented to the Trump administration, which has opted for a diplomatic route instead, the report continued.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday, “I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death. That’s my first option. If there’s a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran, and I think Iran is wanting to talk.”
Citing an unnamed Israeli official, Reuters added that if Jerusalem attacked the Islamic Republic on its own, it would be much smaller in scale than the initial proposals.
Decision-makers in Jerusalem had not made a final decision, according to the report.
