US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have spoken by phone several times since Israel began its strikes on Iran last week, in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, three diplomats told Reuters.

According to the diplomats, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, Araghchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations over its nuclear program unless Israel stopped the attacks, which began June 13 and triggered deadly Iranian missile attacks across Israel.

The diplomats said the talks between Araghchi and Witkoff included a brief discussion of Washington’s proposal given to Tehran at the end of May. Tehran has so far rejected the offer, which aims to create a regional consortium that would enrich uranium outside of Iran.

US and Iranian officials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.

This week’s phone discussions were the most substantive direct talks since the two began negotiations in April. On those occasions, in Oman and Italy, the two men exchanged brief words when they encountered each other after indirect talks were held.

A regional diplomat close to Tehran said Araghchi had told Witkoff that Tehran “could show flexibility in the nuclear issue” if Washington pressured Israel to end the war.

A European diplomat said: “Araghchi told Witkoff Iran was ready to come back to nuclear talks, but it could not if Israel continued its bombing.”

A second regional diplomat who spoke to Reuters said, “The [first] call was initiated by Washington, which also proposed a new offer” to overcome the deadlock over clashing red lines.

US President Donald Trump wants Tehran to end uranium enrichment on its soil, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Tehran’s right to enrichment is non-negotiable.

Iran, whose leaders are sworn to destroy Israel, publicly rejects nuclear weapons, but has stockpiled uranium enriched to 60% — far beyond what is needed for civilian use, and a short step from weapons-grade.

Trump has been keeping his cards close to his chest over whether he will order US forces to join Israel’s bombing campaign aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic capabilities.

But Trump offered a glimmer of hope that diplomacy could resume, saying Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for a meeting.

He rebuffed President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week when the French leader said Trump had told G7 leaders at a summit in Canada that the United States had made an offer to work on a ceasefire and then kickstart broader discussions.

European officials have been coordinating with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also at the G7 summit.

Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 and party to a 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, held a ministerial call with Araghchi on Sunday. The three countries and the European Union are set to meet him in Geneva on Friday, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei and an EU official.

Earlier in the week, both Rubio and Araghchi told the Europeans in separate talks about a possible diplomatic initiative, three diplomats said.

A senior European diplomat said what emerged at the G7 was that Trump wanted the operations to end very quickly and that he wanted the Iranians to talk to him, while making clear that they had to accept his demands if they wanted the war to end.

Given the Israeli strikes and Trump’s rhetoric, diplomats said Iran was in no position to hold public talks with the US, but that a meeting with the Europeans as a link to try and advance diplomacy was deemed more realistic for Tehran.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.