Israel-Iran war enters second week amid failed talks

The second week of the Israel-Iran war started with a renewed round of strikes despite talks between European ministers and Iran’s top diplomat.

Friday's talks, which aimed at de-escalating the fighting between the two adversaries, lasted for four hours in Geneva, but failed to produce a breakthrough. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump continued to weigh his country's military involvement and concerns spiked over potential strikes on nuclear reactors.

Still, European officials expressed hope for future negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue but stressed Tehran wasn't interested in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continued attacking.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Friday emphasized the critical importance of political and diplomatic solutions to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, warning of potential nuclear confrontation amid ongoing tensions.

Zakharova made the remarks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which opened on Wednesday in Russia's second-largest city. The forum brings together participants to address global challenges.

The spokeswoman called for balanced international measures to ensure regional security and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Tehran vows to make Grossi ‘pay’

A senior adviser for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed in a social media post Saturday to make the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency “pay” once the war with Israel is over.

Ali Larijani’s threat comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has become a major target for many Iranian officials who say his conflicting statements about the status of Iran’s nuclear program incited the Israeli surprise attack last week.

Grossi told the United Nations’ Security Council Friday that while Iran has the material to build a nuclear bomb, it appears they have no plans to do so.