MIDDLE EAST IN CHAOS:

European leaders in crunch talks at UN

- BY CHRIS HUGHES

A MAJOR diplomatic push to stop all-out war in the Middle East was going on last night as Iran and Israel rained down missiles on each other.

Before a UN meeting in Geneva, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi branded Israel's attacks war crimes and said his country had the right to defend itself.

Araghchi declared Tehran would not negotiate until Israel stopped its attacks. As he spoke, at least four Israeli cities were hit by Iranian missile blasts.

The onslaught came after up to 60 Israeli warplanes targeted sites in Iran, including the capital.

Araghchi said: "We have clearly said there is no room for talking until this aggression stops."

He accused the US of collaborating with Israel. He said: "It is the Americans who want talks. They have sent messages several times - very serious ones - but we made it explicitly clear to them that as long as this aggression and invasion continue, there is absolutely no room for talk or diplomacy.

"We are engaged in legitimate self-defence, this defence will not stop under any circumstances."

Later, as he spoke to European ministers in Geneva, Araghchi accused America of "betrayal".

He said: "We were attacked in the midst of an ongoing diplomatic process.

"We were supposed to meet with the Americans on June 15 to craft a very promising agreement for peaceful resolution of the issues fabricated over our peaceful nuclear programme.