Iran on Tuesday warned of harmful effects on diplomacy just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington. The visit is expected to center on ongoing US talks with Tehran. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said, “Our negotiating party is America. It is up to America to decide to act independently of the pressures and destructive influences that are detrimental to the region.” He accused Israel, calling it “The Zionist regime” and said it “has repeatedly, as a saboteur, shown that it opposes any diplomatic process in our region that leads to peace.” The US and Iran recently resumed talks in Muscat after talks fell apart following Israel’s heavy bombing of Iran last June. The bombings targeted top Iranian military leaders, nuclear scientists, and nuclear sites, along with residential areas. The US joined in with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and targeted the largest US military base in the Middle East in Qatar. Baqaei said, “The June experience was a very bad experience. Therefore, taking these experiences into account, we are determined to secure Iran’s national interests through diplomacy.” He stressed that Iran will only focus on nuclear issues in exchange for easing sanctions, rejecting talks beyond this scope. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office stated on Saturday that he “believes any negotiations must include limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the support for the Iranian axis.” The talks come after US threats and the deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the region following Iran’s deadly crackdown on protests. Iranian officials say the protests started peacefully but turned into riots with violence they blame on the US and Israel.