According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited Middle Eastern and European officials, Iran sent messages to both Israel and the U.S. through Arab intermediaries. These messages urged both sides to de-escalate the conflict and emphasized mutual interest in avoiding further military escalation. Iran stated its readiness to resume nuclear talks, but only if Washington refrains from joining the conflict militarily while backing Israel diplomatically.
As the military conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day, Iran has expressed a willingness to end the violence and return to nuclear negotiations on the condition that the United States does not directly support Israel in the ongoing hostilities.
The crisis intensified on June 13 when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted offensive against Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel claimed it acted preemptively to halt Iran’s alleged efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denied those allegations and responded with a series of retaliatory missile attacks, which struck Israeli territory and triggered air raid sirens across Tel Aviv.
Iran Faces Intense Strikes in Tehran and Natanz Amid Rising Civilian Casualties
Explosions and anti-aircraft fire rocked Tehran and the nuclear city of Natanz early Tuesday morning. Iranian state media reported the strikes, while Israeli officials confirmed missile impacts in Tel Aviv, resulting in 24 civilian deaths and mass evacuations. Iran reported 224 deaths, primarily civilians, over the five days of hostilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump called for immediate civilian evacuations from Tehran and criticized Iran for rejecting a proposed nuclear agreement. He cut short his visit to the G7 summit in Canada and summoned the National Security Council to address the escalating crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron supported the U.S. initiative, calling it timely and crucial for a potential ceasefire.
Diplomatic efforts now aim to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which originally sought to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.