Iran warned on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States is an attempt to sabotage the ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the US, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Netanyahu arrived in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump, aiming to press for a tougher stance on Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities during the negotiations.
In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Israel is the primary cause of instability in the region. He accused Israel of turning Iran's peaceful nuclear program into a "fabricated crisis" and said Israel opposes any diplomatic efforts that might restore peace in the region.
Baghaei also urged US officials not to let external pressures and lobbies dictate their foreign policy, stressing that it is up to the United States to decide whether to act independently of these "destructive" influences.
He added that Iran had shown goodwill in the talks and is eager to see the lifting of what it calls "illegal" sanctions.
Referring to the brief meeting between US and Iranian delegates last Friday in Muscat, Baghaei noted that both sides had agreed to continue the diplomatic process.
Following the talks, President Trump described the discussions as “very good" and confirmed that further negotiations are expected.
The Wall Street Journal reported following last week’s talks that Iran rejected US calls to halt its uranium enrichment, although both sides agreed to continue negotiations in order to prevent an escalation.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Sunday that indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States will proceed if Tehran concludes that Washington possesses the “necessary seriousness" to reach a negotiated resolution and has agreed to drop what Araghchi described as the US’ “excessive and unrealistic" demands.