Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has accused Israel of trying to derail ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in order to trigger conflict in the region.
Speaking to Al Jazeera during a visit to Qatar, Larijani said Iran is negotiating only with the United States and not with Israel. He alleged that Israel is attempting to interfere in the process and undermine talks that are at a sensitive stage.
Larijani claimed Israel wants to destabilise the region and is using Iran as a pretext. He also referred to previous Israeli actions in the region as part of a broader strategy to create tension.
His remarks came as Iran and the US recently held indirect talks in Oman aimed at resolving disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme. A second round of negotiations is under discussion.
Larijani said there is common ground between the two sides on the issue of Iran not developing nuclear weapons, which Tehran insists it is not pursuing. However, he stressed that Iran’s missile programme and uranium enrichment levels are not open for negotiation.
He warned that Iran would respond if the US carried out any military strike against it.
During his visit to Doha, Larijani also met Hamas officials to discuss regional developments.
With inputs from ALJAZEERA