Iran Accuses Israel of ‘Lies to Poison’ Nuclear Talks

The Iranian flag flies in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)
The Iranian flag flies in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)
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Iran Accuses Israel of ‘Lies to Poison’ Nuclear Talks

The Iranian flag flies in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)
The Iranian flag flies in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)

Iran on Wednesday accused Israel of "trumpeting lies to poison" the Vienna talks on reviving Tehran's 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers and it said all parties in the negotiations faced a test of their political will to complete the job.

"Israeli regime whose existence relies on tension is at it again, trumpeting lies to poison Vienna talks," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh posted on Twitter without specifying what Israeli comments he meant.

"All parties in the room now face a test of their independence & political will to carry out the job- irrespective of the fake news designed to destroy prospects for success," he added.

While it was unclear what news reports Khatibzadeh meant, a Tel Aviv-based reporter for US news organization Axios on Monday reported Israel had shared intelligence over the past two weeks with the United States and several European allies suggesting that Iran is taking technical steps to prepare to enrich uranium to 90% purity, the level needed for a nuclear weapon.

In a statement after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday said Iran was trying to buy time to advance its nuclear program and major powers needed to come up with a different approach.

"Sanctions must be reinforced and there needs to be a credible military threat because that it is the only thing that will prevent Iran from carrying out its race for a nuclear weapon," Lapid said in a statement.



Greek Protesters Rally Against an Israeli Cruise Ship

This photo shows a Palestinian flag hung by demonstrators on a fence of the Port of Piraeus during a protest against the arrival of the 'Crown Iris' (in the background) a cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists in Athens, on August 14, 2025. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
This photo shows a Palestinian flag hung by demonstrators on a fence of the Port of Piraeus during a protest against the arrival of the 'Crown Iris' (in the background) a cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists in Athens, on August 14, 2025. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
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Greek Protesters Rally Against an Israeli Cruise Ship

This photo shows a Palestinian flag hung by demonstrators on a fence of the Port of Piraeus during a protest against the arrival of the 'Crown Iris' (in the background) a cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists in Athens, on August 14, 2025. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
This photo shows a Palestinian flag hung by demonstrators on a fence of the Port of Piraeus during a protest against the arrival of the 'Crown Iris' (in the background) a cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists in Athens, on August 14, 2025. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)

Riot police at Greece’s largest port cordoned off an area around an Israeli cruise ship that arrived early Thursday to prevent several hundred union-backed protesters from approaching the vessel.

Protests have been held on Greek islands and at mainland ports along the route of the Crown Iris and several of them have led to clashes with police.

Unions in Greece and other European Union countries have become increasingly outspoken in their condemnation of Israel over widespread destruction and severe food shortages in Gaza.

At the port of Piraeus, near Athens, demonstrators held flares and waved Palestinian flags behind a cordon formed with riot police buses, The Associated Press reported.

Protest organizers, citing online posts from travelers, said off-duty Israeli soldiers were among the passengers.

“They are unwanted here and have no business being here,” protest organizer Markos Bekris said. “The blood of innocent people is on their hands, and we should not welcome them.”

Many European governments have become more critical of Israel in recent weeks, and several unions have gone even further by expressing support for punitive measures.

Last month, the European Trade Union Confederation called on the EU to suspend its trade-focused association agreement with Israel — a move that would hurt the country's exports to Europe that were worth 15.9 billion euros ($18.5 billion) last year.

Belgium’s largest trade union is encouraging members employed at Brussels airport to refuse to work on recently reopened flights to Tel Aviv.

“Members and workers who refuse to participate in normalizing our relations with the State of Israel will be fully supported by our organization,” the CSC umbrella union said in a statement this week. “We call on everyone to refuse to handle these flights.”

In a separate development, French officials have refused to comment on reports that the government has halted renewing work visas for some staff at Israeli airline El Al in France in an apparent spat over security checks.

Greece is a popular holiday destination for Israelis. But the ongoing war in Gaza has triggered hundreds of anti-Israel protests in Athens and other Greek cities, as well as a political confrontation.

Left-wing opposition parties are calling on the conservative government to halt commercial and broad military cooperation with Israel.

Addressing the growing criticism, Israeli government officials have insisted it will not change their military objectives in Gaza. These include a comprehensive defeat of Hamas.