France’s Macron urges Iran to return to talks

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Friday he is heading to Geneva for nuclear talks with Iran, urging Tehran to demonstrate “serious willingness” to renounce weapons-grade enrichment and include its missile program in negotiations.

“This requires Iran's serious willingness to renounce any enrichment of nuclear material, which could lead to nuclear weaponization. This also requires that the missile program can be included. If this serious willingness exists, then the consequence on our part will also be that we are prepared to hold further talks.”

Speaking ahead of his departure, Wadephul said, “The ball is now in Iran’s court,” adding that Germany remains committed to Israel’s security, which he called part of the country’s “raison d’être.”

“But the ball is now in Iran's court and Israel can rely on Germany to always keep an eye on and defend the security and existence of the Israeli state. That is part of our raison d'être, and that is also my guiding principle in today's talks.”

An Israeli rocket struck a hospital in Tehran early Friday, a spokesperson for Iran’s health ministry said, according to state media.

The official did not name the hospital.

The spokesperson said it was the third hospital targeted since the start of the conflict and added that six ambulances and a primary healthcare center had also been hit.

Israeli media reported Friday that initial assessments suggest a nuclear scientist was killed in an Israeli strike on Tehran.

According to Iran’s Shargh daily, informed sources said the target of the explosion in Tehran’s Gisha district Friday noon was indeed a nuclear scientist.

Israel hit a residential building in the Gisha district, damaging several buildings.

Iran is willing to pursue a balanced and pragmatic policy in its dealings with Europe, and engage rationally with both East and West, Reuters reported.

"Meanwhile, Iran can prove to be a chess piece for Europe to ease the dual pressure between East and West," the report cited an unnamed Iranian diplomat as saying in Berlin on Friday.

"Despite American displeasure, Iran has shown that it is willing to pursue a wise, balanced and pragmatic policy in its dealings with Europe."

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the agency’s recent report on Iran’s nuclear program contained no new findings and should not be used to justify military action.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency had long noted Iran’s lack of cooperation on clarifying aspects of its nuclear activity, but stressed the report “could hardly be a basis for any military action,” in an interview with CNN.

“Military action, from whomever it comes, is a political decision that has nothing to do with what we are saying,” Grossi said. He added that the IAEA currently has no indication Iran is operating a systematic program to produce a nuclear weapon.

CNN, which aired the interview, said the IAEA’s report had been cited in part by Israeli officials for their military strikes on Iran.

Earlier this month, the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution declaring Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations for the first time in nearly two decades.

In its board-mandated report published in May, the agency concluded that three of four sites under investigation had been part of a previously undeclared, structured nuclear program Iran conducted until the early 2000s, and that some of the work involved undeclared nuclear material.