Iran calls nuclear talks with US 'pointless' following Israeli assault

Iran on Friday dismissed ongoing nuclear talks with the United States as "meaningless" following Israel’s largest-ever military assault against the country, accusing Washington of backing the strikes.

“The Americans have acted in a way that renders dialogue pointless. One cannot claim to pursue negotiations while simultaneously enabling the Zionist regime to strike Iranian territory,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He alleged that Israel had “succeeded in influencing the diplomatic track” and said the attacks could not have occurred without U.S. approval.

Earlier, Iran had accused Washington of complicity in the Israeli offensive—an allegation the U.S. rejected, telling Tehran at the UN Security Council that it would be “wise” to return to talks over its nuclear programme.

The sixth round of nuclear negotiations, scheduled for Sunday in Muscat, is now in doubt following the Israeli strikes.

Iran maintains that its uranium enrichment efforts are solely for civilian use and has consistently denied Israeli accusations of pursuing nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that while he and his team were aware of the impending Israeli attack, they still believe a deal with Tehran is possible.