Iran Rejects Ceasefire Talks Amid Israeli Attacks

The Voice News: Iran has refused to participate in any ceasefire talks amid ongoing Israeli assaults. Tehran has already conveyed this stance to mediators from Qatar and Oman, according to a senior Iranian official who spoke to Reuters on Sunday (June 15), requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conflict. Meanwhile, continued assaults by both adversaries have raised fears of a broader war in the Middle East, Reuters reported.The official stated that Iran has clearly informed the Qatari and Omani mediators that it will not engage in any discussions until it has fully responded to Israel’s previous strikes.”Iran has made it clear that it will not negotiate under attack,” the official added.On Friday morning, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, targeting and wiping out top levels of Tehran’s military leadership and damaging its nuclear facilities. Israel has announced that the operation will intensify in the coming days.In response, Iran has threatened to “open the gates of hell” on Israel—marking the most direct and severe conflict between the two long-standing enemies.The Iranian official also denied media reports claiming that Iran had requested Qatar and Oman to mediate ceasefire or nuclear talks with the United States, saying those reports were inaccurate.Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, and Oman’s Information Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.In recent months, Oman had been mediating nuclear discussions between the U.S. and Iran. However, Iran canceled the latest round of talks just a day after Israel’s extensive airstrike.Qatar, too, has played a role in facilitating discussions between the two enemy states. Most recently, it mediated a prisoner exchange deal in 2023.Both Oman and Qatar maintain good relations with Iran and the United States. They also keep direct communication channels open with Israel.