[By Guancha Observer Network, Qi Qian]

Local time on June 20th, an official of the Iranian Presidential Office, Magid Farahani, told CNN that if US President Trump orders the Israeli leadership to stop attacking Iran, then diplomatic relations with Iran could be "easily" restarted.

"Iran believes in civilian dialogue," said Farahani. "Direct or indirect dialogue does not matter."

Farahani continued by saying, "Trump just needs to make a phone call to Israel to easily stop the war," and reiterated Iran's position that negotiations are impossible during Israeli attacks on Iran.

Farahani reiterated that Iran will not agree to halt uranium enrichment activities, but insisted they are for peaceful purposes. He added that concessions on this issue are possible. He said, "Maybe we can reduce (uranium enrichment), but we won't stop."

In response to the possibility of US involvement in Israeli military actions against Iran, Farahani responded, "If the US gets involved in the war, there are many options available, and all these options are on the table."

According to Reuters, on the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghi stated that there is no room for negotiation with the US unless Israel stops its aggression. Trump responded by saying he is unlikely to urge Israel to stop airstrikes, but he might support a ceasefire.

The report noted that when asked whether he would demand Israel to stop the attacks like Iran did, Trump, who had just landed in New Jersey, said, "It's hard to make that request now." When asked whether he would support a ceasefire, Trump replied, "I might, depending on the situation."

Magid Farahani interviewed by CNN

Regarding whether to decide to strike Iran, Trump said, "I give them some time, I think at most two weeks." He added that the purpose was "to see if people will regain their sanity." When asked whether ground troops were needed to strike Iran, Trump replied, "I don't plan to talk about ground troops because it's the last thing you want to do—send ground troops."

Trump claimed that the statement by US Director of National Intelligence Gabbard that "there is no evidence proving Iran is making nuclear weapons" is wrong. Trump believed that Iran is weeks or months away from having nuclear weapons.

Trump also told reporters that the US has been in talks with Iran and doubted whether European negotiators could facilitate a ceasefire. He said, "Iran doesn't want to talk to Europe; they want to talk to us. Europe can't help on this matter."

On the afternoon of the 20th local time, Araghi, the Iranian foreign minister, concluded a three-hour meeting with the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany in Geneva. This was the first face-to-face consultation between Iran and Western senior officials since the military conflict between Israel and Iran began.

The spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, Christophe Lemoignan, told CNN that recently, major European countries have joined the US and Israel in calling for Iran to ban uranium enrichment, with France proposing a "clear zero-enrichment stance." However, Iran claims it needs enriched uranium for peaceful purposes.

As of local time on the 20th, the conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its eighth day and shows no signs of stopping, with the regional situation rapidly deteriorating.

Israel has been conducting air strikes on Iran under the pretext of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran denies planning to develop nuclear weapons and has strongly retaliated against Israel. Over the past week, the two countries have mutually attacked each other's military and industrial bases. Foreign media data shows that hundreds of Iranians have died, and over 20 Israelis have been killed.

With the rapid escalation of regional tensions, global attention is focused on whether the US will directly participate in the war. In recent days, the Trump administration has issued increasingly tough statements toward Iran, with American military aircraft and carriers deploying to Europe and the Middle East.

On the 19th local time, White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt read out a statement from President Trump at a press conference, stating that new negotiations with Iran may take place in the "near future," and a decision on whether to join Israel's attack on Iran will be made within "the next two weeks." Reuters cited messages indicating that Trump's envoys have spoken multiple times with Iran's foreign minister since last week.

According to the Financial Times of the UK, this might be the last attempt to prevent further escalation of the conflict, but it also warned that the US "still has the potential for military action." A US military expert reminded that Trump's latest statement might be a "smoke screen" to hide an imminent military strike, aiming to make Iran let down its guard.

Protest scene, Iranian media

CNN reported that on the 20th, thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran and other cities across the country for nationwide demonstrations to express dissatisfaction with Israel's continuous attacks and support for the Iranian regime. Protesters waved Iranian and Palestinian flags and burned American and Israeli flags while shouting slogans such as "Death to Israel, Death to America."

A woman told CNN, "Trump, you're threatening my leader, don't you know that death is sweeter than honey to my country?"

This article is an exclusive piece by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7518198039513743882/

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