Iran rejects any negotiation with US while Israeli attacks continue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected any negotiations with the United States while Israel continues its attacks on Iran, in an interview with state TV broadcast on Friday.

"The Americans have repeatedly sent messages calling seriously for negotiations. But we have made clear that as long as the aggression does not stop, there will be no place for diplomacy and dialogue," said the chief diplomat, who was due in Geneva for talks with his European counterparts.

Araghchi will address the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday, a spokesman for the UN's top rights body said. Araghchi "will intervene in person... at the beginning of the council's afternoon meeting" at 1300 GMT, Pascal Sim told a press briefing. A UN spokeswoman added that Daniel Meron, Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, would speak to reporters shortly beforehand.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said France and other European powers would make an offer to Iran of a comprehensive diplomatic solution to end the escalating conflict with Israel.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will later Friday meet Iranian counterpart Araghchi in Geneva "to make a complete diplomatic and technical offer for negotiations," Macron told reporters, adding that France and allies Germany and the UK were "putting a diplomatic solution on the table".

"Iran must show that it is willing to join the platform for negotiations we are putting on the table," Macron said on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget outside the French capital.

"It is essential to prioritise a return to substantive negotiations (with Iran) which include nuclear -- to move to zero enrichment (by Iran of uranium) -- ballistics, to limit Iranian capacities, and the financing of all the terrorist groups that destabilise the region," Macron said.

He said that the offer to be made by Barrot and his German and UK counterparts to Araghchi later Friday would have four aspects.

The first would forsee a resumption of work by the UN atomic agency, with "the capacity to go to all the sites", so that Iran moves to zero enrichment of uranium, Macron said.

The second and third aspects would comprise oversight of Iran's ballistics activities and how it finances proxies in the region, he added.

The fourth would be the liberation of "hostages" by Iran, said Macron, referring to the foreigners jailed by the Islamic republic who include two French citizens.

Agencies