Israel and Iran at war/ Tehran refuses to re-enter talks with US until attacks stop

2025-06-21 09:23:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel and Iran at war/ Tehran refuses to re-enter talks with US until attacks

Iran and Israel have exchanged air strikes as their conflict enters its second week.

An Iranian official told CNN that US President Donald Trump could end it with a phone call with the Israeli side, adding that Iran will return to negotiations with the US only if Israel stops attacking it.

All this comes after fruitless efforts to ease tensions in Geneva, where top European diplomats met with their Iranian counterparts on Friday.

An Iranian official said the Isfahan nuclear research complex, Iran's largest nuclear facility, was targeted by an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. The official said there was no leakage of hazardous materials due to the attack, but residents were advised to avoid the area so that rescue personnel could do their work.

Two people were also killed and four others wounded in a direct attack on a residential building in the holy city of Qom in central Iran, state media reported. The news came shortly after the Israel Defense Forces said they had launched a new wave of attacks in Iran.

Israel's national emergency services were called to a burning building in the city of Holon as Iran launched a wave of rocket attacks overnight. The fire was caused by shrapnel after a rocket was intercepted, according to the Israeli fire and rescue services. The Magen David Adom emergency agency said no injuries were reported.

An Iranian official told CNN that the US could "stop the war" with a phone call if Trump would tell Israel's leadership to stop attacking Iran. However, Trump told reporters in New Jersey: "It's very difficult to make that request now if someone is winning."

There were few signs of progress after a senior EU official and foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany met with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Friday. Iran's foreign minister said he would not re-enter negotiations with the US as long as it remains under attack from Israel.

President Donald Trump directly attacked his director of national intelligence on Friday, saying Tulsi Gabbard is “wrong” about Iran’s efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon. Gabbard testified before Congress in March that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon — a direct rebuttal to Israeli claims that Iran was rushing toward a bomb. Asked Friday about his intelligence community’s assessment, Trump said, “Well then, my intelligence community is wrong.”

In Turkey: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which represents the collective voice of the Muslim world with its 57 member states, will meet in Istanbul on Saturday. Among the participants will be Iran's foreign minister, who said the talks will include addressing "aggression committed by" Israel./ CNA