Iran rejects ceasefire negotiations while under Israeli attack

16/6/2025 6:13

Iran has told mediators Qatar

and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it

is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the

communications told Reuters on Sunday, as the two foes launched

fresh attacks and raised fears of a wider conflict.



"The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they

will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed

its response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes," said the

official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the

sensitivity of the conflict.



Iran made "clear that it will not negotiate

while under attack," the official said.



Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Friday morning

that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and

damaged its nuclear sites, and says the campaign will continue

to escalate in coming days.



Iran has vowed to "open the gates of hell" in retaliation in

what has emerged as the biggest ever confrontation between the

longstanding enemies.



The official told Reuters media reports that Iran appealed

to Oman and Qatar to engage the U.S. to broker a ceasefire and

renew nuclear talks were inaccurate.



Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters request

for comment, nor did Qatar's foreign ministry or Oman's ministry

of information.



Oman has in recent months mediated nuclear talks between the

United States and Iran, though the most recent round was

canceled a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive

against Iran.



Qatar has also played a role facilitating talks between the

two foes in the past, most recently mediating a prisoner swap

agreement in 2023.



Oman and Qatar have good relations with both Iran and the

U.S. and they also have communicated directly with Israel.