Efforts to restart nuclear diplomacy between Iran and the West remain deadlocked, as Tehran dismissed recent European proposals as unrealistic, while Israel announced the killing of a senior Iranian military figure amid an escalating air war between the two countries.
The conflict, now in its second week, has seen repeated strikes across Iran, including reported damage to a centrifuge manufacturing site at the Isfahan nuclear facility. Although the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said no nuclear material was present, Gulf states expressed alarm at the risks to nearby populations.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Saturday that proposals from European governments would “not bring agreement closer,” arguing that demands such as zero enrichment were “a dead end.” Iran said it would review the suggestions but insisted it would not negotiate over its defensive capabilities.
Meanwhile, Israel said it killed Saeed Izadi, commander of the Quds Force’s Palestine Corps, in a strike on the city of Qom. Defense Minister Israel Katz called the operation a “major achievement,” linking Izadi to support for Hamas in the lead-up to the group’s October 2023 attack on Israel. Iranian media confirmed attacks in Qom and Khorramabad but did not comment on Izadi’s death.
Iran’s Nour News agency reported that at least 430 people have been killed and over 3,500 wounded in Israeli attacks, while rights group HRANA claimed the death toll has reached 639. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile strikes, authorities say.
Missile interceptions were reported over Tel Aviv early Saturday, with air raid sirens sounding across central Israel and parts of the West Bank. No casualties were reported.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking in Istanbul at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting, said Iran could not enter negotiations while under attack. “It is obvious that I can’t go to negotiations with the U.S. when our people are under bombardments,” he said, before meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan. Araqchi is set to visit Moscow on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would wait up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should join the conflict, adding that Iran may be “weeks or months” away from acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, his own intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, told Congress in March that Iran was not currently working on a warhead.
Iran’s Health Minister accused Israel of targeting hospitals and ambulances, reporting casualties including health workers and a child. Israel denied deliberately striking civilian infrastructure but acknowledged possible collateral damage.
Despite the grim outlook, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a Saturday call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that the two leaders agreed to accelerate talks.
Israel has pledged to continue its military operations until it dismantles Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities—a goal it says could take weeks. Iran, for its part, shows no sign of backing down.