The latest round of indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday has been postponed amid intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel, mediator Oman confirmed Saturday. This comes as Iran launched a second night of missile strikes in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear and military targets, including sites in Tehran.
Israeli and Iranian officials confirmed the ongoing hostilities, with explosions heard across major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israel responded with new strikes in Tehran’s northeast and west, marking a continuation of what the military calls “widespread strikes” that have reportedly killed high-ranking Iranian military and nuclear figures.
Among the dead are Iran’s top military chief Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard head Gen. Hossein Salami, and Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, leader of the Guard’s aerospace division. Iran has since appointed Gen. Majid Mousavi as Hajizadeh’s replacement.
As casualties mount—78 reported dead and more than 320 injured in Iran, with at least 3 Israelis killed and over 170 wounded—regional tensions are surging. Jordan shut down its airspace, and Israel closed its main international airport. The U.S. assisted in intercepting incoming Iranian missiles, with American air defense systems active in the region.
Talks aimed at curbing Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program now hang in the balance. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the diplomatic track “unjustifiable” after the Israeli strikes, which also targeted Iran’s South Pars natural gas plant in what could mark a new escalation.
Despite U.S. denials of direct involvement, Iran blames Washington for enabling the Israeli offensive. Former President Donald Trump urged Iran to return to the negotiating table “before there is nothing left,” amid fears the conflict could spiral further.
Israel, believed to be the region’s only nuclear-armed state, has vowed to continue its operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “This is nothing compared to what they will feel in the coming days,” reiterating his longstanding mission to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Swifteradio.com
