Diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran cannot resume unless the US rules out further strikes on Iran, its deputy foreign minister told the BBC late Sunday.
Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the British broadcaster that the US had signalled it wants to return to the negotiating table, a week after it struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.
鈥榃e have not agreed to any date, we have not agreed to the modality,鈥� said Takht-Ravanchi.
鈥楻ight now we are seeking an answer to this question. Are we going to see a repetition of an act of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?鈥�
The US needed to be 鈥榪uite clear on this very important question鈥�, he said.
The two countries were in talks over Tehran鈥檚 nuclear programme when Israel hit Iranian nuclear sites and military infrastructure earlier this month, with the US joining by bombing three nuclear sites 鈥� Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan 鈥� on June 21.
The deputy minister revealed to the BBC that the US had signalled it did 鈥榥ot want to engage in regime change鈥� by targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Takht-Ravanchi also said Iran should still be allowed to enrich uranium.
鈥楾he level of that can be discussed, the capacity can be discussed, but to say that you should not have enrichment, you should have zero enrichment, and if you do not agree, we will bomb you, that is the law of the jungle,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, Iran鈥檚 judiciary said at least 935 people were killed in the country during its 12-day war with Israel, state media reported Monday, nearly a week since a ceasefire took hold.
鈥楧uring the 12-day war waged by the Zionist regime against our country, 935 martyrs have been identified so far,鈥� the official IRNA news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying.
The death toll included 132 women and 38 children, Jahangir said.
He added that the death toll from an Israeli strike on Tehran鈥檚 Evin prison has risen to 79, and includes inmates, visiting relatives and administrative staff.
Israel on June 13 launched a major bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and atomic scientists.
The Israeli strikes hit military bases, nuclear sites as well as residential areas across Iran.
Iran retaliated with waves of missiles and drone strikes which hit major cities in Israel including Tel Aviv and Haifa, killing 28 people, according to Israeli authorities.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24.
Israel claims that Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme is close to producing a bomb, whereas Tehran says it is for peaceful purposes.
It is not clear yet how much damage the strikes inflicted on Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities, which US president Donald Trump had said were 鈥榯otally obliterated鈥�.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran would probably be able to begin to produce enriched uranium 鈥榠n a matter of months鈥�.
Takht-Ravanchi said he did not know how long it would take.
Under a 2015 deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium below 3.67 per cent purity for fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
Trump abandoned the agreement in 2018 and Iran responded by producing uranium enriched to 60 per cent 鈥� above levels for civilian usage but still below weapons grade.
That material, if further refined, would theoretically be sufficient to produce more than nine nuclear bombs.