Iran FM: If Israeli attacks stop, 'our responses will also stop'

If Israeli attacks on Iran stop, "our responses will also stop," said Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a news conference in Teheran on Sunday in his first public appearance since the Israeli strikes began on Friday.

"Iran's military response against Israel has been based on self-defense. If the aggression stops, our responses will also stop. Iran does not want its conflict with Israel to expand to neighboring countries unless the situation is forced," Araghchi said.

He said the United States needs to condemn the Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and Iran does not believe the US claim of not being involved in Israel's attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.

Further, the minister reaffirmed Iran's stance on nuclear weapons, saying that it is "our firm conviction not to possess a nuclear weapon".

"Yet those who are willing to deprive Iran of our right to possess the nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, they have no right to do so," he added.

Araghchi also said that in the now-canceled sixth round of negotiations with the US which was scheduled for today, Iran was "prepared to provide the necessary assurances to the Americans".

"In the previous round of talks, the Americans presented a number of proposals, which were not totally acceptable to us. We presented our response and our viewpoints, and we were supposed to present a counterproposal. Our proposal could have opened doors for an all-out agreement with the Americans," he said.

According to Araghchi, Israel opposes diplomatic progress between Iran and the US.

"This is a crystal-clear matter. The Zionist entity is not willing to see us reaching an agreement or a diplomatic solution with the US," he added.