Iran has cast fresh doubt on the prospect of negotiations with the United States as fighting intensifies and rhetoric hardens on both sides, the BBC reports.
Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Tehran was sceptical about returning to the table. “For the time being, we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation,” he told reporters on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
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His remarks came hours after Donald Trump, the United States president, signalled that he had little interest in dialogue. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that Iran’s “air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone”, sharing a link to an opinion piece in the Washington Post about what it described as the birth of the Trump Doctrine. “They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!’” he added.
The exchange underlines how quickly the window for diplomacy appears to be narrowing.
Strikes on Tehran
On the ground, the conflict shows no sign of easing. The Israel Defense Forces said on Telegram that it had begun a large-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran.
Iranian state and local outlets reported that the government had banned the export of all food and agricultural products until further notice, saying the move was intended to prioritise essential supplies at home.
Inside the capital, anxiety is growing. Residents told the BBC that many families have begun stocking up on food and basic goods amid fears that the war could drag on. Some have chosen to leave the city altogether, worried that further strikes could follow.
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Regional strain
The impact is being felt beyond Iran’s borders. Pakistan said at least 300 Iranian citizens had crossed into its territory as Israeli and United States attacks continued.
The arrivals have entered through Balochistan, a province that shares a long border with Iran and has faced decades of separatist violence. The fresh movement of people adds pressure to an already fragile region.
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Islamabad now finds itself in a delicate position. In recent months, Pakistan has sought to strengthen ties with Washington and even nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize as relations improved. At the same time, it must manage the immediate humanitarian and security consequences of a conflict unfolding on its doorstep.
With leaders trading public barbs and military action continuing, prospects for de escalation appear distant. For now, diplomacy is clouded by mistrust, and civilians across the region are bracing for what may come next.
