Tehran: Iran and Israel have launched a fresh round of air strikes as their conflict enters its second week, with diplomatic efforts on Friday yielding little progress.
According to an Iranian official speaking to CNN, the crisis could be brought to an end with a single phone call from US President Donald Trump to Israeli leaders. The official added that Iran would only consider returning to negotiations with the United States if Israel halts its attacks.
The remarks followed a failed attempt at de-escalation in Geneva on Friday, where senior European diplomats met Iran’s foreign minister. The talks, involving representatives from the UK, France, Germany and the EU, concluded without any apparent breakthrough.
On Saturday, Israeli military carried out a successful strike on the Isfahan nuclear research complex, Iran’s largest nuclear facility. Confirming the attack, an Iranian said that while there was some infrastructure damage, no hazardous materials were released. Residents have been advised to stay away from the area to allow emergency teams to respond.
In another attack by Israeli forces, two people were killed and four others injured in a direct strike on a residential building in Qom, a central and religiously significant city. Iranian state media reported the casualties shortly after the Israeli military confirmed it had launched a new wave of attacks.
In response, Iran carried out missile strikes overnight, hitting the Israeli city of Holon. While the IDF intercepted the strikes, a building ended up catching fire after shrapnel from an intercepted missile ignited a blaze. The situation was contained successfully, with emergency services, including Magen David Adom, confirming no injuries.
Reiterating the call for diplomacy, the Iranian official told CNN that the US could stop the conflict by urging Israel to cease its strikes. However, Trump, speaking from New Jersey, said: “It’s very hard to make that request right now if somebody is winning.”
Meanwhile, intelligence disagreements emerged in Washington with Trump contradicting his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who previously told Congress that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapons programme– contrary to both American to Israeli claims. “Well then, my intelligence community is wrong,” Trump said.
In Turkey, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, comprising 57 member states, is convening in Istanbul on Saturday. Iran’s foreign minister will attend, stating that discussions will address “the aggression perpetrated by” Israel.
