Iran warned it would hold the United States responsible for any Israeli attack on its atomic facilities, on the eve of a new round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. The warning came after CNN, citing unnamed US officials, reported on Tuesday that Israel was making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear sites despite the ongoing US-Iran talks. 

"We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to the United Nations published on Thursday. "Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime and will respond decisively to any threat or unlawful act by this regime," Araghchi added. 

The nuclear talks, which began on April 12, are the highest-level contact between the long-time foes since the United States in 2018 pulled out of a landmark deal between Iran and world powers, during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Oman, which has mediated the talks, said that a fifth round will take place in Rome on Friday. 

The US delegation will include Steve Witkoff, Trump's friend and globe-trotting negotiator, and Michael Anton, the head of policy planning at the State Department who has been involved in technical details, according to a source familiar with arrangements. A key sticking point in the negotiations has been enrichment. The 2015 deal with Iran, which was negotiated by former president Barack Obama, allowed Iran to enrich uranium at low levels solely for civilian energy. 

The Islamic republic currently enriches uranium to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set in the 2015 deal but below the 90% needed for a nuclear warhead.Sanctions over missiles Trump, who has vowed to improve on the Obama deal, said last week on a trip to Qatar that he believed Iran had agreed to key conditions and that his diplomacy would avoid military conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, testifying on Wednesday before Congress, again said that the Trump administration would insist on no enrichment.

 "Iran cannot have an enrichment capability, because that ultimately makes them a threshold nuclear power," Rubio said. Iran is looking for relief from sweeping sanctions imposed in 2018 by Trump, which include penalties on all countries to prevent them from purchasing Iran’s key export of petrol.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)