Iran has formally suspended its nuclear negotiations with the United States, calling continued dialogue “unjustifiable” in the face of relentless Israeli airstrikes that have killed dozens and targeted key Iranian military and nuclear facilities.
The announcement came hours after one of the most extensive Israeli aerial offensives in years, part of what it calls Operation Rising Lion, which saw more than 150 airstrikes carried out across Tehran, Isfahan, and Natanz — home to major components of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said, “It is meaningless to speak of negotiations while barbarous Israeli airstrikes destroy our cities and kill our people. Washington’s silence signals complicity.”
The suspension follows a major escalation in the conflict. Israel’s strikes reportedly killed several senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders and nine nuclear scientists. Iranian state television claimed that a residential tower in Tehran was hit, killing at least 60 people, including 20 children. On the first day of the offensive, 78 deaths were reported across Iran.
In response, Tehran launched over 200 ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israeli cities. While most were intercepted, at least three Israelis were killed and dozens injured. Iran has warned that if strikes continue, its retaliation will grow “more severe” and may extend to military bases of Israel’s regional allies.
The rising tensions have also threatened global energy stability. Iranian media reported that Israeli airstrikes caused a fire at the South Pars gas field in Bushehr province, briefly halting the production of 12 million cubic metres of gas. Meanwhile, senior Iranian officials said they are reviewing whether to close the Strait of Hormuz — a key oil chokepoint — if the situation worsens.
Despite the flare-up, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled no intention to slow the military campaign. “What they have felt so far is nothing compared with what they will be handed in the coming days,” he said, warning of further strikes to come. Defence minister Israel Katz added, “If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn.”
While the United States has publicly supported Israel’s actions, former president Donald Trump took it further, praising Israel’s premeditated attack and warning Iran that far worse would follow if it does not sharply scale back its nuclear programme.
