Israel has asserted that its ongoing military campaign has pushed back Iran’s presumed nuclear programme by at least two years, a claim that intensifies the regional crisis already heightened by US President Donald Trump’s warning that Tehran has a “maximum” of two weeks to avert potential American airstrikes.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in an interview published Saturday, said: “According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb.”
He affirmed that Israel’s week-long onslaught would persist, telling German newspaper Bild, “We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat.”
The Israeli air force reported launching fresh airstrikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran on Saturday. These strikes are part of a sustained wave of attacks that Israel claims are designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran consistently denies.
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to weigh direct US involvement in Israel’s bombing campaign, indicating in his latest comments that a decision could come before the two-week deadline he set this week.
Amidst the escalating tensions, top diplomats from Britain, France, and Germany met with their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Geneva on Friday. The European ministers urged Iran to resume stalled talks with the United States, which were derailed following the commencement of Israel’s attacks.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot conveyed, “We invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for.”
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, speaking to NBC News after the Geneva meeting, firmly stated Iran’s position: “We’re not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues.”
Trump was dismissive of European diplomacy efforts, telling reporters, “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this.”
Trump also said he’s unlikely to ask Israel to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table.
“If somebody’s winning, it’s a little bit harder to do,” he said.
Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo.
On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday.
450 missiles, 400 drones
A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, said on Friday based on its sources and media reports that at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians.
Iran has not updated its tolls since Sunday, when it said that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people.
A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 wounded, including one person in a serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo.
Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate said more than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases.
‘Perilous moment’
Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country’s accelerated uranium enrichment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60%.
However, it added that there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead.
The agency’s chief Rafael Grossi told CNN it was “pure speculation” to say how long it would take Iran to develop weapons.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the conflict was at a “perilous moment” and it was “hugely important that we don’t see regional escalation”.
Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Istanbul late Friday to discuss the war, Turkish state news agency Anadolu said, on the eve of a weekend gathering of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.
