Iran releases photos of alleged drone transport vehicles used by Mossad

Nuclear negotiations are no longer viable amid ongoing Israeli military strikes, former Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said in an interview published on Saturday.

Mehmanparast said Israel is deliberately trying to derail any possible nuclear agreement between Tehran and Western powers.

He also criticized the United States for issuing threats of force under the guise of diplomacy.

“If they say, ‘Accept this or face military action,’ that is not negotiation. They are just delivering ultimatums,” he said.

At least 141 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across 12 provinces in Iran, including civilians, women, children, and a Red Crescent aid worker, according to US-based human rights group HRANA.

The group said the strikes, which began early Friday, hit both military and civilian sites. Tehran province saw the highest toll, with 120 reported killed. Other provinces with fatalities include East Azarbaijan, Qom, West Azarbaijan, and Lorestan.

According to the group, 35 civilians were killed in Tehran, one in Kermanshah and another one in an undisclosed location.

HRANA added that over 500 people were injured in the attacks.

The US government-funded Voice of America has recalled its Persian-language staff from administrative leave, the US Agency for Global Media said on Friday.

Several dozen employees, sidelined since March under a directive from the Trump administration, were told to return to work "effective immediately" to boost Farsi programming amid the Israel–Iran crisis, according to an internal email seen by Politico.

The move comes as Iran and Israel have exchanged strikes and missile fire, prompting a surge in regional tensions.

Prior to the March cutbacks, VOA broadcast four or more hours daily in Persian, aimed at countering Iranian state media and reaching both domestic and diaspora audiences.

Rescue workers respond at the scene of a missile impact in Rishon LeZion on Saturday, following Iran’s overnight strikes on central Israel. At least two people were killed and around 20 injured in Israel, where officials say some victims lacked access to protected shelters.

Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that Foreign Minister Sayyid  Badr  Albusaidi has conducted a series of phone calls with regional and global counterparts.

The discussions, the ministry tweeted, are part of ongoing efforts "to contain the dangerous military escalation and tensions in the region," sparked by Israel's attacks on Iranian territory on Friday.

In these conversations, Sayyid Albusaidi "emphasized the importance of halting the aggression and deterring the aggressor through peaceful means, based on international law and justice."

He added that the goal is to "prevent further bloodshed, destruction, and loss of life, and to safeguard the security, stability, and the supreme interests of the region and its peoples."