Iran accuses Israel of trying to ‘undermine’ nuclear talks with US
Tehran spokesman says ‘coalition is forming’ in Israel and US to disrupt talks; Iranian FM to visit China, says ‘it’s natural that we will consult and brief’ Beijing on progress
Iran on Monday accused Israel of seeking to “undermine” the ongoing talks with the United States on its nuclear program, a key point of tension with the West.
“A kind of coalition is forming… to undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told reporters, saying Israel was behind the effort.
“Alongside it are a series of warmongering currents in the United States and figures from different factions,” the spokesman added.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that US President Donald Trump had dissuaded Israel from striking Iran’s nuclear sites in the near term, instead pushing for a diplomatic approach to deal with the issue.
Iran and the US have held two rounds of talks, the first in Oman two weeks ago and the second in Rome last Saturday. A third round is set for this coming Saturday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long insisted that Israel will not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons, and has been vocally opposed to any talks that don’t lead Iran to agree to a “a Libya-style agreement,” under which Tehran’s entire nuclear program, both military and civilian, would be dismantled completely.
However, this position does not appear to align with that of the US administration.
In a Fox News interview last week, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff appeared to indicate that the US was looking to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment rather than dismantle its nuclear program altogether. “Where our red line will be, there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
Israel has not made any official statements on its position on the US-Iran talks, but if the talks don’t fall apart on their own, it may look to more hawkish US officials like National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to push Trump to use the leverage he has created to compel Iran into a far stricter deal than it wants.
Iranian FM to visit China
Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, said that the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, will visit China on Tuesday, ahead of the third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, due on Saturday in Oman.
In a trip to Moscow last week, Araghchi told state TV that Tehran always closely consults with its friends, Russia and China, over the nuclear issue.
“It is natural that we will consult and brief China over the latest developments in Iran-US indirect talks,” Baghaei said, adding that Beijing can play a constructive role in this process.
Since taking office in January, Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Iran and has for the first time sanctioned Chinese “teapot” refineries — small, independent plants — that process Iranian crude oil and have provided an economic lifeline to Tehran’s squeezed economy.
“The policy of maximum pressure is not just against Iran but also other countries, and goes against freedom of trade. In the case of China, sanctions also seek to disrupt south-south cooperation,” Baghaei said.
Beijing accounted for at least 77 percent of Iran’s roughly 1.6 million bpd of exported crude in 2024, according to analytics firm Kpler. The value of Iran’s crude sales to China is not officially disclosed, but a Reuters calculation puts the trade at nearly $29 billion last year, assuming a 20% discount to Brent crude prices to include the cost of logistics.
“China and Iran have maintained exchanges and contacts at all levels and in various fields. With regard to the specific visit mentioned, I have no information to offer at the moment,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday regarding Araghchi’s upcoming visit.
Lazar Berman and agencies contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.