Tehran – Crisis Group

The IRGC confirmed that it had seized a Togo-flagged, UAE-bound tanker and detained its crew, asserting that the ship had been “systematically engaged in fuel smuggling”.

Iranian authorities reported that one police officer had been killed and another injured in a “terrorist attack” in the south east.

Media reports cited U.S. officials regarding intelligence indicating Iranian plotting to target former U.S. president and 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump, who was injured in a 13 July assassination attempt. A spokesperson for the National Security Council indicated that ongoing investigations had “not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator”, while noting: “We have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years… We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority”. Iran’s government maintained that “these accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious”.

A spokesperson for the company that had chartered a tanker seized by Iran in April 2023 said “we are pleased to see the safe release of the vessel and crew”.

After none of the candidates reached a majority of votes cast in 28 June elections, Masoud Pezeshkian was elected to succeed Ebrahim Raisi as Iran’s president, securing just under 16.4 million votes from a total of 30 million cast in the runoff.

Iran’s acting foreign minister warned that “any new mistake they [ie, Israel] make in Lebanon will create new conditions at the regional level to the detriment of the Zionists”. The next day, a senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader emphasised that “all Lebanese people, Arab countries and members of the axis of resistance will support Lebanon against Israel. There would be a chance of expansion of the war to the whole region, in which all countries including Iran would become engaged… In that situation, we would have no choice, but to support Hizbollah by all means”.

The IAEA reported that Iran had completed installation of four more “IR-6 cascades in Unit 1 at FFEP (Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant)”, completing six out of eight cascades it announced earlier this month. “Iran has not specified to the Agency when it would start feeding any of the cascades in Unit 1 with UF6 or the planned enrichment level”, the report added.

Bahrain’s foreign minister met with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran, and according to a joint statement, they “agreed to establish the necessary mechanisms to start talks between the two countries to examine the resumption of political ties”.

The U.S. and other Group of Seven countries issued a joint statement calling on “Tehran to cease and reverse nuclear escalations, and stop the continuing uranium enrichment activities that have no credible civilian justifications”. They further urged “Iran to stop assisting Russia’s war in Ukraine and not to transfer ballistic missiles and related technology, as this would represent a substantive material escalation and a direct threat to European security. We are prepared to respond in a swift and coordinated manner, including with new and significant measures”. The G7 also expressed readiness “to adopt further sanctions or take other measures in response to further destabilising initiatives”.

The IAEA reported that “on 9 and 10 June… Iran informed the Agency that eight cascades each containing 174 IR-6 centrifuges would be installed over the next three to four weeks in Unit 1 of FFEP (Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant)”, adding: “On 11 June… the Agency verified at FFEP that Iran had completed the installation of IR-6 centrifuges in two cascades in Unit 1. Installation of IR-6 centrifuges in four additional cascades was ongoing”. Iran also informed the IAEA of plans to install eighteen IR-2m cascades in Natanz. The U.S. asserted that “Iran aims to continue expanding its nuclear program in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose. These planned actions further undermine Iran’s claims to the contrary. If Iran implements these plans, we will respond accordingly”.

With 20 votes in favour, two against and twelve abstentions, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted an E3-drafted resolution urging Iran to cooperate with the Agency over safeguards matters. The U.S. voted in favour, with its envoy noting: “This resolution should be a first step in a strategy aimed at achieving a sustainable, effective solution to Iran’s nuclear program that includes full cooperation with the IAEA, especially as we look ahead to October 2025, when the UN Security Council could close consideration of Iran’s nuclear issue under Security Council Resolution 2231. This will be a natural inflection point for the international community’s quest to make certain that Iran’s program remains exclusively peaceful”. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the resolution as “a politically-motivated and unconstructive move”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that “Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, including that enriched up to 60 per cent. The Agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate”. Grossi also noted “no progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues”, adding: “Further public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine only increase my concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations”. He further said: “I deeply regret that Iran has yet to reverse its decision to withdraw the designations for several experienced Agency inspectors. Nevertheless, I welcome Iran’s agreement that the [March 2023] Joint Statement continues to provide a framework for cooperation with the Agency and for addressing the outstanding issues”.

Acting Foreign Minister Bagheri-Kani told a senior Hamas leader that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will do its best to defend the oppressed people of Palestine and their legitimate resistance against the Zionist occupation and stop the regime’s crimes”.

Iranian authorities confirmed the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash in north-western Iran the previous day; Mohammad Mokhber, Raisi’s vice president, took over as acting president, and presidential elections were set for 28 June. The U.S. shared “official condolences”, adding that “as Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms”. Relatedly, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson said that “we were asked for assistance by the Iranian Government. We did make clear to them that we would offer assistance, as we would do in response to any request by a foreign government in this sort of situation.… Ultimately, largely for logistical reasons, we weren’t able to provide that assistance”.

Following reports of indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Oman, Iran’s UN mission noted an “ongoing process… These talks were neither the first nor the last”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that “we are moving closer to a situation where there is a big, huge question mark about what they [ie, Iran] are doing and why they are doing it…Without meaningful engagement, without us being able to have capacity to see and to see more in Iran, my ability to guarantee that everything is for peaceful uses in Iran would be limited and perhaps approaching the moment where I would not be able to say that any more… It would be a very critical juncture because the international community would have to grapple with the reality that we don’t know what Iran may or may not have and the countries will draw their conclusions”. He also noted: “I see in them a recognition that it is better to have some engagement than to continue on a completely divergent course, leading to more escalation and perhaps even more danger, including war”.

Addressing a deal between India and Iran over Iran’s Chabahar port, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson said: “U.S. sanctions on Iran remain in place and we’ll continue to enforce them… Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions”.

A senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader warned that “if the Israeli regime threatens Iran with nuclear weapons, we are forced to reconsider our nuclear doctrine… We are advocates of diplomacy to make the Middle East a nuclear-free region. But, in case the Israeli regime threatens us with nuclear weapons, we surely cannot sit idle and wait for permission from others”. Addressing the U.S., he asserted: “You were the ones who left the nuclear deal, and today, you show no more interest in negotiating to revive it. If you return to the deal, we can discuss about making the region a nuclear-free zone”. In response, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “[the U.S.] will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, period. We continue to assess, though, that Iran is not currently undertaking the key activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device, and we don’t believe that the supreme leader has yet made a decision to resume the weaponisation program that we judge Iran suspended or stopped at the end of 2003”.

Addressing the annual Iranian-Arab Dialogue Conference in Tehran, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian asserted: “We have passed the stage of Iranian-Arabic dialogues and have entered the stage of regional dialogues and cooperation”. He further commented on Iran-Saudi rapprochement and noted “good successes of the multi-layered development of cooperation, although we are still at the beginning of the path”. Highlighting “improved bilateral relations between Iran and the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait”, Amirabdollahian referred to “ongoing efforts to restore relations with Bahrain”, praising its “release of political prisoners as a positive step”.

A U.S. representative told the UN Security Council that “we must collectively call Iran out for its destabilising role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis. We reiterate our call for Iran to cease its unlawful weapons transfers and enablement of the Houthi’s illegal and reckless attacks… We must do more to strengthen enforcement and deter sanctions violators. The scale and diversity of materiel currently being transferred to the Houthis in violation of UNSCRs in unprecedented”. On 17 May, Iran’s UN envoy characterised the claims as “lies and misinformation”, asserting that Iran had “made it clear that it is committed to the Security Council’s relevant resolutions… And has not engaged in activities in contravention of those resolutions”.

A senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader asserted that “we have no decision to build a nuclear bomb but should Iran’s existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson described the remarks as “irresponsible”, adding: “The U.S. will ensure one way or another that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. We continue to use a variety of… tools in pursuit of that goal and all options remain on the table. Ultimately, we believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve a sustainable, effective solution, but given their escalation across the board – including their failure to cooperate with the IAEA – we are far away from anything like that right now”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Iran and offered what he described as “a set of concrete practical measures for the revitalisation of the 4 March 2023 Joint Statement with aim of restoring process of confidence building and increasing transparency”. “I want results and I want them soon. And I think they understand that as well”, he noted during a subsequent press conference. The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said: “It is important to be careful that the hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which the Zionists [ie, Israelis] are [the] source of… do not affect the interactions between Iran and the agency”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian reported that Iran had released the crew of MSC Aries, seized on 13 April, though the vessel remained under what he termed “judicial detention”.

Iran’s government sanctioned twelve American individuals and entities it claimed were “involved in terrorism and serious human rights violating in supporting Israeli regime’s barbaric acts against the Palestinians”, as well as thirteen UK designees.

Iranian media reported that security forces had killed two “terrorists” of undisclosed affiliation in a drone strike in south-eastern Iran.

President Ebrahim Raisi asserted that “the Iranian nation stands against the corruption, extravagance and oppression of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and will continue to do so… If the Zionist regime once against makes a mistake and invades the holy land of Iran, the situation will be different and it is not clear that there will be anything left of this regime”.

The U.S. designated “two companies and four individuals involved in malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC)”, with the Treasury Department asserting that those sanctioned had “targeted more than a dozen U.S. companies and government entities through cyber operations, including spear phishing and malware attacks”. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson rejected what he described as “baseless labels”.

For the first time since 2015, Iranians travelled to Saudi Arabia for the umrah pilgrimage.

Iranian authorities reported that air defence systems in Esfahan had downed “suspicious objects”, without causing casualties or damage, while unnamed Israel officials confirmed an Israeli strike against a military air base in response to Iran’s 13 April attack on Israel. Reports citing unnamed U.S. officials indicated that Israel had fired “three missiles… targeting an air defence radar site near Esfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility”; the official was cited as indicating that the operation “was intended to send a signal to Iran that Israel has these capabilities, but was not looking to escalate the situation”. The IAEA confirmed “no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites”, urging “extreme restraint from everybody… nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts”. 

An IRGC general warned that if Israel “decides to take action against our nuclear facilities and centres, it will definitely face our reaction… For a tit-for-tat retaliation, the regime’s nuclear facilities will be attacked with advanced weapons”. He further asserted that should Israel “use the threat of attacking our country’s nuclear centres as a tool to put pressure on Iran, it is possible and conceivable to revise the nuclear doctrine and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and deviate from the previously declared considerations”. On 22 April, the foreign ministry’s spokesperson maintained: “Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear program only serves peaceful purposes. Nuclear weapons have no place in our nuclear doctrine”.

Discussing Iran’s 13 April retaliatory airstrikes against Israel, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian said: “If the UN had condemned the Israeli strike [on Iran’s consulate in Damascus], we would have thought twice about our response”. He added: “We do not seek to target American people and bases in the region and we do not welcome the extension of tensions… We will target U.S. bases if they are used to aid Zionist [ie, Israeli] aggression [against Iran]”.

In response to the 1 April strike, attributed to Israel, against its consulate and senior IRGC commanders in Damascus, Iran launched airstrikes against Israel. According to the IDF, Israel and allied forces intercepted 99 per cent of 300-plus missiles and drones fired from Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. “Only a few [ballistic missiles] crossed into Israeli territory… These fell at the Nevatim Air Force Base, causing only minor damage to infrastructure”, an Israeli military spokesperson indicated. President Biden condemned what he described as “an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel”. The following day, Iran’s military chief of staff highlighted that “our operations are over and we have no intention to continue them”, with the IRGC commander warning: “From now on, if the Zionist regime attacks our interests, assets, figures and citizens at any point, it will face counterattack from within the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

The IRGC seized MCS Aries, a Portuguese-registered merchant vessel described as “linked to Israel”, in the Gulf of Oman. On April 15, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson claimed that “the vessel was diverted into Iran’s territorial waters as a result of violating maritime laws and not answering calls made by Iranian authorities”.

Amid reports that was Iran preparing to retaliate for the 1 April strike in Damascus attributed to Israel, an Israeli military spokesperson asserted that “we are ready for attack and defence using a variety of capabilities that the IDF has, and also ready with our strategic partners… Our strategic relationship with the U.S. armed forces is strong and tight”. He further affirmed that “an attack from Iranian territory would be clear proof of Iranian intentions to escalate the situation in the Middle East, and to stop hiding behind the proxies”. The same day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to several foreign counterparts “to make clear that escalation is not in anyone’s interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate”, while a White House spokesperson said: “We have warned Iran not to use this attack as a pretext to escalate further in the region or to attack U.S. facilities or personnel”.

Referring to the 1 April strike in Damascus attributed to Israel, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted: “Attacking our consulate is like attacking our soil… The malicious [Israeli] regime has made a wrong move in this case. It should be punished and it will be punished”. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz countered that “if Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran”, while Defence Minister Yoav Gallant asserted: “Any enemy that tries to attack us, will first of all be met with a strong defence… But we will know how to react very quickly with a decisive offensive action against the territory of whoever attacks our territory, no matter where it is, in the entire Middle East”. President Biden, noting that Iran was “threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel”, declared: “Our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad”.

Iranian authorities reported five fatalities among law enforcement officers in south east Iran during a terrorist attack attributed to Jaish al-Adl.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian inaugurated a consular facility in Damascus after the previous site was targeted in a deadly strike attributed to Israel. Amirabdollahian reiterated that along with Israel, “the U.S. is responsible for this incident and must be held accountable… The refusal of the U.S. and two European countries to issue a statement in condemnation of this attack bespeaks America’s green light”.

 Iranian authorities reported the arrest of several ISIS members, including a “senior operative”, in and near Tehran.

Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned that “[Israel] will regret it if it launches any war on Lebanon… We have not used the main weapons nor the main forces and we have not called in the reserves”. He further highlighted that “our stance regarding the Lebanese front has not changed: when the war stops in Gaza it will stop here”. Nasrallah went on to describe a 1 April strike, attributed to Israel, which killed several senior IRGC commanders and personnel in Damascus, as a “pivotal incident… Everyone must prepare themselves, arrange their matters and be careful when the Iranian side responds to the targeting of the Iranian consulate and to the Zionist enemy’s possible response to the Iranian response”. The same day, a senior Iranian official asserted that Tehran had told Washington “not to get dragged in Netanyahu’s trap… Stay away so you won’t get hurt”. “In response, [the] U.S. asked Iran not to target American facilities”, he claimed.

The IRGC reported ten fatalities among Iranian security forces in clashes with Jaish al-Adl in south east Iran; an Iranian official asserted that the attack was aimed at “seizing the IRGC headquarters in Chabahar and Rask”, with eighteen members of the militant group killed.

Syria state media reported Israeli strikes against the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The IRGC confirmed seven fatalities, including two senior commanders. Iran’s UN mission urged the Security Council to “take all necessary measures”, asserting: “Iran reserves its legitimate and inherent right… to take a decisive response to such reprehensible acts”. The following day, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pledged that Israel would “be punished by our courageous men. We will make them regret this and other crimes like it”. Relatedly, Iran’s foreign ministry conveyed to the U.S. via the Swiss embassy in Tehran that as Israel’s “supporter”, the U.S. “should be held accountable”. A White House official asserted that “we had nothing to do with the strike in Damascus… We weren’t involved in any way”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei met with senior Hamas officials in Tehran, praising what he described as the “exceptional resistance demonstrated by the Palestinian Resistance forces” against “the crimes and brutalities committed by the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], with full support from the West”. He further asserted that “Iran will not hesitate to support the cause of Palestine and the oppressed and resistant people of Gaza”. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant described the meeting as “the clearest sign that there is a war going on between the free world and the axis which promotes terror”. On 28 March, Khamenei met with a senior official from Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Syrian state media reported what it alleged were U.S. strikes against several targets, including military sites, in the Deir al-Zor region, causing tens of casualties. Israeli media reported that Israel had been “targeting Iranian assets and operatives involved in a recent plot to smuggle advanced arms to West Bank terrorists”; Iranian media reported the death of an IRGC “military advisor”.

Iranian state media reported that a law enforcement official and a civilian were killed during a clash with a “terrorist” group in south-eastern Iran.

A U.S. envoy told the IAEA Board of Governors that “we and the broader international community must consider anew how to respond to Iran’s continued stonewalling [on safeguards]… Iran’s continuing lack of credible cooperation provides grounds for pursuing further Board of Governors action, including the possibility of additional resolutions and consideration of whether Iran is once again in noncompliance with its safeguards obligations”. The ambassador further noted that “if we cannot look forward to a dispositive report from the Director General… It would be appropriate to request from the Director General a comprehensive summary report based on the information and access so far available to inspectors”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that “Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, even though the level of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent has fallen slightly”, adding: “The Agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate. It is three years since Iran stopped provisionally applying its Additional Protocol”. Grossi further noted that “no progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues… Public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons only increase my concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations”. He also raised concerns about Iran having “unilaterally stopped implementing the [March 2023] Joint Statement”, adding “that Iran has yet to reverse its decision to withdraw the designations for several experienced Agency inspectors”.

The IRGC Navy confirmed the death of a member serving as a “military advisor in Syria”, in addition to two Hizbollah fighters, in an alleged Israeli strike.

Iran’s oil minister attributed 14 February attacks on gas pipelines to Israel, asserting that “the enemy intended to disrupt households’ gas supplies”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi pegged Iran’s accumulation of uranium enriched to 60 per cent at 7kg per month, and asserted: “This slowdown, speedup thing is like a cycle that for me does not alter the fundamental trend, which is a trend of constant increase in inventory of highly enriched uranium”. “We seem to be drifting apart”, he added. “Iran says they are not getting incentives from the West, but I find this logic very complicated to understand because they should work with us… It should never be contingent on economic or other incentives”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi asserted that Tehran was “presenting a face which is not entirely transparent when it comes to its nuclear activities… There’s loose talk about nuclear weapons more and more, including in Iran recently. A very high official said, in fact, we have everything, it’s disassembled. Well, please let me know what you have”.

The Houthis claimed to have successfully targeted “the American ship Star Iris in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles”. Industry sources indicated that the ship was carrying an Iran-bound corn shipment. U.S. Central Command reported that the vessel remained “seaworthy with minor damage and no injuries to the crew”, and confirmed that its destination was Iran.

During a visit to Beirut, Iran’s foreign minister contended that “Hizbollah and the resistance in Lebanon have courageously and wisely carried out their deterring and effective role”, adding that Iran would maintain “its strong support to the resistance in Lebanon, as we consider Lebanon’s security as the security of Iran and the region”.

Marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, President Raisi asserted: “The presence of American forces in our region has no justification and the problems of the region should be resolved with the presence of the regional officials… [it] does not create security in any way, but rather disturbs the security of the region”.

Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “all of the resistance groups in the region are independent and their decisions and actions are motivated by… ending the illegal presence of the U.S. in their territories, stopping the genocide in Gaza and ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Therefore, any attempt to attribute these actions to Iran or its Armed forces is misleading, baseless and unacceptable”. He further claimed that “Iran has no military presence in Iraq, nor does it have bases or military advisers… In Syria, Iranian military advisers are legally present since they were invited officially by the Syrian government to fight terrorism… Claims that Iran’s bases in Iraq and Syria were attacked are rejected as unfounded and regarded as attempts to shift attention away from the U.S.’s aggressive actions”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi indicated that “there is a bit of a slowing down [in Iran’s accumulation of uranium enriched to 60 per cent]… They are still adding to the stockpile but more slowly”.

Iranian state media reported the execution of “four people convicted [in September 2023] of working for the Israeli Mossad spy agency and plotting a bomb attack against a Defence Ministry factory in the country’s central province of Isfahan”.

Iranian authorities reported uncovering “a terrorist team” in south east Iran allegedly “trying to enter the country with significant amounts of weapons, ammunition, and explosives with the aim of conducting acts of sabotage”.

Iranian state media reported that the Defence Ministry had successfully launched three satellites using the Simorgh satellite carrier.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told the UN Security Council that U.S.-led strikes against the Houthis were “a strategic mistake… which will result in the risk of further expanding the scope of the war”, describing an end to the Gaza war as “the main key to the restoration of security to the region”. He further noted that “the U.S. repeatedly expressed its grave concern about the spillover of tension in the region, and yet continues its full support to the Israeli regime’s war machine… The U.S. must bear the responsibility for its consequences”. “Instead of calling on others to exercise restraint”, he contended, “the U.S. must compel the Israeli regime to stop the war and pull itself out of the trap that the Israeli regime has set to drag the U.S. into direct conflict”.

The IRGC’s Aerospace Force reported “successfully launching the Soraya (Sky) satellite to an altitude of 750km above the earth’s surface for the first time”. On January 26, the E3 condemned the launch, noting: “This SLV uses technology essential for the development of a long-range ballistic missile system… We have longstanding concerns over Iran’s activity related to ballistic missile technologies that are capable of delivering nuclear weapons. These concerns are reinforced by Iran’s continued nuclear escalation beyond all credible civilian justification”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson criticised the statement as “interventionist”, asserting that “in spite of a series of arbitrary interpretations rooted in the unilateral tendencies of certain parties, there are no limits to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s scientific and applied activities in the sphere of space research”.

Iran confirmed the deaths of five IRGC “military advisors” in alleged Israeli strikes in Damascus. President Raisi warned that “the continuation of such terrorist and criminal acts… will not go unanswered”.

The IRGC reported clashes with a group of “terrorists” affiliated with Jaish al-Adl near the south-eastern border, asserting that it had killed one, with the rest retreating into Pakistani territory. The same day, the IRGC confirmed that a “group of assailants” killed a colonel in the same province.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state which is enriching uranium at this very, very high level … A snapshot shows a program which is galloping ahead, moving ahead with ambitious goals. We have nothing against that. But we say the visibility of the international inspectorate, the IAEA, must be commensurate with those activities”. “Iran is party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, they should abide by this commitment”, he added, while characterising limits on inspectors as “contrary to the spirit of our work”.

The IRGC announced that “in response to the recent evil acts of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] in martyring IRGC and resistance commanders”, it had fired missiles at what was alleged to be “one of the main headquarters of Israel’s spying agency Mossad in Iraq’s Kurdistan region… This Mossad headquarters has been working for espionage operations and a center for terror attacks planning in the region”. The prime minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq condemned the attack, which led to several civilian fatalities, and the U.S. likewise denounced what it called a “reckless” action. The IRGC also declared that “in response to the recent crimes of terrorist groups… in Kerman and Rasak, [it] identified and destroyed a number of key terror commanders and elements, especially Daesh [ie, ISIS], in the occupied territories of Syria”. The following day, Iranian media reported Iranian missile strikes against Jaish al-Adl targets in Pakistan, whose foreign ministry denounced the attack as “completely unacceptable” while confirming two civilian fatalities. On 18 January, Pakistan conducted what it described as “a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts” in south east Iran.

Iran’s UN envoy wrote to the Security Council and UN Secretary-General rejecting U.S. claims about Iran’s involvement in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, while asserting that “recent incidents in the Red Sea are directly related to Israel’s continued atrocities against the Palestinian people in Gaza”. He further argued that the Houthi group “maintains independent sovereignty, making decisions and taking actions in its own interest”.

Iran’s Navy declared that in response to the 2023 U.S. seizure of an Iranian oil cargo aboard the Suez Rajan, they had seized “the oil tanker renamed St Nicholas” in the Gulf of Oman. A Turkish refiner confirmed that it had purchased the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel’s cargo from Iraq. The White House said Iran’s “provocative and unacceptable actions need to stop”, and urged the ship’s release.

President Biden announced that “U.S. military forces – together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands – successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation… These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea – including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history”. He further asserted that “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary”. The Houthis confirmed five fatalities and condemned the attacks, contending that “the American, British presence and those who allied with them under false pretenses in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are unacceptable… Yemen is concerned with dealing with it in an appropriate manner”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the attack, contending it would “have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region”. Saudi Arabia called on “all parties involved to avoid further escalation”.

Iranian authorities reported that “gunmen attacked a checkpoint” in south-eastern Iran, killing a police officer; Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack.

Discussing the Gaza war, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei argued that “today the Resistance remains strong… [Israel] is exhausted, humiliated and filled with regret”. “The Resistance should target and strike the enemy whenever and wherever possible”, he added. 

In response to U.S. claims at the UN Security Council about Iran having been “deeply involved in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea”, Iran’s envoy wrote to the Council that “Iran unequivocally condemns and categorically rejects the unfounded allegations… Incidents in the Red Sea are directly related to Israel’s continued atrocities against the Palestinian people in Gaza”.

Iranian authorities reported several dozen fatalities and over 200 injuries in Kerman after two explosions hit an event marking the January 2020 death of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. President Raisi affirmed that “the perpetrators and masterminds of this cowardly act will soon be identified and brought to justice”. The following day, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council met with a senior Houthi official in Tehran, discussing “issues of mutual interest and regional security” and praising the Houthis’ “actions in supporting the Palestinian people against the aggression and brutal attacks of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel]”. The following day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian likewise expressed thanks to the Houthi official for “throwing its weight behind the oppressed Palestinian people”, and also noted Iran’s “satisfaction with the progress in talks between Yemen and Saudi Arabia”.

The judiciary announced the execution of four individuals convicted of spying for Israel.

The IAEA informed member states that Iran had “increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023… Since the end of November 2023, the rate at which Iran has been producing uranium enriched up to 60 per cent U-235 at these two facilities [Natanz and Fordow] has increased to approximately 9kg per month”. The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran maintained: “we have neither changed our work nor expanded our capacity… This is media propaganda”, while a White House official asserted: “Iran’s nuclear escalation is all the more concerning at a time when Iran-backed proxies continue their dangerous and destabilising activities in the region”.

Iran confirmed the death of a senior IRGC official in Syria in what it asserted was an Israeli missile strike in Damascus. President Ebrahim Raisi contended that “this heinous act is another sign of frustration and helplessness of the usurping Zionist regime [ie, Israel] in the region, and it will definitely pay for this crime”.

The UN under-secretary-general presented the sixteen biannual report on Security Council Resolution 2231’s implementation.

The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company confirmed disruption at petrol stations across Iran, attributing it to a “technical problem” caused by the “conspiracy of enemies to overshadow the welfare and comfort of the people”.

Iranian authorities reported a “terrorist attack” against a police station in south east Iran, killing eleven personnel; Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack.

Reacting to U.S. plans to form a multinational task-force “to provide a greater level of security through the Red Sea”, Iran’s defence minister warned: “if they make such an irrational move, they will be faced with extraordinary problems… Nobody can make a move in a region where we have predominance”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the Israel-Gaza war. Discussing his conversations with senior officials in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Amirabdollahian maintained: “As long as the U.S. backs the Zionist regime’s [ie, Israel’s] crimes and the continuation of war [in Gaza], not only is the ongoing war likely to spread, but also the situation in the region could explode”.

Citing Hamas violations, Israel declared the end of the pause in the Israel-Gaza war, adding: “Upon the resumption of fighting… Israel is committed to achieving the goals of the war: Releasing the hostages, eliminating Hamas and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to the residents of Israel”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed Hamas for having “reneged on commitments it made”, and noted that “we’re… very much focused, as we’ve been all along, on trying to make sure that this conflict doesn’t spread, that it doesn’t escalate in other places. But we’re also using our diplomacy to look at not only what’s happening today and how we’re handling that, but also what happens the day after in Gaza and how we can get on the path to a just, lasting and secure peace”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson accused Israel of violating the pause, asserting: “The political and legal responsibility for continuing the aggression and brutal killing of the Palestinian people, in addition to the criminals of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], lies with the U.S. government and a few governments supporting the apartheid regime”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei opined that Hamas’s 7 October attack against Israel had been “against the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] but it is aimed at de-Americanisation. This incident literally managed to disrupt the table of American policies in the region, and God willing, if this Storm continues, it will wipe out the whole table”. He further maintained that “the Islamic Republic believes in a referendum in Palestine based on the Palestinian public opinion. The Islamic Republic is not of the view of throwing Zionists and Jews into the sea”.

A senior Iranian defence official was cited as indicating that “plans have been finalised for [Russian-made] Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 jet trainers to join the combat units of the Iranian Armed Forces”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that “Iran’s stockpiles of uranium enriched up to five per cent, enriched up to 20 per cent and enriched up to 60 per cent – high enriched uranium – have all increased… With the increase of the 60 per cent continuing at the same rate as I reported at the time of the last Board”. He further expressed “regret that no further progress has been made in implementing the [March 2023] Joint Statement… A way forward must include an honest and cooperative implementation of the commitments we agreed”. Grossi further criticised “Iran’s sudden withdrawal of the designations of several experienced inspectors… I express the hope that this matter will be resolved promptly”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian said that “over the past 40 days, messages have been exchanged between Iran and the U.S… we said that Iran does not want the [Gaza] war to spread, but due to the approach adopted by the U.S. and Israel in the region, if the crimes against the people of Gaza and the West Bank are not stopped, any possibility could be considered, and a wider conflict could prove inevitable”.

Iraq’s prime minister visited Tehran and discussed the Gaza war with senior Iranian officials. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told the Iraqi premier that Israel had “so far failed in this incident because it has not been able to restore its lost reputation and it will not be able to restore it”; he also opined that “the longer the current war goes on, the evidence showing the direct role of the U.S. in directing the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza becomes more pronounced”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posited that “if it were not for the support of the U.S. and its arms support, the corrupt, fake, and fictitious Zionist government [ie, Israel] would have collapsed that very first week. Thus, the atrocities in Gaza today by the Zionists have in fact been created with the support of and at the hands of the U.S.”. The same day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian warned that “if there is no immediate stop to the war and the continuation of joint attacks by the U.S. and Israel against civilians, the consequences will be severe, and the warmongers will definitely not be able to bear the consequences”.

President Raisi, discussing the Israel-Gaza war, contended that Israel’s “crimes have crossed the red lines, which may force everyone to take action. Washington asks us to not do anything, but they keep giving widespread support to Israel. The U.S. sent messages to the Axis of Resistance but received a clear response on the battlefield”. The following day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian asserted that “if the U.S. interests are targeted by any group… linking it to the Republic of Iran without offering any piece of proof is totally wrong. They are not receiving orders from us”. “They act according to their own interests”, Amirabdollahian maintained. “Also, what happened, what was carried the out by Hamas, it was totally Palestinian”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, addressing the UN General Assembly, stated: “I say frankly to the American statesmen and military forces who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome the expansion and scope of the war in the region, but I warn if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire… We do not compromise with any party and any side and have no reservations when it comes to our home’s security”. The following day, he noted that “the resistance in Lebanon and also the Palestinian groups… have their finger on the trigger”, adding: “If this situation continues and women and children and civilians are still killed in Gaza and the West Bank, anything will be possible … They have their own calculations for their own security, and as I’ve said they decide for themselves”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei contended that “the U.S. is a definite accomplice of the criminals [ie, Israel]… In fact, [the U.S.] is somehow managing the crimes being committed in Gaza”. The same day, an Israeli military spokesperson claimed that “Iran directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money and technological know-how… Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel continues”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “the Americans have been fanning the flames of war on Gaza during the past two weeks by sending thousands of arms consignments [to Israel] and supporting the regime… Therefore, we warn all the countries that have been involved in the recent escalation [in Gaza], including the U.S. and the Zionist regime, to stop the massacre before it is too late”.

Marking the automatic expiration of certain restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program set by UN Security Council resolution 2231 which endorsed the JCPOA, 47 state members of the Proliferation Security Initiative, including UK, France, Germany and the U.S., issued a statement arguing that “Resolution 2231 was based on the assumption that Iran would take the necessary steps towards restoring confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program. This has not happened. In this context, it is imperative that all States continue to take steps to counter Iran’s destabilising ballistic missile-related activities through ongoing counterproliferation cooperation”. They further expressed their commitment, with regard to Iran, “to take all necessary measures to prevent the supply, sale or transfer of ballistic missile-related items, materials, equipment, goods, and technology, to protect peace and stability in the region and beyond”. The same day, the U.S. designated, in total, thirteen individuals, twelve entities and one vessel based in Iran, Russia, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Venezuela in relation to Iran’s ballistic missile and UAV programs, in addition to issuing an advisory “to private industry regarding Iranian missile procurement and related U.S. sanctions and export restrictions”. Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement insisting that the 2231 restrictions had “unconditionally” terminated.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that in the event of a continuation of Israeli attacks against Gaza, which he described as “crimes”, “Muslims and the Resistance forces will lose their patience and no one will be able to stop them. They should know this and they should not expect others to stop certain groups from doing certain things”. The same day, a senior IRGC commander contended that “another shockwave is on the way if Israel does not end atrocities in Gaza”.

The European Council announced its decision “to maintain the restrictive measures under the EU non-proliferation regime on Iran” due to expire as part of “Transition Day”, adding: “The Council’s decision is in line with the provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, in view of Iran not fulfilling its commitments under the JCPOA”. The statement highlighted that “these steps do not amount to the imposition of additional EU sanctions on Iran. Moreover, all EU sanctions that had already been lifted under the JCPOA remain lifted”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the move as “unilateral, illegal and politically unjustifiable”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with senior Hamas officials in Qatar and asserted that “if the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza continue, any possibility in the region is likely, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its attempts to halt Israeli war crimes”. Separately, he underscored in a media interview that “if the measures aimed at immediately stopping the Israeli attacks that are killing children in the Gaza Strip end in a deadlock, it is highly probable that many other fronts will be opened. This option is not ruled out and this is becoming increasingly more probable”. “If the Zionist entity [ie, Israel] decides to enter Gaza”, he warned, “resistance leaders will turn it into a graveyard of the occupation soldiers”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Beirut and met with Lebanese, Hizbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials. During his visit, he emphasised that continuation Israeli attacks against Gaza, what he described as “war crimes”, would “be followed by other reactions on other axes [of resistance], for which the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and its supporters would be responsible”. The following day, Amirabdollahian contended that “the leaders of resistance enjoy remarkable cohesion, have designed the whole scenarios and everyone’s finger is on the trigger”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani in Baghdad, said that “the possibility of opening a new front in the region… depends on the actions of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] in Gaza”. “No one in the region asks us for permission to open new fronts”, he insisted, while asserting: “What happened was a reaction to the aggressive actions and extremism of the Netanyahu administration”.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, emphasising that “Iran is committed to deepening and strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia… and we believe that the relations between the two sides have the capacity to help stabilise, strengthen and promote the security and stability of the region”. They also discussed the war between Israel and Gaza, with bin Salman stressing Riyadh’s “maximum effort to engage with all international and regional parties to halt the ongoing escalation”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, discussing the war sparked by Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israel, remarked that “we kiss the foreheads and arms of the skillful and intelligent designers and Palestinian youth, but those who say that the recent epic is the work of non-Palestinians suffer from miscalculation… The actions of the Zionists [ie, Israel] brought this disaster on them. When cruelty and crime passes the limit, when rapacity reaches its peak, one should wait for the storm”. He also warned that “with the massacre of the people of Gaza, they will receive a heavier slap”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “the accusations linked to an Iranian role [in the 7 October Hamas attack against Israel]… are based on political reasons”, rejecting Iran’s intervention “in the decision-making of other countries, including Palestine”. An Israeli military spokesperson indicated “Iran is a major player but we can’t yet say if it was involved in the planning or training”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that “we are at war” after Hamas launched a major attack against Israel. President Isaac Herzog asserted that Hamas was “supported and directed by their proxy commanders in Iran”, and called for “clear, unequivocal condemnation of Hamas, its allies and its backers in Iran”. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson applauded what he called “a turning point and a new chapter… [that] shows the Palestinian resistance is confidently capable of conducting hybrid and multilateral operations against the occupiers”.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, told his Iraqi counterpart that “the security agreement between the two countries guarantees the security of the borders of the two countries and a reasonable and appropriate road map to eliminate insecure components in the two countries and the region”, urging “strict and complete implementation of this agreement”.

Iran’s intelligence minister announced what he claimed was “a plot aimed at the serial assassination of several Sunni clerics, judges and members of the country’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps”, with the purported goal of “fueling ethnic and religious differences… [and] afflicting the country’s eastern borders with insecurity”.

The IRGC Aerospace Force reported the successful launch of Nour-3, an imaging satellite. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami indicated that “we use the collection of what we receive [from the satellite]… to meet the IRGC’s intelligence demands”.

Citing Prime Minister Netanyahu saying “Iran must face a credible nuclear threat”, which his office had corrected as a “credible military threat”, Iran’s UN ambassador wrote to the General Assembly and Security Council to denounce “the Israeli regime’s perilous threat to use nuclear weapons against Iran”, affirming Iran’s “legitimate and inherent rights… to respond resolutely to any threats and unlawful acts”.

Asked about Iranian reference to a Japanese initiative for reviving the JCPOA, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson said: “I am not aware of that specific initiative… As we’ve said before, we believe diplomacy is the best way to ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon”, while reaffirming: “Iran must take de-escalatory steps if it wants to reduce tensions and create a space for diplomacy. We have not yet seen indications, despite some of these public comments, that Iran is serious about addressing the concerns that we have, the concerns that other countries have about its nuclear program… In the last few weeks we’ve seen Iran take steps to undermine the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ability to do its work. So if Iran really is serious about taking de-escalatory steps, the first thing it could do would be to cooperate with the IAEA. We have not seen them fully do that”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the IAEA General Conference that “implementing the activities set out in the most recent Joint Statement between myself and Iran – in March this year – has not made the progress I was hoping for… Only full co-operation by Iran, and tangible results, will take us to the credible assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful”. The same day, Grossi met with the head of Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and stressed the IAEA’s “willingness to engage and make concrete progress in the spirit of the March 4 statement to provide credible assurances that nuclear program is exclusively peaceful”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced it had uncovered what it asserted was a “plot to carry out 30 simultaneous bombing attacks” in Tehran, arresting 28 individuals who were allegedly affiliated with ISIS and confiscating an array of explosives and arms. The ministry further claimed that “the design of their plot and their behavioural pattern… significantly conform to the patterns and mechanisms of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel]”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with his Saudi counterpart and underscored Iran’s readiness “to sign a comprehensive partnership agreement with the Kingdom”. He also discussed the necessity of “a joint economic commission to expand their ties in different areas, especially in the trade and economic fields”, in addition to “Iran’s proposal to form a forum for dialog and cooperation between the eight northern and southern countries of the Persian Gulf”.

Iran’s foreign minister met with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), who asserted that “the Council looks forward to entering a new phase of relations [with Iran] based on common interests and mutual respect, which contributes to the stability and security of the region” .

Russia’s defence minister, who on a visit to Tehran met with the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council as well as senior military officials, remarked that “we are aiming at an entire range of planned activities, despite opposition from the U.S. and its Western allies… Sanctions pressure on Russia and Iran shows its futility, while Russian-Iranian interaction is reaching a new level”.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell met with Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian and discussed, inter alia, the JCPOA, highlighting “the importance of following a path of de-escalation” and calling on “Iran to reconsider its decision to withdraw the official designation of several experienced IAEA inspectors and to improve cooperation with the IAEA”. Borrell further urged Iran “to stop its continued military cooperation with Russia in the illegal war of aggression against Ukraine”. The exchange followed a meeting between Iran’s deputy foreign minister and senior E3 diplomats.

Addressing the 78th UN General Assembly, President Biden remarked that “we’re working with our partners to address Iran’s destabilising activities that threaten regional and global security and remain steadfast in our commitment that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon”. During the same event, President Raisi criticised the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and said: “America has actually prescribed lawlessness and coercion instead of cooperation… America needs to prove by building trust that it has good intentions and has a real will to fulfil its commitments and finalise the path. The Europeans, who after years of not adhering to their commitments, including the cancellation of sanctions, are now violating the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231”. He further insisted that “nuclear weapons have no place in the defence doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, adding: “Iran will in no way abandon the inalienable rights of its nation to peacefully benefit from nuclear technology”.

The U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states concluded a ministerial meeting with a statement supporting “diplomatic engagement by Saudi Arabia and other GCC states with Iran to pursue regional de-escalation”. They also reiterated “their commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security in the region and their determination to deter illegal actions at sea or elsewhere that might threaten shipping lanes, international trade and oil installations in the GCC states”. Participants further urged “Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency” and “to cease its proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles and other dangerous weapons that pose a grave security threat to the region”. The joint statement went on to reaffirm “their commitment to work together to deter and address threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity and other destabilising activities”, while expressing “support for the United Arab Emirates’ call to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute over the three islands”. On 22 September, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss chargé d’affaires, whose country represents U.S. interests in Iran, describing the statement’s claims as “baseless”.

Five U.S. citizens who had been detained in Iran were released, and Iran confirmed the parallel release of five nationals in jail in the U.S. The Qatari foreign ministry confirmed that “as part of the implementation of the agreement, the Iranian frozen funds in the Republic of Korea were transferred to Doha” under what the State Department described as “the Humanitarian Channel in Qatar for Iran to purchase humanitarian goods like food, medicine, medical devices and agricultural products”. The same day, the U.S. sanctioned “Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) in connection with the MOIS’s involvement in the wrongful detention of U.S citizens and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his support to MOIS”, in addition to imposing “visa restrictions on three Iranian government officials believed to be responsible for or complicit in serious abuses or violations of human rights, as well as hostage-taking or wrongful, arbitrary, or otherwise unjust detention of U.S. and foreign nationals”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi announced and criticised Iran’s decision “to withdraw the designation of several experienced Agency inspectors assigned to conduct verification activities in Iran under the NPT Safeguards Agreement”. “With today’s decision”, he asserted, “Iran has effectively removed about one third of the core group of the Agency’s most experienced inspectors designated for Iran… [which] affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to conduct effectively its inspections in Iran”. On 18 September, the U.S., UK, Germany and France jointly condemned Iran’s action and urged it to “immediately reverse these inspector de-designations and fully cooperate with the Agency to enable them to provide assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful”.

In a letter to the Secretary-General, Iran’s UN ambassador criticised “inflammatory and bellicose comments by the head of Mossad”, asserting that they “not only constitute a flagrant violation of international law… but also serve as a clear illustration of the acts of terrorism this illegitimate regime has always used to maintain its existence”. He went on to warn against “adventurism and malicious activities”. Relatedly, the IRGC’s commander declared that Israeli had “resorted to empty rhetoric and threats… Go ahead if your previous assassination operations have increased your security. However, you should know that if you make threats against [Iran’s] security, we will have more options and your life will be cut short”.

France, Germany and the UK announced that “in direct response to Iran’s consistent and severe non-compliance with its JCPOA commitments since 2019, the [three] governments… intend to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, after JCPOA Transition Day on 18 October 2023”. Iran’s foreign ministry warned that “undoubtedly, Iran will respond appropriately to this…. action which clearly violates the obligations of the EU, France, Germany and Britain under the JCPOA and the [UNSC] Resolution 2231.

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced that “based on the agreement between Iraq and Iran, necessary measures were taken to remove [Iranian Kurdish separatist] groups from the border areas and they were housed in camps deep inside Iraqi Kurdistan”, adding: “We will discuss with the Iranian side not to threaten to use violence and not to threaten to attack some areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq”. The following day, speaking alongside his Iranian counterpart, Hussein highlighted that “the Constitution of Iraq clearly indicates that it does not allow any group to use Iraqi lands to attack another country… The groups on the Iraqi-Iranian border have been disarmed and refugee camps have been established”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that “no further progress has been made in implementing the activities set out in the Joint Statement signed in Tehran on 4 March”, urging “Iran to work with the Agency in earnest and in a sustained way towards the fulfilment of the commitments contained in the Joint Statement”. Separately, during a press conference he indicated that “there is a certain routinisation of what is going on there [in Iran] and I am concerned about this, because the issues are as valid today as they were before”.

The intelligence ministry and the IRGC intelligence organisation jointly claimed to have uncovered an alleged U.S.-funded “riot organisation network”.

The Saudi ambassador to Iran, Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, took up his post in Tehran, and Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia landed in Riyadh. Al-Anzi stated: “Both the Kingdom and Iran are neighbouring countries with abundant economic resources, natural resources and advantages that contribute to enhancing development, prosperity, stability and security in the region”.

During a visit to Beirut, Iran’s foreign minister told his Lebanese counterpart that Iran-Saudi rapprochement “will have a positive impact on the entire region and Lebanon”, while “any normalisation of relations with the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] will be detrimental to the region”. He further emphasised that “Iranian companies are ready to contribute to solving the electricity problem in Lebanon. We are also ready to hold a joint economic cooperation commission between the two countries in Tehran immediately after the formation of a new government in Lebanon”. Amirabdollahian also met with senior officials from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Hezbollah.

The defence ministry reported foiling what was billed as an Israeli “sabotage plot”, claiming that “a network of Mossad agents sought to introduce defective parts into the production of advanced missiles”.

During a visit to Damascus, Iran’s foreign minister denounced Israeli strikes in Syria and asserted that “no acts of aggression and crimes by the Zionist regime have gone unanswered and nor will it in the future”. He further called on U.S. forces “to return home and we advise the American authorities to leave the region to the people of the region”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei emphasised that “we should not have conflicts with any of our neighbors. If there is a conflict, it should be turned into cooperation. Certain steps have been taken in this regard, and this needs to be continued”. He further noted that “work is being done to terminate the sanctions, and negotiations are taking place. This is the right thing to do and good. But at the same time, there should be effort made parallel to these measures to neutralise the sanctions”.

The intelligence ministry announced uncovering what it claimed was “a number of terrorist cells affiliated with the Israeli regime in four provinces”; fourteen individuals were arrested and explosives, including “43 powerful ready-to-detonate bombs” were said to have been seized.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “an agreement has been struck between Iran and Iraq, in which Iraq has committed to disarm armed separatists and terrorist groups present in its territory, close their bases, and relocate them to other locations before 19 September”.

A senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader spoke with senior Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hizbollah officials, congratulating them on what he described as their “recent victories” against Israel, and emphasising that “the outcome of the unity [between the Palestinian groups and Hizbollah] will be ultimate victory”.

After an oil tanker seized by the U.S. for carrying Iranian crude oil reportedly offloaded its cargo, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained: “I have no confirmed information. There is a general principle that says the era of hit-and-run is over. Iran will not stand idly by in relation to any violation of the nation’s rights and will cut the hands of the aggressors… Acts of trespassing on tankers carrying Iranian oil are a clear example of piracy”. On 28 August, the official confirmed that the foreign ministry had summoned the Swiss chargé d’affaires, whose country represents U.S. interests in Iran, over the seizure.

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian travelled to Riyadh, and asserted that “relations with Tehran and Saudi are on the right track and we are witnessing progress”. His Saudi counterpart stated that “our meeting today is a continuation of the steps taken towards implementing the agreement to resume diplomatic relations, which represents a pivotal platform in the history of the two countries and the path of regional security”. The following day, Amirabdollahian met Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and subsequently asserted: “We had frank, clear and direct conversations… The idea of security and development for everyone was emphasised by both sides”.

Iranian officials reported what was characterised as a terrorist attack against a shrine in Shiraz, killing two and injuring seven, and confirmed the arrest of a Tajik attacker and other foreign nationals connected to the incident.

Asked to comment on a report about Iran having “significantly slowed” its accumulation of 60 per cent enriched uranium, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said: “We’re not in active negotiations about the nuclear program. But certainly, those sorts of steps, if they were to be true, would be welcome”.

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council confirmed that Iran had “released from prison five Americans who were unjustly detained and has placed them on house arrest… Negotiations for their eventual release remain ongoing and are delicate. We will, therefore, have little in the way of details to provide about the state of their house arrest or about our efforts to secure their freedom”. Relatedly, a senior Iranian diplomat indicated that “the process of releasing billions of dollars of Iranian assets, illegally seized by the U.S. for several years, has commenced. Tehran has received the guarantee of Washington’s commitments. The release of several Iranians who were illegally detained in America is in this context”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored that “Iran will not be receiving any sanctions relief. And in any instance where we would engage in such efforts to bring Americans home from Iran, Iran’s own funds would be used and transferred to restricted accounts such that the monies can only be used for humanitarian purposes, which, as you know, is permitted under our sanctions… We will continue to enforce all of our sanctions”. A White House official the following day elaborated that “the funds can only be accessed for food, medicine, medical equipment… And there will be a rigorous process of due diligence and standards with input from the U.S. Treasury Department”.

Asked to comment on reports about a fifth Iranian-American detainee in Iran, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson asserted: “Our top priority is obtaining their release and their safe passage from the country… It’s obviously a very sensitive topic and I don’t think it’s productive for me to comment on it in detail”.

The IRGC announced the arrest of a network it said had “affiliation to a foreign-sponsored terrorist group”, who were allegedly planning “destructive and terrorist acts” in south east Iran.

The Saudi foreign ministry reiterated that “the natural resources in the maritime ‘Divided Area’, including the entire Al-Durra gas field, are exclusively owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as the two countries have the full sovereign rights to exploit the resources of the area”, It further renewed the invitation for “Iran to engage in negotiations concerning the eastern border of the maritime Divided Area, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait to be represented as one negotiating party, while Iran represents the other party”.

After Kuwait’s oil minister remarked that Kuwait would begin drilling in the Arash/Al-Durra gas field, shared with Saudi Arabia, without waiting for an agreement with Iran over disputed areas, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson affirmed that “we want joint exploitation of the Arash gas field, and we announced our readiness for talks with the Kuwaiti side in this regard…However, if perhaps there is no desire for joint exploitation of the field, Iran has naturally put on its agenda its own rights and interests concerning the exploration and exploitation of its resources and it will not tolerate any violation of the rights of the Iranian nation”.

Israel’s foreign minister asserted that “we are the closest we have ever been to a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia”; the same day Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson reiterated that “we consider any action aimed at recognising the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and establishing relations with this regime neither in the interest of Palestine’s cause nor peace in the region”.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) indicated that Iran had provided the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with “detailed answers” toward the IAEA’s safeguards investigation into past activities at undeclared sites, asserting: “We have sent evidence and documents to the agency. If they are not accepted, we will clarify [our position] and provide further evidence and documents”.

Iran’s military unveiled what state media described as “the first homegrown long-range naval cruise missile that employs artificial intelligence in the software”; the defence minister claimed that “with the mass production of the Abu Mahdi missile, we will be able to fire at the enemy’s moving targets in the sea from the depths of the Iranian soil and entirely hidden places at the maximum operating pace, and complete destroy the enemy’s ships, frigates and destroyers”.

The intelligence ministry claimed to have rounded up what it described as a “terrorist network… connected to the Zionist regime’s [ie, Israel’s] espionage organisation through terrorist centers located in Denmark and the Netherlands”.

Iran’s military chief of staff warned that “there are armed separatist groups in northern Iraq that foment insecurity on our borders… We will wait until September when it is the deadline for the Iraqi government [to meet its] obligation… [If terrorist groups remain armed or carry out operations], our attacks against these groups will be definitely repeated with more intensity”.

In response to a joint Russia-GCC statement expressing support for “all peaceful efforts, including the initiative of the United Arab Emirates and its endeavours to reach a peaceful solution to the issue of the three islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa”, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted: “These islands belong to Iran forever and issuing such statements is in contradiction with the friendly relations between Iran and its neighbours”. The following day, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador and “demanded that the Russian Federation rectify its stance on the matter”.

An Iranian police chief reported that “four armed terrorist” attacked a police station in south east Iran, killing two officers; all of the assailants were also killed. Iranian Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack.

The UN under-secretary-general presented the fifteenth biannual report, dated 29 June, on Security Council Resolution 2231’s implementation. The U.S. representative told the Security Council that Iranian UAV transfers to Russia constituted “a flagrant violation of Resolution 2231”, and further asserted that “Iran’s ballistic missile activity… is an enduring threat to regional and international peace and stability”. “Iran should take actions that build international confidence and deescalate tensions, not continue nuclear provocations that pose grave proliferation risks”, he added. Iran’s UN envoy also addressed the Council, rejecting calls from some members for a Secretariat investigation into UAV transfers and maintaining that “Iran is fully determined to vigorously pursue its peaceful nuclear activities, including enrichment at various levels required, under the monitoring and verification of the IAEA”. He went on assert that “we are prepared to resume negotiations at the earliest opportunity to restore the JCPOA and ensure its full implementation by all”.

The U.S. military reported that its “forces prevented two attempted commercial tanker seizures by the Iranian Navy after the Iranians have opened fire in one of the incidents near the coast of Oman”. According to a statement from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, “one Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The Iranian vessel departed the scene when U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) arrived on station”. Subsequently, “the U.S. Navy received a distress call from Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager… Another Iranian naval vessel had closed within one mile of Richmond Voyager while hailing the commercial tanker to stop… Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons. Richmond Voyager sustained no casualties or significant damage. However, several rounds hit the ship’s hull near crew living spaces. The Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived”. The following day, Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation claimed that Richmond Voyager had “ignored basic international maritime laws by escaping the scene of a collision with an Iranian vessel”, in which it said five crew members had been injured. It further noted: “Iran has informed Omani authorities of the case and will continue efforts to confiscate the ship”. Chevron, which managed the Richmond Voyager, denied Iran’s claims.

After an Iranian oil ministry official announced Iran’s readiness to start drilling in the Arash/Al-Durra gas field, a Saudi official asserted that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait alone have full sovereign rights to exploit the wealth in that region”, while calling on Iran to negotiate over disputed areas.

The head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad remarked that “there was a great focus in order for the West Bank to move from a state of coexistence and calm to a state of resistance that we see today, and of course, all of this coincides with the directives of [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei], and during our last meeting with him in Tehran, he renewed the call for that and for the development of work in the West Bank”. He further asserted: “We acknowledge that the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided assistance to the Palestinian resistance, including expertise and training”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, discussing the implementation of a March 2023 agreement with Iran, assessed that “I don’t think it’s working at the level and at the pace I would like to see it working… what we agreed is that Iran would be collaborating with the Agency limiting some activities, allowing us to add more verification, monitoring capacities. We have been able to do some of that, not all of that”. He further noted that “Iran is continuing its enrichment activities and of course this is raising concerns. So this is why we are telling our Iranian counterparts that the only way for them to get some confidence internationally is to help and to contribute and to work together with us”.

Iranian media reported that a border guard in south-eastern Iran had been killed “in clashes with terrorists seeking to sneak into the country”.

Concluding a tour of Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the UAE, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian opined that “cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the countries on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf has entered a new chapter”, adding: “We discussed with each of these countries about removing obstacles and facilitating economic, commercial, tourism, scientific and technological cooperation and other areas of interest”. He further indicated that “the idea of forming a dialogue and regional cooperation forum was proposed and it was welcomed by each of the four countries”.

The Financial Action Task Force retained Iran’s classification as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action.

EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora met Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri-Kani, in Doha. During what Mora described as “intense talks” on 20-21 June, the two sides discussed “a range of difficult bilateral, regional and international issues, including the way forward on the JCPOA” and the March 2023 agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

A Hamas delegation travelled to Tehran and met with senior Iranian officials on 19-21 June. President Raisi told them that “the resistance movement is stronger than ever”, and contended that “even those who once sought to negotiate and reach an agreement with the Zionist regime [ie, Israel]… concluded that it is useless to negotiate with this regime and the only possible way to face it is resistance”. The Hamas leaders also met Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who stressed the “need to focus more on the issue of unity and harmony” between Palestinian groups. The trip came on the heels of a visit by senior leaders from Palestinian Islamic Jihad to Iran, who met President Raisi and other senior Iranian officials.

President Raisi remarked that “some people in the world think that the creation of power lies in the production of nuclear weapons, but the Islamic Republic of Iran has stated many times that even though such capability exists in the country… we will never go towards the production of nuclear weapons”. He further emphasised that “we must transfer the abilities and technologies acquired in the nuclear industry to other industries, especially automobile manufacturing, so that they reach this level of success”.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran and met President Raisi and other senior Iranian officials. Speaking alongside his Iranian counterpart, bin Farhan described the talks as “positive and clear”, and emphasised “the importance of cooperation between the two countries in enhancing regional security, especially the security of navigation and maritime routes”, as well as that of “cooperation among all countries of the region to ensure that it is… free of weapons of mass destruction”. Amirabdollahian characterised the visit as “a positive step toward… promoting their ties and opening a new chapter in ties between the two Muslim and neighboring countries”. He also expressed support for “any move to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries”, and suggested “joint consultation committees and exchange of expert views” in different fields.

The IRGC confirmed one Basij fatality during clashes with “anti-revolution outlaws” in Kurdistan province, pledging “operations to ensure security and rid the entire north-western region of the anti-revolution and terrorist groups”.

The IRGC reported that it had uncovered a “terrorist group” in south east Iran; a Basij member was killed during the clash, while two members of the unidentified group were killed and six arrested. Two days later, Iranian border guards claimed to have engaged another “armed terrorist group” in the same province, killing one.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad that “the growing power of the Resistance groups in the West Bank is the key to bringing the Zionist enemy [ie, Israel] to its knees, and this path must continue”, while pledging that Iran would “continue to offer its support to the Palestinian people and to the Palestinian fighters”.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister and lead nuclear negotiator reported having met with E3 counterparts in the UAE for discussions on “a range of issues and mutual concerns”.

Commenting on media reports of indirect talks with the U.S. in Muscat, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson said: “We welcomed the mediation proposal put forward by senior Omani officials several weeks ago, and exchanged messages with the opposite side, with the aim of activating the sanctions removal talks… The exchange of messages continues and the diplomatic apparatus uses all capacities within the framework of Iran’s principled policies to secure national interests”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted that “if this Islamic belief [against producing weapons of mass destruction] did not exist and if we had wanted to build nuclear weapons, we would have done so and the enemies know that they could not have done anything to stop us”. He further emphasised the importance of “developing the commercialisation of nuclear products and services” and “increasing scientific cooperation with aligned and non-hostile countries so as to make use of the facilities and progress of the world as much as possible”. Khamenei also advised assembled nuclear experts to cooperate with the IAEA but not “anything more than the safeguards regulations”, and to “maintain the existing infrastructures of the nuclear industry”. “You need to be careful these infrastructures remain untouched in case of reaching agreements”, he asserted.

Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh following the March agreement to restore diplomatic ties. Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia remarked that “we want more cooperation with each other and we consider the security in the region as a priority… Militarising security is a big mistake. Security in its new sense should be achieved through economic, commercial, social and cultural development”. The following day, Iran reopened its consulate in Jeddah.

The IRGC unveiled a missile described as “a hypersonic maneuverable missile that can easily change its plan of movement in space”. A senior commander claimed that the missile, dubbed Fattah, “can bypass the most advanced anti-ballistic missile systems of the U.S. and the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], including Israel’s Iron Dome”. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that “Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium has risen by over a quarter in three months. This includes its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 20 per cent U-235, which is approaching half a ton, and its stockpile of high enriched uranium – enriched up to 60 per cent U-235 – which is well over 100kg”. He also reported on the “implementation of the Joint Statement of 4 March”, which he described as “a fraction of what we envisaged”, emphasising: “What needs to happen now is a sustained and uninterrupted process that leads to all the commitments contained in the Joint Statement being fulfilled without further delay”. Grossi further elaborated on his safeguards report and noted that “Iran has provided a possible explanation for the presence of depleted uranium in one part of the location known as Marivan… Our assessment for the location still stands and I reiterate that the remaining outstanding safeguards issues… still need to be resolved for the Agency to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful”.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, told his Iraqi counterpart that “we, within the framework of the [March] agreement, expect the Iraqi government to guarantee the security of the country’s borders with Iran as soon as possible, while ending the presence of counterrevolutionary elements in the country”.

An Iranian official reported the arrest of fourteen individuals described as a “terrorist team affiliated with Israel”, who were allegedly “seeking to identify and assassinate [various] individuals”.

State media reported the successful testing of a 2000km-range precision guided missile. On the sideline of the unveiling ceremony, Iran’s defence minister highlighted: “Our message to Iran’s enemies is that we will defend the country and its achievements. Our message to our friends is that we want to help regional stability”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reacted: “Iran’s development and proliferation of ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to regional and international security and remains a significant nonproliferation challenge. We continue to use a variety of nonproliferation tools, including sanctions, to counter the further advancement of Iran’s ballistic missile program and its ability to proliferate missiles and related technology to others”. “Iran continues to seek a range of missile technologies from foreign suppliers and to conduct ballistic missile tests in defiance of the [UNSC 2231] resolution”, he added.

Asked about reports of Iran building an underground nuclear site in Natanz, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran remarked that “Iran operates according to the standards of the agency [ie, the IAEA] and safeguards, and whenever it wants to carry out an activity, it establishes its settings with the agency and acts accordingly”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced it had uncovered a spy network alleged to have “been gathering data on Iranians leaving and entering the country, including those who worked in important government positions or had access to sensitive information in sensitive institutions”.

Iran’s intelligence minister remarked that “with the cooperation of the new Iraqi government and the guarantees given, we hope to see security on the western borders… and emphasise the responsibility of the Iraqi [Kurdistan] region”. “If insecurity is created for the Islamic Republic”, he warned, “any action on the borders will be met with a decisive and overwhelming response”.

Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Iraq’s ambassador over what it described as “the continuation of terrorist groups’ movements in Iraq’s Kurdistan region… contrary to the recent security agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq”.

U.S. Naval Central Command announced that “U.S. 5th Fleet is working with regional allies and partners to increase the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling in and around the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s recent unlawful merchant vessel seizures”, in addition to “bolstering international maritime security collaboration among the International Maritime Security Construct and European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson on 17 May insisted that “the new accusations against Iran… are aimed at justifying the continuation or intensification of interventionist presence in the region”. He went on to assert that “the presence and destabilising actions of American forces double Iran’s responsibility in ensuring the security of the region and the Strait of Hormuz and in dealing with lawbreakers”, adding: “Iran considers the continued presence of foreign military forces in the waters of the Persian Gulf as a threat to the security of navigation in this strategic waterway”.

Iran’s defence minister met with his Syrian counterpart, and expressed readiness “to cooperate with the Syrian Arab Republic in establishing factories and launching production lines of strategic defence equipment”.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan remarked that “we are… engaging Iran diplomatically regarding its nuclear program, and we continue to believe that it was a tragic mistake to leave the deal with nothing at all to replace it. But we have made clear to Iran that it can never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. As President Biden has repeatedly reaffirmed, he will take the actions that are necessary to stand by this statement, including by recognising Israel’s freedom of action”. He further explained that “on the deterrence side, working with our partners – including working very closely with Israel… we will continue to send a clear message about the costs and consequences of going too far, while at the same time continuing to seek the possibility of a diplomatically brokered outcome that puts Iran’s nuclear program back in the box”. “This is an issue that occupies the president’s attention, my attention, on a daily basis”, Sullivan added, while warning: “Iran’s program has advanced considerably. It is a genuine danger to regional security and to global security, and, indeed, to the U.S.”. The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that Sullivan’s remarks meant the “U.S. has been and will be responsible for all terrorist acts of Zionists [ie, Israel] against Iran’s facilities and people, accepting its consequences”.

President Raisi visited Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad, asserting: “Just as the Islamic Republic stood by the Syrian government and nation in the fight against terrorism, it will also stand by its Syrian brothers in the field of development and progress”. The two sides inked a “Comprehensive Program of Strategic and Long-Term Cooperation”, and fourteen other agreements in various fields, including oil and energy. Raisi, who described his trip within Iran’s ”framework of supporting the resistance”, also reiterated that “the presence of Americans in Syria not only does not create security, but also disrupts the security of Syria and the region. The faster the Americans leave Syria, the more secure Syria will be”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “the Iranian regime and the Assad regime continuing to deepen their ties should be of great concern to not just our allies and partners and countries in the region, but also the world broadly”, adding: “We will not normalise relations with the Assad regime. And we do not support others normalising with Damascus either… The U.S. believes that a political solution that is outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 is the only viable solution to this conflict in Syria”. The following day, Raisi met with Palestinians in Damascus, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials, insisting that “the unity and cohesion of the resistance forces, the region and the Islamic world is necessary to accelerate the defeat of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and the liberation of the Holy Quds and the sovereignty of the Palestinians over their destiny”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson rejected media reports of Iran sending to Russia “large quantities of… artillery shells and other ammunition across the Caspian Sea to resupply troops fighting in Ukraine”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei contended that “the Resistance Front and all Islamic countries should focus on strengthening the fighting elements inside Palestine”, arguing that the “decline [of Israel], which began a few years ago, has accelerated now and the Islamic world must take advantage of this great opportunity”. The same day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian spoke with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials, expressing “Iran’s continued spiritual and political support for the Palestinian people and resistance in their struggle to liberate the occupied”.

Iran’s navy commander claimed that an Iranian submarine had “detected an American nuclear-powered submarine that was cruising under escort in the Strait of Hormuz stealthily and forced it to surface and change its track” after approaching Iran’s territorial waters. The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet rejected the claim as “absolutely false”, saying: “A U.S. submarine has not transited the Strait of Hormuz recently. The claim represents more Iranian disinformation that destabilises the region”.

The IRGC announced that it had uncovered two “foreign-based terrorist groups” in south-western Iran, with two members of Jaish al-Adl arrested as “they were trying to sneak through the border” from Pakistan. The same day, a judiciary official confirmed that intelligence forces had detained a member of Mojahedin-e Khalq opposition group.

G7 foreign ministers expressed “our clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon, and urge[d] Iran to cease nuclear escalation”, which they indicated was coming “dangerously close to actual weapons-related activities”. They further underscored that “a diplomatic solution remains our preferred way”, and referred to the JCPOA as “a useful reference”. The ministers went on to note “grave concern regarding Iran’s continued destabilising activities”, as well as “profound concern over Iran’s systematic human rights violations and abuses”. The following day, Iran’s foreign ministry characterised the accusations as “baseless and meddlesome”, urging the G7 countries to “adopt a realistic approach based on mutual respect, in which case, Iran will give a positive response”.

President Raisi asserted that “the enemies of the Islamic revolution, especially the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], have received the message of the power of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran that the slightest mistake against our country will be responded with a harsh response and will be accompanied by the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, met in Beijing. Per a joint statement, “the two sides discussed the importance of activating and pursuing the implementation of the [March 2023] Beijing Agreement, thus enhancing mutual trust and expanding cooperation, and contributing to realising security, stability and prosperity in the region”. They also “agreed to reopen their diplomatic missions within the agreed period, proceed with the necessary measures to open the embassies of the two countries in Riyadh and Tehran, and their consulates general in Jeddah and Mashhad, and continue coordination between the two sides’ technical teams to explore ways of boosting cooperation” in different areas.

Iranian media reported that a defence ministry facility in Isfahan had been “the target of a failed attack by a small drone which was foiled by defence systems”; Iran’s interior minister did not confirm the report, saying: “It needs verification”.

Iran’s UN ambassador wrote to the Security Council condemning U.S. 23 March strikes in Syria, and maintaining that Iran had “never been involved, directly or indirectly, in any attacks against the U.S. military forces in Syria and Iraq”. He called on the U.S. to “end its illegal occupation” of Syrian territory, while maintaining: “Iran’s presence in Syria is fully legal and is based on a formal request and consent from the Syrian government to provide assistance and support in the fight against terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defence under international law and will take decisive measures to protect its forces, interests and facilities from any threat or unlawful act perpetrated by the U.S. or others”.

Iran’s Navy reported that it had “identified and warned off a U.S. spy aircraft after it entered the country’s borders near the Sea of Oman”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes “targeting a site in Damascus countryside”. Iran’s IRGC confirmed the death of two IRGC personnel during the attack, pledging revenge against Israel.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that he and his Azeri counterpart had “agreed on forming a united front in the face of Iran… We must work together to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capability and will be best achieve that goal through political and economic means, while a credible military threat is understood”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson characterised the statement as “another piece of evidence proving the Zionist regime’s [Israel’s] evil intentions to turn the Republic of Azerbaijan’s territory into a threat against the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran… Iran cannot remain indifferent to the conspiracy that the Zionist regime advances against it from the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan”.

The spokesperson for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) warned that “any pretext for attacking the bases created at the request of the Syrian government to fight with terrorism and ISIL[/ISIS] operatives in that country will be immediately met with a reciprocal response… Iran has suffered a lot in the battle against foreign-backed terrorism to reestablish durable security in Syria, and it opposes any action that endangers the stability of that country”. He also claimed that “the U.S. role in creating and supporting ISIL as a proxy in line with its political objectives in Syria and Iraq is evident… In the past two days, American helicopters with several sorties have transferred ISIL terrorists in Syria with the aim of increasing instability in the country, something that they have to be held to account for”.

The Pentagon announced it had carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria targeting what it described as “facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)” in response to a UAV attack that killed a U.S. contractor; six others (one contractor and five service members) were injured. It further noted that “the intelligence community assess the UAV to be of Iranian origin”. The following day, U.S. Central Command reported that a compound housing troops from the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition had been targeted with ten rockets. There were no injuries or damages at the facility, but four civilians were wounded in the attack. A U.S. service member was injured in a separate incident at Mission Support Site Conoco. President Biden asserted that “the U.S. does not… seek conflict with Iran, but be prepared for us to act forcefully to protect our people”. On 25 March, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the U.S. strikes against what he described as “civilian targets”, rejected U.S. allegations against Iran and emphasised that “Iran’s military advisors are in Syria at the request of the Syrian government for the purpose of helping the country in its struggle against terrorism”.

A senior Iranian diplomat confirmed that he had met with British, French and German diplomats in Oslo and discussed “a range of issues of mutual interest and concern”. “We spare no opportunity to clarify our views and warn against certain miscalculations”, he emphasised.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart spoke and decided “to hold a bilateral meeting soon to pave the way for the reopening of embassies and consulates”. 

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned about what he described as “hybrid warfare” against Iran and maintained: “There is no military attack… But foreign propagandists and their followers in the country attack the political and religious beliefs of the people… the enemy uses the media and cultural, security, and economic elements as well as its influence”. He further insisted: “During recent unrest, U.S. president and heads of states of certain European countries openly offered weapons and financial and security support to rioters”. Khamenei went on to “categorically deny any presence in the Ukraine war”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian stated that “an agreement was reached two months ago for Iranian and Bahraini technical delegations to visit the embassies of the two countries. We hope that some obstacles between Iran and Bahrain will be removed and we will take basic steps to reopen the embassies”.

Iranian Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) secretary Ali Shamkhani signed a security agreement in Iraq which, according to Iranian state media, would “have a decisive impact on reducing and managing the unwanted security challenges between the two states, which are caused due to the mischief of anti-Islamic establishment elements residing in Iraq’s Kurdistan region”. Shamkhani told his counterpart that “the careful implementation of such an agreement will lead to a significant decrease in terrorist threats and border insecurity, and prepare the ground for fostering bilateral ties in security, economic and political fields more than ever before”. Separately, he told Prime Minister al-Sudani that “a united, integrated and powerful Iraq is the pillar of stability in the region”, adding: “We should not allow the two countries’ interests to fall victim to the U.S.’s mischief and its terrorist mercenaries”. The following day, Shamkhani announced “a new arrangement to use Iranian funds that remain blocked in Iraq because of U.S. sanctions… The funds will be used to purchase basic goods and to settle payments owed by Iranian merchants to trade partners in Iraq”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “the promotion of relations with regional countries, including Bahrain, is among the [Iranian] administration’s policies”, adding: “In view of a promising prospect, we can witness the realisation of new conditions in relations with the regional countries, including Bahrain… We are witnessing good diplomatic moves in this regard as well. Parliamentary diplomacy has also been almost activated in this regard”.

The UN’s special envoy for Yemen met Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian and other senior Iranian officials in Tehran, conferring on “the need for regional support for the start of an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process under UN auspices to sustainably end the conflict”. Amirabdollahian emphasised that “Iran supports the continuation of the ceasefire in Yemen… [and] any negotiations which would help establish peace and stability in Yemen”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian claimed that Iran and the U.S. had “reached an agreement in the recent days and everything goes well on the U.S. side, I think we will witness a prisoner exchange in a short period”. However, the following day White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasised that “there’s no deal. And the last thing that we want to do is give false hope to families that have been waiting for a long time for their loved ones to come home”.

Following talks in Beijing, Iran, Saudi Arabia and China jointly announced an agreement between Tehran and Riyadh to “resume diplomatic relations… and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months, and the agreement includes their affirmation of the respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in internal affairs of states”. A White House spokesperson indicated that “if this deal can be sustained… and the war in Yemen can end, and Saudi Arabia doesn’t have to continually try to defend itself against attacks from the Huthis who are funded and supported by Iran, in the end we welcome that”. 

Following a trip to Tehran, during which he met senior Iranian officials and concluded a joint statement with Iran’s atomic energy organisation, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that “the Agency has not been able to perform JCPOA verification and monitoring activities in relation to the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate (UOC) for two years… I note Iran’s agreement to allow the Agency to proceed with further monitoring and verification measures indispensable to the Agency fulfilling its mission”. “Achieving this will be very important because it would allow the Agency to begin to establish a new baseline necessary in the event of a resumption of Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA”, Grossi added, while listing several safeguards concerns and noting “important work ahead of us” in technical discussions with Iran.  

Citing remarks by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Iran’s UN envoy urged the Security Council to “unequivocally condemn the Israeli regime’s warmongering statements and malevolent activities [against Iran], which are a real threat to international peace and security”, warning that Iran would “not hesitate to take the necessary measures, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, to respond decisively to any threat posed by the Israeli regime wherever and whenever it deems it necessary and to defend its national and security interests as well as to protect its people”. “All those who will aid, abet or otherwise assist, support and facilitate the Israeli regime to carry out any military action must bear responsibility and accountability for their part in such an internationally wrongful act”, he added.

A senior IRGC commander declared: “We warn the Americans that any support for the measures taken by the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] against Iran means endangering the lives of U.S. soldiers in the region… Any country cooperating with the Zionist regime to threaten Iran’s national security will pay for its actions, and our strong armed forces will mount powerful attack on the origin of any aggression as well as all coordinating centers and bases, and the airspace used to take those actions”. The same day, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami accused Europe of “spearheading the economic sanctions against the Iranian people” and allowing “gathering of anti-Iranian separatists and fugitives”, warning: “Iran has the ability to increase the range of military equipment and deal a heavy blow to them… but we haven’t done that yet”. “The lives of Europeans hinge on oil and security, and they have to be careful not to put themselves in danger”, he added.

The Financial Action Task Force retained Iran’s classification as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action, one of three countries on the FATF’s blacklist.

Iranian state television declared that “Syria needs to rebuild its air defence network and requires precision bombs for its fighter plans… It is very likely that we will witness the supply by Iran of radars and defence missiles, such as the 15 Khordad system, to reinforce Syria’s air defences”.

Reacting to media reports that IAEA inspectors in Iran had found uranium enriched to 84 per cent, the spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) stated that “what matters is the final product and the Islamic Republic of Iran has never embarked on [uranium] enrichment at a level above 60 per cent… In various cases in the past, different levels of enrichment have been observed and have been accounted for, and this latest issue will be definitely clarified as well”. He further contended that “publicising these issues through media once again shows that, unfortunately, the IAEA has lost its professional and impartial standing… It intentionally provides Western media with technical information”. The IAEA indicated that it was “discussing with Iran the results of recent Agency verification activities and will inform the IAEA Board of Governors as appropriate”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “our assessment aligns with that of the UN… that Saif al-Adel [considered de facto leader of al-Qaeda in a “predominant view” of member states] is based in Iran”, adding: “Offering safe haven to al-Qaeda is just another example of Iran’s wide-ranging support for terrorism, its destabilising activities in the Middle East and beyond”. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian urged the U.S. “to stop the failed Iranophobia game”, rejecting any linkage between Iran and al-Qaeda.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei contended that “even though U.S. statesmen have frequently declared that they are not after regime change in Iran, they continue to draw up plans on how to topple the Islamic establishment”, adding: “Sowing pessimism between political groups and distrust among people toward each other and toward the government and creating pessimism between organisations are among the strategies of Iran’s ill-wishers to achieve their goals”.

A media outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council asserted that “Iran is not involved in any independent or joint plan to produce drones in Russia, and the news published by Western media in this regard is pure lies. It is better for Western strategists to prepare more believable excuses for continuation of the war in Ukraine”.

The U.S., jointly with the UK, France and Germany issued a statement regarding what the IAEA had reported as an undeclared “substantial change” at Fordow, describing the move as “inconsistent with Iran’s obligations under its NPT-required Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement”. “Such lack of required notification undermines the Agency’s ability to maintain timely detection at Iran’s nuclear facilities”, they emphasised, while asserting: “The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran at the Fordow Enrichment Plant carries significant proliferation-related risks and is without any credible civilian justification”. The four governments also underscored: “Iran has also offered no credible answer yet to the IAEA’s outstanding questions as part of the IAEA’s safeguards investigation”.

The IAEA informed member states that it was “concerned that Iran implemented a substantial change in the design information of FFEP [Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant] in relation to the production of high enriched uranium without informing the Agency in advance… This is inconsistent with Iran’s obligations under its Safeguards Agreement and undermines the Agency’s ability to adjust the safeguards approach for FFEP and implement effective safeguards measures at this facility”. The IAEA further noted that “the Agency has increased the frequency and intensity of its verification activities at FFEP. However, some other safeguards measures are still required and are being discussed with Iran”. The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran characterised the report as “incorrect”, asserting: “We immediately provided the explanation [to the IAEA]… the agency’s inspector found out they had made a mistake”.

Iran’s UN envoy wrote to the Security Council accusing Israel of responsibility for a 28 January drone attack against a military facility in Isfahan. He also maintained that “the Israeli regime persists… its threats to use force against Iran’s critical infrastructure, including Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities”, and asserted: “Iran reserves its legitimate and inherent right… to defend its national security and respond resolutely to any threats or wrongful actions by the Israeli regime, wherever and whenever deemed necessary”. The same day, a media outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council asserted that the components for UAVs used in the attack had “entered Iran with the participation and guidance of Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan region of Iraq… on the order of a foreign security service”. It further noted: “The necessity of preventing destructive and anti-security actions of Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, has been repeatedly pointed out to the government of this country. The continuation of the terrorist activities of these groups against Iran shows that the Iraqi government has not yet been able to completely fulfill its legal responsibilities in this regard”.

Iran’s Defence Ministry acknowledged an attack against what was described as a “military workshop” in Isfahan using micro aerial vehicles, asserting that it had “caused no disruption to the equipment and operations of the complex”. A Pentagon spokesperson denied U.S. military involvement in the strike, while media reports widely suggested an Israeli role.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was sufficient for “several nuclear weapons”, adding: “That doesn’t mean they have a nuclear weapon. So they haven’t proliferated yet”. Grossi also described the JCPOA as “an empty shell”, and went on to assert that “nobody has declared it dead, but no obligation is being pursued, and… every limit that existed in the JCPOA has been violated several time”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “I’m expecting to get a better engagement from the Iranian authorities. It’s been difficult these past few months. We have not been getting responses … I hope to be able to visit Iran and to reset what needs to be a relationship based on trust which is faulting at this point in time”. He further maintained that “Iran has been getting more last generation centrifuges, is accumulating more material at five, 20 and 60 per cent enrichment which is quite close to weapon-grade… These are all factors that as I have been telling my Iranian counterparts are… configurating a situation that is getting more and more complex as time passes”. Grossi added: “It’s getting also more difficult for us to ascertain the situation there because our visibility in the Islamic Republic has been reduced because of the disconnection of some of our cameras and other systems that we had… We need to sit down at the highest possible political level to talk honestly and agree that this cannot continue”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian opined that “Saudi Arabia is still not ready to return to normal relations. We have the needed intention and will to normalise with Saudi Arabia. If such an intention is seen in the real sense on the Saudi side, the normalisation of relations will be quick and achievable”.

The intelligence ministry announced that it had uncovered what it described as “two espionage and terrorist teams linked with the Mossad”, detaining more than a dozen individuals who allegedly “planned to murder a military official and carry out several acts of sabotage in major cities”.

Iran’s UN envoy wrote to the secretary-general and president of the Security Council regarding what he described as Israel’s “inflammatory and belligerent statements threatening to use force against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program”, stating that: “Iran reserves its legitimate right… to respond to any threat posed by the Israeli regime and protect its people as well as national security interests at any time it deems appropriate”.

The intelligence ministry announced the arrest of what it claimed were “members of a network that were financing and providing assistance to the MKO [Mojahedin-e Khalq opposition group] operational teams inside the country”.

Iranian media reported that the Alborz, a destroyer, had entered the Red Sea.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with EU High Representative Josep Borrell, who described the meeting as “necessary… amidst deteriorating Iran-EU relations”. Borrell said he had “stressed [the] need [for Iran] to immediately stop military support to Russia and internal repression”, adding: “Agreed we must keep communication open and restore JCPOA on basis of Vienna negotiations”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian asserted that while attending the Baghdad II summit in Jordan, he had met with his Saudi counterpart, who reiterated Riyadh’s readiness “to continue negotiation with Iran”.

The UN under-secretary-general presented the fourteen biannual report, dated 12 December, on Security Council Resolution 2231’s implementation. The U.S. representative told the Security Council that “the door for diplomacy remains open. Unfortunately, Iran’s actions suggest this goal is not their priority. Iran’s conduct since September… reinforce our skepticism about Iran’s willingness and capability of reaching a deal and explains why there have been no active negotiations since then”. He also called Iran’s transfer of drones to Russia a violation of Resolution 2231 and maintained: “Given Iran’s increasing integration into Russia’s defense sector, we fear additional violations in the future. Russia may even be tempted to further violate Resolution 2231 by importing complete ballistic missiles from Iran”. Iran’s envoy reiterated readiness “to resume the Vienna talks… if the U.S. demonstrates genuine political will and stands ready to work towards a satisfying solution and agrees to fully comply with its obligations. The U.S. now has the ball in its court”. On the issue of drone transfers, he emphasised that “Iran has not transferred to Russia, any item that is covered by… resolution 2231”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “irresponsible and arbitrary positions and interventions of the U.S. and some [other] Western countries… which were aimed at inciting riots [ie, anti-government protests] in Iran through political means as well as cognitive, media and hybrid forms of warfare represented their maximum effort to destabilise the country… Iran has warned meddlesome parties against any intervention in its domestic affairs and is carefully observing such illegitimate interventions and will give a strong response to them”.

The IRGC announced that a senior officer, along with three Basij members, were killed in south east Iran during “a fierce exchange of fire with counterrevolutionary elements”, who, according to the statement, “had to flee toward Pakistan”.

An IAEA delegation visited Tehran and met with the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) and other senior officials, discussing, per an Iranian readout, “the safeguard issues, cooperation fields and the coming mutual programs”.

Asked about Iran’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, CIA Director Bill Burns assessed that “what’s beginning to emerge is at least the beginnings of a full-fledged defence partnership between Russia and Iran, with the Iranians supplying drones to the Russians, which are killing Ukrainian civilians as we speak today, and the Russians beginning to look at ways in which, technologically or technically, they can support the Iranians, which poses real threats to Iran’s own neighbourhood, to many of our friends and partners in Iran’s neighbourhood as well”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson subsequently described the claims as a “propaganda war…based on lies and deception”.

A majority in the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) voted in favor of a U.S.-led move to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the move as part of a “psychological war” against the government.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian affirmed that “the three islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf are inseparable parts of Iranian soil and eternally belong to this motherland. We have no qualms about the necessity of other parties respecting Iran’s territorial integrity”. His remarks came in response to a joint GCC-China statement that had expressed “support for all peaceful efforts, including the initiative and endeavours of the United Arab Emirates to reach a peaceful solution to the [sovereignty] issue of the three islands”.

Discussing sites subject to an IAEA safeguards investigation, the head of Iran’s atomic energy agency maintained that evidence of past nuclear activity did “not mean the place of discovery was a nuclear site or that it was an undeclared nuclear activity… They were not nuclear substances from our own manufacturing but perhaps traces from previous use in the country of origin”. 

The intelligence ministry announced the arrest of ten individuals it linked to the Mojahedin-e Khalq opposition group who allegedly “carried out terrorist attacks and numerous mortar attacks” in the course of anti-government protests.

The judiciary announced the execution of four individuals arrested in June and convicted on accusations of links to Israeli intelligence.

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) began construction of a new nuclear power plant in south-west Iran. The head of the agency remarked that “the government is moving towards the production of low-cost energy and fuel; therefore, the development of nuclear power plants is on the agenda of this organisation”.

IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi remarked that “we don’t seem to be seeing eye-to-eye with Iran over their obligations to the IAEA… We need to put our relationship back on track”. He further noted that “Iran informed us they were tripling, not doubling, tripling their capacity to enrich uranium at 60 per cent, which is very close to military level, which is 90 per cent”, warning: “This is not banal. This is something that has consequences. It gives them an inventory of nuclear material for which it cannot be excluded … that there might be another use. We need to go [to Iran]. We need to verify”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani that efforts to undermine Iran’s security were “currently taking place in some areas of Iraq. The only solution is for the Iraqi central government to extend its authority to those areas as well”. He added: “If any party intends to disrupt the country’s security, we will stand up firmly in front of any party seeking to undermine Iraq’s security… Iraq’s security is Iran’s security, in the same way that Iran’s security also has an effect on the security of Iraq”. According to an Iraqi readout, the premier emphasised that “the government is committed to the Iraqi constitution, which prohibits making Iraq a launchpad for aggression against its neighbours”. The same day, President Raisi, during a joint press conference with al-Sudani, asserted: “The presence of outsiders does not bring security at all, but causes many problems for the region… Definitely, the withdrawal of the Americans from the region will lead to an increase in peace, stability and security”.

An Iranian news agency said it had been the subject of a “complex hacking and cyberattack operation”, adding: “cyberattacks against Fars news agency are carried out almost daily from different countries, including the occupied territories [Israel]”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei contended that “negotiations will not solve our problems with America. Only one thing would solve our problem with America and that is paying ransom to America, but not just one ransom, they are demanding permanent ransom”.

The UN Human Rights Council voted to launch a fact-finding mission investigating “alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September”. The U.S., which was among the 25 countries voting in favour (six were against, and fifteen abstained) emphasised: “It is also important that the international community work in partnership to ensure that Iran plays no role on UN or other international bodies charged with protecting and promoting human rights of women”. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson on 28 November declared the government would “not engage in any cooperation, whatsoever, with the political committee called the ‘fact-finding committee’”.

The IRGC announced that a colonel “serving as a military adviser in Syria, was martyred by the Zionist regime’s [ie, Israel’s] agents through a roadside bomb near Damascus”. It added that there would “undoubtedly” be a response.

In reaction to a 17 November IAEA censure resolution on Iran’s lack of safeguards cooperation with the agency, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran announced that enrichment to 60 per cent had commenced at the bunkered Fordow enrichment facility, along with additional deployment of advanced centrifuges at both the Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities.

The IRGC carried out missile and drone strikes against Kurdish opposition groups near Kikuk. The U.S. denounced the “repeated and brazen violations of Iraq’s territorial integrity” and urged “Iran to refrain from further threats and violence”. The same day, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq claimed that “some of our vital military centers have been attacked from the Iraqi Kurdistan region’s soil and we have informed the Iraqi side, both the authorities of the Iraqi Kurdistan region and the central government in Iraq, of this issue. We [provided them] with maps and documents”. Too, a senior IRGC commander emphasised that “the attack on the headquarters and bases of armed criminals and terrorist groups will continue until the threat is eliminated”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “at the current level of production of this enriched uranium, Iran has accumulated already enough material to have more than one [nuclear] device, if they chose to do that. But we don’t have any information that would indicate that Iran has a nuclear weapon program at the moment… We haven’t reached that point. But we need to work very hard so we don’t get there”.

The IRGC renewed missile and drone operations against Kurdish separatist groups in northern Iraq. The following day it stated that it had been bolstering its presence in north-western Iran “following the movements of villains and anti-Iran separatist terrorist groups… and the creation of villainy and insecurity in some areas”, while highlighting “the security of the region and the honorable and valiant people of the border provinces of the north west as our red line”. The Kurdistan Regional government condemned the attack in “the strongest terms… Iran’s repeated violations of the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are inexcusable and a gross infringement of international law and neighbourly relations”. The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition denounced the strikes and emphasised: “These attacks place innocent civilians at risk. Such acts jeopardise the security and stability of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region”.

The IRGC reported the arrest of  a purported “terrorist team… trying to smuggle weapons and ammunition into the country”. 

With 26 votes in favour and two against, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a U.S/E3 drafted resolution noting “profound concern” over the lack of progress in the IAEA’s safeguards probes, and deeming it “essential and urgent in order to ensure verification of the non-diversion of nuclear material that Iran act to fulfil its legal obligations without delay”. Iran’s IAEA envoy condemned the resolution as “a political, unconstructive and incorrect action”, insisting: “The political goals of the founders of this anti-Iranian resolution will not be realised, but its approval can affect the process of cooperation and constructive interactions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that limited monitoring and verification in Iran “will have a significant impact on the Agency’s ability to recover and re-establish the necessary continuity of knowledge in the event of a full resumption of implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA. Any future baseline for such JCPOA verification and monitoring activities would take a considerable time to establish and would have a degree of uncertainty. The longer the current situation persists the greater such uncertainty becomes”. Grossi also shared “serious concern that there has been no progress in clarifying and resolving the outstanding safeguards issues”, adding: “I hope that the planned technical meeting between the Agency and Iran takes place, but I want to stress that this meeting should be aimed at effectively clarifying and resolving those issues”. The head of Iran’s atomic agency the same day indicated that “for now no trip by the agency is on the agenda”, and, referring to a U.S./E3 draft censure resolution, asserted: “If they had goodwill and they want to continue negotiations, they would not have offered such a resolution”.

The U.S. 5^th Fleet revealed that on 8 November it interdicted a vessel “in the Gulf of Oman smuggling lethal aid, including a large quantity of explosive material, from Iran to Yemen”; the four Yemeni crewmembers were repatriated and the ship sunk. A U.S. commander maintained that the 70 tonnes of ammonium perchlorate found abroad “was a massive amount of explosive material, enough to fuel more than a dozen medium-range ballistic missiles depending on the size”. The U.S. statement also highlighted that “the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the Huthis violates UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law”. Iran maintained it had “not taken any action against the resolution, and is actively cooperating with the sanctions committee formed to oversee the arms embargo”.

The U.S. sanctioned “six senior employees of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Iranian state-run media corporation that has broadcast hundreds of forced confessions of Iranian, dual national and international detainees in Iran”. The State Department asserted that “IRIB acts not as an objective media outlet but rather as a key tool in the Iranian government’s mass suppression and censorship campaign… The U.S. is steadfast in our commitment to supporting the Iranian people protesting nationwide and demanding accountability for their government”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the sanctions, countering: “Allowing terrorist networks and media outlets to make mischief against the Iranian nation and sanctioning IRIB and Press TV to block Iran’s views from being conveyed to the world is the continuation of the American administration’s blatant violation of the Iranian nation’s rights”.

The IRGC targeted what it described as bases of “terrorist separatist groups” in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region using drones and missiles, citing “continued inaction and some evident oversights, which were sometimes intentional, by officials of the northern Iraqi [Kurdistan] region in dealing with the activities of counterrevolutionary and anti-Iran terrorist and separatist groups that have carved out a safe haven in the region to hatch plots and conduct attacks against the Iranian nation”. Multiple casualties were reported. The Iraqi foreign ministry denounced the attack “in strong and repeated terms” and its minister emphasised to his Iranian counterpart “the importance of dialogue as a way to stop this unjustified hostile escalation, describing the continuation of these unilateral actions as dangerous”. The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition denounced the Iranian strikes “as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty”.

Iran’s intelligence minister blamed the U.S., UK, Israel and Saudi Arabia for the anti-government protests in the country, while warning Riyadh: “Any instability in Iran can be contagious to the countries of the region. Faraway countries are the destabilisers of the region… Iran has so far adopted strategic patience with pure rationality, but it does not give any guarantee for the continuation of this strategic patience in case of the continuation of hostilities. Undoubtedly, if Iran decides to reciprocate and punish these countries, the glass castles will collapse and these states will not see stability”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that on “the fuss made by some western countries that Iran has provided Russia with missiles and drones to help it in the Ukraine war, claims about the missile part is completely wrong and the drone part is correct”, adding that the UAV transfer preceded the Ukraine war. U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley reacted to Amirabdollahian’s statement by saying: “Iran didn’t give a limited number of drones before the war. They transferred dozens just this summer and have military personnel in occupied Ukraine helping Russia use them against Ukrainian civilians. Confronted with evidence, they need a new policy, not a new story”.

The IRCG reported the successful testing of a solid fuel satellite carrier, dubbed Qaem 100. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson said “such actions are unhelpful and destablising… the U.S. remains concerned with Iran’s continued development of space launch vehicles (SLVs), which pose a significant proliferation concern… [and] defy United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231”. “[The U.S.] continues to use a variety of non-proliferation tools, including sanctions, to counter the further advancement of Iran’s ballistic missile program and its ability to proliferate missiles and related technology to others”, the spokesperson added.

President Biden remarked that “we’re gonna free Iran. They’re gonna free themselves pretty soon”. President Raisi countered that “Iran was freed 43 years ago, and it is determined not to be captured by you… The U.S. knows that Iran is progressing, and that is why they seek to isolate Iran, but all of their plots against our country have failed”. A White House spokesperson asserted that Biden “was expressing, again, our solidarity” with anti-government protesters, adding: “we’re going to continue to look for ways to hold the regime accountable for the way that they’re threatening their own people”.

On the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the IRGC’s commander contended that “the enemies are well aware that we will definitely respond to their interventionist and mischievous behaviour; but now, we cannot say where and how this will take place”. Iran’s army also issued a statement claiming that “the White House rulers, in cooperation with their regional allies like the Zionist [ie, Israel] and Saudi regimes, have launched a hybrid war, with a focus on the warfare of perception, using their media empire against the Iranian nation, not least the youth”. Marking the anniversary, the State Department asserted: “We remain committed to securing the release of all wrongfully detained U.S. citizens” in Iran.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian spoke with EU High Representative Josep Borrell, conveying what he described as “Iran’s absolute readiness to conclude [nuclear] negotiations as soon as possible”, and adding: “The U.S. must stop double-dealing. Genuine will is needed. We remain fully committed to secure rights of our people”. He also repeated Iranian denials of military support for Russia in Ukraine as “fabricated and unsubstantiated”, while dismissing Western criticism of the government’s crackdown against protesters as “hypocritical”. Borrell said he had “stressed that Europe stands united in condemning Iran’s crack down on ongoing protest… [and] reiterated urgent need for Iran’s credible cooperation with the IAEA towards tangible outcomes” on safeguard issues.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei insisted that “the events that took place these past few weeks [ie, nationwide anti-government protests] were not merely street riots. They were detailed plots. The enemy initiated hybrid warfare. The enemy, namely the U.S., the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], some insidious and malicious European powers and some groups, came to the scene with all of their capabilities”. He also reiterated that Iran’s retaliation for the killing by the U.S. in 2020 of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani would “happen at the right time, at the right place”.

Iran’s foreign ministry announced sanctions against fourteen U.S. individuals and entities on the basis of “interfering in the Islamic Republic’s internal affairs and provoking riots”; the list included the CIA and several senior military commanders.

Iran’s intelligence ministry and IRGC intelligence issued a joint statement claiming: “Intelligence evidence shows that the CIA had devised an extensive plan with the cooperation of allied spy services and reactionary proxies before the start of the unrest to initiate a nationwide chaos with the aim of committing crimes against the great Iranian nation and the country’s territorial integrity as well as paving the ground for increasing foreign pressures”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Ukrainian counterpart that “we have good relations with Russia and have had defence cooperation in the past, but our policy toward the war in Ukraine is to respect the territorial integrity of [both] countries, not to send weapons to the warring parties, and [calling for] an end to the war and displacement of people”. The Ukrainian minister said had “demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine”.

Referring to Iran’s nuclear activity, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “I see every day through my inspectors how this problem is getting more and more relevant, and I’m choosing a word which is neutral. It’s an even more relevant problem every day”. He further emphasised: “I will never do anything in the verification area under political pretences or for political reasons. The IAEA has to do what it has to do… I’ve said it to my Iranian counterparts many times when they request that we look elsewhere”.

Iranian security officials reported what was described as a terrorist attack against a shrine in Shiraz, killing fifteen and injuring dozens; ISIS made a claim of responsibility. The IRGC reported foiling a bomb attack in Shiraz the same day.

At the UN Security Council, the U.S. representative contended that “Russia and Iran teamed up to violate Resolution 2231. Iran, in violation of Resolution 2231, provided Russia with drones to wreak havoc and inflict destruction on Ukrainian civilians. Russia, in violation of Resolution 2231, procured them… There is no doubt that the transfer occurred without approval by the Council, and thus in violation of Resolution 2231”. During the same session, Iran’s envoy reiterated that “Iran has never provided the parties with weapons for use in the Ukraine conflict”.

Iran’s judiciary announced the arrest of ten individuals it accused of spying for Israel in north-western Iran.

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) confirmed a cyberattack against a subsidiary company, adding: “The content in users’ emails contains technical messages and routine and daily exchanges of emails… The purpose of such illegal attempts, which is a desperate move, is to draw public attention and a part of a psychological operation”.

The U.S. military denied claims by a senior Iranian commander regarding the seizure of two naval drones. 

The Financial Action Task Force retained Iran’s classification as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action.

The U.S., UK and France raised “the issue of Iran’s transfer of UAVs to Russia at a meeting of the UN Security Council, where Council members received expert briefings from the UN Secretariat on reports of the transfer of these dangerous weapons”. A U.S. readout noted “grave concerns about Russia’s acquisition of these UAVs from Iran in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231”, adding: “We will not hesitate to use our sanctions and other appropriate tools on all involved in these transfers. We will also continue to surge unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine, including air defense capabilities, so that Ukraine can defend itself from these weapons”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson rejected reports of arms transfers, including drones, to Russia, describing them as a “propaganda campaign waged by media of some countries against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and expressing willingness to engage “with Ukraine to dispel such allegations”. The remarks came a day after Ukraine’s foreign ministry asserted that Russia had deployed “more than a hundred Iranian kamikaze drones” over the past week, and urged the EU to adopt sanctions over the weapons supplies.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami warned Saudi Arabia to “mind its behaviour and control its media [outlets] or [the actions] will backfire on itself” amid ongoing protests in Iran. He further called on “the neighbouring countries not to let Israel into Islamic territories because they seek to foment insecurity”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson said that “there’s extensive proof” of Russian use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, and added: “Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is something the whole world should, especially those in the region and across the world, frankly, should be seen as a profound threat and something that any country should pay very close attention to”.

Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian told a group of senior Iraqi security officials that “we do not expect the Kurdistan region of Iraq to be a haven for terrorist acts and a threat against Iran… We want nothing but good for the Iraqi government and nation, but we will not tolerate the continued armed presence of terrorists in the Kurdistan region and their actions against Iran’s security”.

President Biden stated that “the Iranian government is so oppressive, you can’t have anything but an enormous amount of respect for those people marching in the street… It’s been really amazing. But they’re not a good group, in the government”. President Raisi subsequently  asserted that saying Biden, “who allows himself through his comments to incite chaos, terror and destruction in another country, should be reminded of the eternal words of the founder of the Islamic Republic, who called America and great satan”.

An Iranian judicial official claimed that the IRGC had arrested an individual for spying for Israel who was allegedly planning “to carry out anti-security measures and acts of sabotage”.

After Iraq’s UN envoy condemned Iran at the Security Council for conducting “reckless acts” in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Iran’s representative wrote to the Council contending that “terrorist and separatist groups… have continued to use Iraqi territory to conduct armed and terrorist attacks against civilians and Iran’s vital infrastructure. These armed groups… have set up several terrorist training camps on Iraqi territory in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region in order to recruit, train, incite, plan, organise, support and carry out terrorist acts as well as sabotage operations within Iranian territory”. “Despite our repeated objections and warnings, neither the Government of the Republic of Iraq nor officials from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region have taken effective and concrete measures to comply with their international obligations”, he added, while underscoring Iran’s right “to respond to any terrorist threat or attack… at any time it deems appropriate and necessary”.

The IAEA informed member states that Iran had completed the installation of, but not yet activated, seven cascades of IR-2m and IR-4 centrifuges at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP), with work underway on two of three additional planned IR-2m cascades.

Iran’s Space Agency announced that it had successfully tested a “space tug capable of shifting satellites between orbits and transferring spaceborne cargo from one orbit to another”.

Iranian media reported that the IRGC had launched drones and rockets against “the positions of terrorist groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region”, the latest in a series of attacks since late September.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claimed that nationwide anti-government protests “were planned by America, the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and their acolytes. Their main problem is with a strong and independent Iran and the country’s progress… If it were not for the young girl [whose death while in police custody sparked the unrest], they would have invented another excuse to create insecurity and trigger riots in the country”.

The UN Secretary-General announced that “our former colleague Baquer Namazi has been permitted to leave Iran for medical treatment abroad… Baquer Namazi’s son, Siamak Namazi, has been released from detention”. The State Department said it was “deeply gratified” by the news regarding the two U.S. nationals, adding: “Our efforts are far from over. We remain committed and determined to securing the freedom of all Americans unjustly detained in Iran and elsewhere”.

Military Chief of Staff Bagheri cautioned “the U.S. forces against cooperating with anti-Iranian terrorists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region”. Referring to the U.S. downing an Iranian drone during 28 September IRGC attacks against what was described as “anti-Iranian terrorist groups” in northern Iraq as evidence of collaboration between them and the U.S., he warned that “we will deal with it at a proper time and place”, adding: “If any hostile measure against the Islamic Republic of Iran, its national security, and its national interests are adopted by American bases in… neighbouring states, we will certainly respond to these bases”.

The IRGC confirmed the death of a senior intelligence official in what it described as “clashes with anti-revolution elements” in south-eastern Iran; the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan province estimated that there were nearly 40 casualties.

The IRGC confirmed that it had fired 73 ballistic missiles and dozens of UAVs targeting sites belonging to what it called “anti-Iranian terrorist groups” in northern Iraq. CENTCOM reported downing an Iranian drone “headed in the direction of Erbil as it appeared as a threat to CENTCOM forces in the area”. The Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s president denounced the operation, which led to dozens of casualties, and affirmed, “The Kurdistan Region… will not allow any security threat to the neighbouring countries from its borders… [and it] should not be used as a battleground to settle disputes among rival parties”. Iraq’ foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on 29 September and delivered a “strong note of protests”, warning of operation’s “repercussions on the societal peace of both countries, and on regional security and stability”. The U.S. State Department criticised the attack as “an unjustified violation of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity”, and further condemned “comments from the government of Iran threatening additional attacks against Iraq”, while National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said “Iran cannot deflect blame from its internal problems and the legitimate grievances of its population with attacks across its borders… the U.S. will continue to pursue sanctions and other means to disrupt Iran’s destabilising activities across the Middle East region”.  The following day, the U.S. confirmed the death of one of its citizens during the attack.  

IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi reiterated that “in the event of a full resumption of Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA, the Agency will need to address the gap in its knowledge of what took place while our surveillance and monitoring equipment related to the JCPOA was not in operation. There will be considerable challenges to confirming the consistency with the situation prior to 21 February 2021 of Iran’s declared inventory of centrifuges and heavy water”. He added: “the Agency has made efforts to engage with Iran to resolve outstanding issues related to the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at three undeclared locations in Iran. Since June, Iran has not engaged with the Agency. Consequently, these issues have not been resolved and the Agency is not in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful”. Meanwhile, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) maintained: “There are no undeclared nuclear activities or material in Iran. All accusations are merely based on fake and incorrect information provided by the usurping regime of Israel”. Grossi and the AEOI chief met the same day.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that the IAEA “has questions about three alleged sites that they say they have found uranium, and we are ready to provide answers to those questions”, adding: “baseless allegations against Iran that have been put on the agenda of the agency need to be removed first… to do so, there has to be some technical work. But parallel to that, just like in the year 2015, there needs to be a political will to close the case of these allegations”. He also asserted: “There has been some progress… on the guarantees and the duration of the agreements, but we are still far from the ideal point”.

The IRGC reported that it had targeted with artillery what it claimed were “the positions of anti-Iran terrorist groups affiliated with global arrogance [ie, the West] in northern Iraq who have in recent days trespassed on Iran’s north-western borders and attacked some border bases of our country”. It further noted that “Iran on many occasions has warned officials of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region about the terrorist groups’ activities in the region but they have failed to pay necessary attention to the warnings and take proper measures to prevent terrorist moves”, adding: “The operation will continued until the Iraqi Kurdish officials accept their responsibilities”. On 26 September, Iranian media reported a “new round of [IRGC] artillery and drone attacks against terrorists in northern Iraq”.

The IAEA Director General emphasised that Iran’s safeguards “issues are not going to be wished away”, adding: “The IAEA has limited access to Iran’s nuclear facilities… We are ready to re-engage with Iran”.

Speaking at the 77th Session of UN General Assembly, President Raisi reiterated that “Iran is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons and such weapons have no place in our defence doctrine. This ruling was announced in the fatwa of the Supreme Leader… [which] is more effective than any international supervision”. He further remarked that “we have before us the experience of America’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and the delay of the current American government in returning to its commitments for more than a year and a half. Today, when the American government is talking about its intention to return to its obligations, another voice is heard from inside that country, which questions the commitment of the United States. With that experience and this perspective, can we act with tolerance in the important issue of ensuring the stability of the agreement?” Raisi went on to assert that “we will find our way regardless of any agreement and continue with strength. Besides, in the serious negotiations we have had, we have shown that if the interests of the Iranian nation are guaranteed, we have a strong will to solve this issue fairly”.

President Raisi told his French counterpart that given “the unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the [nuclear] agreement and the resulting damages, the desire of the Islamic Republic of Iran to receive reassuring guarantees is a completely reasonable and logical demand”. He further asserted that the IAEA’s “approach to [safeguards] issues should be technical and away from the pressures and suggestions of others, and we believe that without the closure of Iran’s cases, it is not possible to reach an agreement” to revive the JCPOA.

Asked about the Holocaust, President Raisi posited that “historical events should be investigated by researchers and historians. There are some signs that it happened. If so, they should allow it to be investigated and researched”. In response, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi asserted that “anyone who distorts and denies the painful and solid truth of history lies easily today and will naturally lie in the future. This is another reminder that such people should not be allowed to possess any capacity of any kind to develop weapons of mass destruction”.

President Raisi, discussing the Vienna talks, remarked that if “a good deal and fair deal [is on the table], we would be serious about reaching an agreement. It needs to be lasting. There needs to be guarantees. If there were a guarantee, then the Americans could not withdraw from the deal”.  He further argued that “the new administration in the U.S., they claim that they are different from the Trump administration. They have said it in their messages to us. But we haven’t witnessed any changes in reality”. “It is important to us to have the sanctions lifted”, he added, while noting: “There’s a number of countries that are being sanctioned. By doing this, they are bringing them closer together, making them more united. And this will render American sanctions ineffective”. Raisi also commented on a prisoner swap with the U.S. and maintained: “It can be conducted separately from the nuclear talks… It is a humanitarian issue”.

Discussing the nuclear negotiations, President Raisi emphasised that the “removal of sanctions should be accompanied with the resolution of safeguards. There are some political and baseless accusations against Islamic Republic of Iran when it comes to safeguard issues”. “Regarding the guarantees”, he added, “if we have the trustworthy guarantees, and we have the lasting removal of the sanctions, not temporary removal of sanctions, and if there is a lasting solution for the safeguard issues, for sure it is possible to reach agreement”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that since February 2021, JCPOA-related nuclear monitoring and verification activities “have been seriously affected by Iran’s decision to stop the implementation of those commitments, including its commitments under the Additional Protocol”, and noted “considerable challenges… in order to confirm the consistency of the situation” even if the deal were restored. Grossi also presented his reports on the Agency’s safeguards investigations in Iran and maintained: “Iran has not engaged with the Agency… Therefore, all of these safeguards issues remain outstanding”.  Stressing the need for Iran to provide  “technically credible explanations”, he added: “Because it has not yet done so, the Agency is not in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful”.

A senior Iranian military commander announced that Iran had designed a drone “specifically designed to target Haifa and Tel Aviv” in Israel.

France, Germany and the UK jointly issued a statement maintaining that “while we were edging closer to an agreement, Iran reopened separate issues that relate to its legally binding international obligations under the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its NPT safeguards agreement concluded with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This latest demand raises serious doubts as to Iran’s intentions and commitment to a successful outcome on the JCPOA”. They further stressed that “it is up to Iran to provide technically credible answers to the IAEA’s questions on the whereabouts of all nuclear material on its territory. The JCPOA can in no way be used to release Iran from legally binding obligations that are essential to the global non-proliferation Regime”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “by [issuing] such an ill-considered statement, the three European countries have followed in the footsteps of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] down a path that will lead to the failure of negotiations… It is obvious that if such an approach continues, the E3 should also accept responsibility for its consequences”.

The spokesperson for Iran’s atomic energy agency criticised the IAEA’s quarterly reports as “a repetition of the previous baseless issues with political purposes”, adding: “They should not expect Iran to be open to inspections beyond the Safeguards Agreement when they do not fulfill their obligations and while their oppressive sanctions against the Iranian nation continue”.  

The U.S National Security Council accused Iran of conducting what it described as a “reckless and irresponsible cyberattack” against Albania on 15 July that “destroyed government data and disrupted government services to the public”. “The U.S. will take further action to hold Iran accountable for actions that threaten the security of a U.S. ally and set a troubling precedent for cyberspace”, a spokesperson asserted. The same day, Tirana cut diplomatic ties with Tehran. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson rejected the allegation, asserting that “Iran rejects and condemns any use of cyberspace as a means to attack the infrastructure of other countries”. On 8 September, the Microsoft Security Threat Intelligence assessed that “the messaging and target selection indicate Tehran likely used the attacks as retaliation for cyberattacks Iran perceives were carried out by Israel and the Mojahedin Khalq (MEK), an Iranian dissident group largely based in Albania”.

Chief of Staff Bagheri, referring to CENTCOM’s inclusion of Israel to its area of responsibility, emphasised that “such a development means that the espionage and operational capacities of the U.S. and its allies will be at the disposal of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] as well, which would in turn add to the threats against Iran”. “Apart from the written announcements and warnings and conveying messages… to the countries hosting the U.S. army, we have declared and continue to declare our preparedness and warnings by extending presence, expanding aerial and naval patrols, deepening the intelligence dominance and holding various naval, missile and drone war games”, Bagheri said, adding: “regional security requires fraternity and cooperation among the regional countries themselves without reliance on outsiders”.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell remarked that “the last interaction [between Iran and the U.S. over the JCPOA] is not converging, it is diverging… That is very much worrisome – if the process does not converge, the whole process is in danger”. “[I] keep consulting with all the other JCPOA participants, and in particular the U.S. because it is a request [by Iran] that has to be fulfilled by the U.S. – in particular, not the only one, how to proceed”, he added, while assessing: “I am less confident today… about the convergence of the negotiation process and about the prospect of closing the deal right now”. 

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson announced that Iran had, via the EU, replied to U.S. comments on Iran’s proposed amendments to an EU-tabled draft agreement. “The text that was sent has a constructive approach aimed at finalising the negotiations”, he added. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson confirmed receipt of the response and described it as “not constructive”.

A White House spokesperson confirmed that according to U.S. assessments, “Russia received both Mohajer-6 and Shahed-series UAVs from Iran over the course of several days in August. Russian transport aircraft loaded the UAV equipment at an airfield in Iran and subsequently flew from Iran to Russia”. The Pentagon asserted: “Russia deepening their alliance with Iran is something that the whole world – and especially those in the region – should watch and see as a profound threat… We will vigorously enforce all U.S. sanctions on both the Russian and Iranian arms trade and will stand with our allies and partners throughout the region against the Iranian threat”. On 1 September, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami remarked that “a number of the world’s top-ranking powers are willing to purchase military and defense equipment from the Islamic Republic. Indeed, this process has materialised as they are currently using [Iranian arms] and receiving training”.

President Raisi insisted that “without the resolution of the safeguard issues, there is no meaning of an agreement [to revive the JCPOA], the agreement must be accompanied by the resolution of the safeguard issues and its termination”. Relatedly, a website close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council contended: “[IAEA Director General] Rafael Grossi’s political and non-legal behaviour towards Iran could be considered a serious obstacle to the conclusion of the agreement in Vienna talks, and will also darken the prospect of providing the ground for the implementation of the initial commitments of parties”. The same day, Israeli President Herzog affirmed that “the IAEA’s independence is critical. It should be strictly adhered to, including its ability to investigate violations of nuclear developments in Iran”, adding: “The Iranian President’s statement today is perfectly clear: it says, ‘We don’t respect the independence of the IAEA to investigate open cases’, which are major cases involving enriched uranium, located by IAEA inspectors”.

President Raisi underscored that “the threats of the Zionist Regime [ie, Israel] have not –and will not- go anywhere. The assassination of our precious nuclear scientists… [and] many acts of vandalism and sedition were meant to stop us, but we did not”. He further warned that Israel “should first see whether it can deal with the resistance forces in Palestine… Yesterday, it could withstand their stones, but today, can they cope with their rockets?”. The same day, Israeli President Herzog contended that “Iran has sworn itself to Israel’s destruction and is working tirelessly to destabilise our region and the entire world… Iran’s activities cannot go unpunished. And most critically, such a state must not be allowed to possess nuclear capabilities”.

The IAEA informed member states that it had it had “verified at FEP [the Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz] that Iran was feeding UF6 enriched up to 2 per cent U-235 into the IR-6 cascade [installed in early August]… for the production of UF6 enriched up to 5 per cent U-235”. On 31 August, the Agency reported that Iran had begun using another IR-6 cascade to enrich uranium to the same level.

The Biden administration confirmed that it had “responded to the EU” regarding Iran’s comments on an EU-tabled draft that served as the basis for multilateral early August discussions in Vienna. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed receipt of Washington’s reply and asserted: “The careful review of the response has started in Tehran”.

CENTCOM confirmed U.S. airstrikes in Deir al-Zor “intended to defend and protect U.S. forces from attacks like the ones on August 15 against U.S. personnel by Iran-backed groups. The U.S. strikes targeted infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called the operation “a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, and asserted: “The sites targeted had no links to the Islamic Republic”. A senior Pentagon official said “we believe we have Iran dead to rights on attribution” regarding the 15 August attacks, adding: “Whether the JCPOA is reborn or not, it actually has nothing to do without willingness and resolve to defend ourselves. And I think the strike… was a pretty clear communication to the Iranians, that these things are on different tracks”. On 24 August CENTCOM announced that “U.S. forces responded… to rocket attacks at two sites in Syria” that injured three U.S. service members, with “initial assessments… that two or three suspected Iran-backed militants conducting one of the attacks were killed”. The following day it reported that operations with helicopters and artillery against “Iran affiliated militants… result[ed] in four enemy fighters killed and seven enemy rocket launchers destroyed”. 

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson posited that “the Americans are procrastinating [in the JCPOA negotiations] and there is inaction from the European sides… America and Europe need an agreement more than Iran”. The spokesperson also underscored that “the exchange of prisoners with Washington is a separate issue and it has nothing to do with the process of negotiations to revive the 2015 pact”. In related remarks, the EU facilitator of the nuclear talks described Iran’s response to European proposals as “reasonable”, adding: “It was transmitted to the U.S. which has not yet responded formally… I hope the response will put an end to the negotiations”.  

Discussing the IAEA’s safeguards investigations in Iran, Director General Rafael Grossi urged Tehran to “give us necessary answers, people and places so we can clarify the many things needed for clarification… So far Iran has not given us the technically credible explanations we need to explain origins of many traces of uranium, the presence of equipment at places”. “This idea that politically we are going to stop doing our job is unacceptable for us”, he added. “Let us have an explanation. Where is it now? At that moment we will be able to have a report saying, yes, we have clarified this issue”.

After senior U.S. officials reiterated calls for the release of four U.S. nationals detained in Iran, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson asserted that Iran had “repeated announced its readiness to the American side through various channels to address the issue of prisoners”, adding: “By implementing this agreement, we are ready to get the innocent Iranians imprisoned in the U.S… released”.

An EU official confirmed that Iran had responded to an EU-tabled draft that served as the basis for multilateral early August discussions in Vienna. Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “there are three issues that if resolved, we can reach an agreement in the coming days”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson on 16 August noted that “we’re in the process of studying [Iran’s comments]. We are at the same time engaged in consultations with the EU and our European allies on the way ahead”. An unnamed Israeli official subsequently opined that “despite the differences and gaps, there is a momentum and a more positive dialogue toward reaching an agreement… Israel sees the current agreement as a bad agreement and emphasises to its partners the danger of signing such an agreement. The Iranians operate in a well-known tactic of shuffling and stalling for more concessions”.

Following an attack against the author Salman Rushdie, Secretary of State Antony Blinken contended that “Iranian state institutions have incited violence against Rushdie for generations, and state-affiliated media recently gloated about the attempt on his life. This is despicable. The U.S. and partners will not waver in our determination to stand up to these threats, using every appropriate tool at our disposal”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted: “We do not consider anyone other than [Rushdie] and his supporters worth of blame”, while “categorically and seriously deny[ing] any connection of the assailant with Iran”.

The Justice Department charged a member of Iran’s IRGC for plotting “the murder of former National Security Adviser John Bolton, likely in retaliation for the January 2020 death of IRGC-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani”. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that “should Iran attack any of our citizens, to include those who continue to serve the United States or those who formerly served, Iran will face severe consequences”.  Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the allegation as “baseless” and cautioned “against any action against Iranian citizens under the pretext of such ridiculous accusations”.

Iran’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology confirmed that Russia had launched an Iranian satellite from a site in Kazakhstan, calling it the “beginning of strategic cooperation between Iran and Russia in the space industry”. “The high-resolution images [taken by Khayyam] could be used to improve the space applications in the country in the environmental and agricultural sectors”, he added. Iran’s space agency had previously asserted Iran would be in full control of the satellite, rejecting media reports that Moscow would use it for military purposes. A U.S. spokesperson claimed that the spacecraft had “significant spying capabilities” and warned: “The fact that Russia is strengthening its alliance with Iran is something the world should consider a serious threat”.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell announced that after several days of talks in Vienna, “what can be negotiated [to revive the JCPOA] has been negotiated, and it’s now in a final text. However, behind every technical issue and every paragraph lies a political decision that needs to be taken in the capitals. If these answers are positive, then we can sign this deal”.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) maintained that “as long as other JCPOA parties fail to return to their obligations and do not set aside their false [safeguard] accusations against the country”, Iran would not switch on the IAEA surveillance cameras it had previously dismantled.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of what it claimed were ten ISIS members linked to Israel who were planning attacks during a forthcoming religious commemoration. 

EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora announced that he would be going to Vienna for the resumption of JCPOA talks “on the basis of the [EU] coordinator’s text tabled on 20 July”. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley stated that “our expectations are in check, but the U.S. welcomes EU efforts and is prepared for a good faith attempt to reach a deal. It will shortly be clear if Iran is prepared for the same”. The same day, Iran’s top negotiator, Ali Bagheri-Kani, posited: “The onus is on those who breached the deal and have failed to distance from ominous legacy. The U.S. must seize the opportunity offered by the JCPOA partners’ generosity; [the] ball is in their court to show maturity and act responsibly”.

After comments by a senior Israeli official about Israel having “acted not infrequently over the last year… in Iran”, Iran’s UN envoy wrote to the Secretary-General and Security Council president to say: “These statements clearly confirm the Israeli regime’s accountability for acts of sabotage and terrorist acts in Iran… It must be held accountable and accept all likely consequences of such crimes”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, commenting on Iran’s nuclear program, stressed that “good words will not do it. What you need to do is to be transparent and compliant and work with us. We are ready and I hope they will be as well… They have a very ambitious nuclear program that needs to be verified in the appropriate way. The program is moving ahead very, very fast and not only ahead, but sideways as well, because it’s growing in ambition and in capacity”. The following day, speaking at the NPT Review Conference, Grossi emphasised: “If we are to offer credible assurances that Iran’s sizable and growing nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes, Iran must grant IAEA inspectors access commensurate to the size of that program and provide us complete information… The lack of progress in verifying the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program will have consequences on the regional security landscape”.

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran’s spokesperson announced that per a 2020 law, it had “launched and injected gas into hundreds of centrifuge machines including advanced [IR-6] machines”, noting that the IAEA had been informed. The head of the AEOI reiterated that “Iran has the technical ability to build an atomic bomb, but such a program is not on the agenda”. The following day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian said that the move was in reaction to the latest round of U.S. sanctions. On 3 August, the IAEA confirmed that Iran had “completed installing three advanced IR-6 centrifuge cascades at its Natanz fuel enrichment plant (FEP)” and had notified “the agency it plans to install an additional six IR-2m cascades at the FEP in a new operating unit”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of a Swedish national on espionage charges.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell announced he had “put on the table a text that addresses, in precise detail, the sanctions lifting as well as the nuclear steps needed to restore the JCPOA”, adding: “I see no other comprehensive or effective alternative in reach”. “It is now time for swift political decisions to conclude the Vienna negotiations on the basis of my proposed text”, he added and warned: “If the deal is rejected, we risk a dangerous nuclear crisis, set against the prospect of increased isolation for Iran and its people”. Iran’s lead negotiator stated that “we, too, have our own ideas, both in substance and form, to conclude the negotiations which would be shared”. The U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “we are studying the changes” from previous iterations, adding: “We hope that Iran finally and ultimately decides to seize the opportunity that has been before it for some time now”.

Commenting on Iraq-mediated talks between Saudi and Iranian officials, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “due to the positive will of the parties, it is possible to hold the next meeting at the official and political level in Baghdad, and take a step in the direction of improving and resuming the relations between the two countries”.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) contended that “the West continues to level accusations against Iran on the basis of stolen and alleged documents… Iran agreed to the JCPOA to dispel doubts and build confidence. Iran accepted to restrict its [nuclear] activities to pave the way for confidence building. However, they [ie, the West] did not abide by their commitments”. “The [IAEA] cameras [which were installed] under the JCPOA were meant to put an end to those accusations. If those accusations are going to remain in place, there is no more need for the existence of JCPOA cameras”, he added. Relatedly, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “Unfortunately, Iran’s constructive actions have not been met with a constructive and mutual response on the part of the IAEA and its director general”. He further described IAEA chief Grossi’s approach as “not helpful and constructive”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of “a terrorist group… who were in contact with Mossad agents through one of the neighbouring countries” and had entered Iran “from Iraq’s Kurdistan region”. The detainees purportedly “intended to carry out acts of sabotage and terrorist attacks in some sensitive areas”. Media reports later alleged that the network “had been planning to detonate one of the country’s sensitive centers in Isfahan under the guidance of the head of the Mossad in the Kurdistan region of Iraq”. On 28 July, authorities announced the arrest of five individuals alleged to be part of an Israeli-affiliated “espionage network”. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “for almost five weeks I have had very limited visibility, with a nuclear program [in Iran] that is galloping ahead and, therefore, if there is an agreement, it is going to be very difficult for me to reconstruct the puzzle of this whole period of forced blindness… It is not impossible, but it is going to require a very complex task and perhaps some specific agreements”. Grossi added: “The agency needed to reconstruct a database, without which any agreement will rest on a very fragile basis, because if we don’t know what’s there, how can we determine how much material to export, how many centrifuges to leave unused?”

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “we have a ready text in front of us and we agree on more than 95 to 96 per cent of its content, but there’s still an important flaw in this text: we need to get the full economic benefits of the agreement. We don’t want to be bitten twice”. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson remarked that the “false dichotomy between JCPOA (of which Iran, unlike the U.S., remains a party) and good ties between Iran and its neighbours, including Russia, doesn’t hide the fact that indecision of the unfaithful U.S. is the main hurdle for a deal. Our neighbourly policy is not contingent on JCPOA or U.S. permission”.

Media reports indicated that Israeli intelligence had “interrogated a senior IRGC official… in Iranian territory”, who admitted “his role in transferring weapons to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen”.

Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Argentina’s envoy in Tehran to lodge “strong protest” over its “move to ban the departure of five Iranian nationals who are the crew members of a Venezuelan cargo plane”, while lamenting “unfounded accusations” from Israeli media.

Reacting to a Senate bill calling for a government task force “to monitor and regularly report… on Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile activities”, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson underscored that “Iran regards the U.S. and its institutions as one unified unit and any unconstructive measure by the U.S. government will naturally affect the course of talks, and the Islamic Republic will adjust its actions accordingly”.

Iran, Russia and Turkey convened a meeting of the “Astana Process” talks over Syria and jointly reaffirmed “their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism”, “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives” and “expressed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to Syria”. The three countries also condemned “the continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria including civilian infrastructures… as destabilising and intensifying the tension in the region”.

A senior Iranian military commander was quoted as saying that “Iran is ready to export military equipment and weapons to the friendly nations”, adding: “Iran’s army has been able to develop the most advanced UAVs, which are used in long-distance and cross-border reconnaissance, and combat operations”.

Iran’s foreign ministry announced sanctions against 61 U.S. officials and lawmakers, past and current, citing their “deliberate support” of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK).

A senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader asserted: “Iran is on the nuclear threshold and that is not something secret… Iran has the capability to build [a] nuclear bomb but it has [taken] no decision”. He also maintained that “the U.S. has not provided guarantees on preserving the nuclear deal and this ruins the possibility of any agreement”.  

Speaking alongside President Biden in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said with respect to Iran that “world will stop them… Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table”. Biden underscored “America’s commitment to ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon… I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome”. He further affirmed that the U.S. would “continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region”. The two sides also issued The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration, in which the U.S. said “it is prepared to use all elements of its national power” to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, President Raisi warned the U.S. and its regional allies that “Iran does not accept any insecurity and crisis in the region, and committing any mistake in this region will be responded with a decisive and regrettable response”; Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson declared: “As long as the fake state of Israel is the first stop on the American presidents visits to the region and their first goal is to maintain its security and superiority, the regional nations and countries will not achieve peace and stability”.

Ahead of a trip to the Middle East, President Biden wrote that the U.S. would “continue to increase diplomatic and economic pressure until Iran is ready to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, as I remain prepared to do”. Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian subsequently emphasised that Biden “cannot impose U.S.’s one-sided views through accusation and sanction. Diplomacy is not a one-way street. Reaching [a] final agreement needs [the] U.S.’s acceptance of realities, flexibility and initiatives”.

The IRGC announced that it had uncovered “a team of terrorists… as they were trying to infiltrate the country” from the north west, adding: “A considerable amount of weapons, ammunition and communication equipment were also seized”.

The IAEA confirmed that “Iran had begun feeding UF6 enriched up to 5 per cent U-235 into the cascade of 166 IR-6 centrifuges with modified sub-headers [at Fordow] for the declared purpose of producing UF6 enriched up to 20 per cent U-235”. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) spokesperson described media coverage as “hyped”, and said the action “was the final technical part of the previously-announced move… as part of internal planning to launch 1,000 IR-6 centrifuges in six cascades and inject gas into them”.

A White House official noted that “bilaterally we’re talking with nations across the region about air defence capabilities specifically and what we can do to assist with their defence and then, exploring the idea of being able to kind of integrate all those air defenses together”. “There really is effective coverage to deal with Iran”, he added. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson described the U.S. goal as “Iranophobia and division among the countries in the region”, while a website close to Iran’s Supreme National Security council warned: “Creation of joint defense pact in the region by the U.S. with participation and hidden management of Zionists [ie, Israel] is a threatening act. If the implementation of such plans threatens security of Iran in any way, it will face initial decisive response to the nearest and most accessible targets”.

After Iranian media reported that the IRGC had detained a number of foreign nationals accused of espionage, the Polish foreign ministry confirmed the arrest of one of its citizens, described as a “highly reputed scientist”, in September 2021.

Meeting with the Qatari Foreign Minister in Tehran, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani discussed the EU-mediated U.S.-Iran talks in Doha, saying Iran would “adhere to diplomacy until the realisation of its legal rights”. He also maintained that “Iran’s permanent policy towards its neighbours is the development of all-out and strategic relations along with good neighbourliness”. Shamkhani further asserted that “any coalition with the Zionist regime will threaten the stability and security in the region”.

The U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, described EU-mediated talks in Doha as “a wasted occasion”, and remarked that the Iranian side had “added demands that I think anyone looking at this would be viewed as having nothing to do with the nuclear deal. “The discussion that really needs to take place right now”, he added, “is not so much between us and Iran, although we’re prepared to have that. It’s between Iran and itself. They need to come to a conclusion about whether they are now prepared to come back into compliance with the deal”. He also said: “They’re much closer to having enough fissile material for a bomb. To our knowledge, they have not resumed their weaponisation program… But we’re, of course, alarmed, as are our partners, about the progress they’ve made in the enrichment field, and that’s why we think that getting back to the deal is in our nonproliferation interest”. The same day, EU High Representative Josep Borrell spoke with Iran’s foreign minister and asserted: “If we want to conclude an agreement, decisions are needed now. This is still possible, but the political space to revive the JCPOA may narrow soon”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that given Iran’s nuclear advances, “we are now in a situation where Iran’s neighbours could start to fear the worst and plan accordingly. There are countries in the region today looking very carefully at what is happening with Iran, and tensions in the region are rising… [Some had] openly stated they would actively seek nuclear weapons if Iran were to pose a nuclear threat”.

The Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), an Iranian dissident group, claimed that “defiant youth in Tehran attacked the headquarters of the IRGC known as Malek Ashtar”. An Iranian parliamentarian subsequently asserted that two explosive devises, which he described as “very weak”, had gone off at the facility.

Addressing a UN Security Council session on the thirteen biannual report on UNSC Resolution 2231’s implementation, the ​U.S. representative stated: Iran “continues to carry out activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons in defiance of Annex B of Resolution 2231. Launches of space launch vehicles… relied on technology virtually identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons”. “The Security Council must be clear and united in condemning this activity. When Iran defies the Security Council repeatedly – without consequence – it undermines the fundamental credibility of this Council”, the U.S. diplomat emphasised. Addressing the same session, Iran’s UN envoy countered that “our space and missile programs, fall outside the purview or competence of the UNSC resolution 2231 and its annexes and are not subject for negotiations”.

The UN ​under-secretary-general presented the thirteen biannual report, dated 23 June, regarding Security Council Resolution 2231​’s implementation​, urging both Iran and the U.S. “to resolve the remaining issues” preventing restoration of the JCPOA. The U.S. ambassador told the Security Council that “a deal has been available since March, but we can only conclude a deal, and implement it, if Iran drops its additional demands that are outside the scope of the JCPOA”, adding: “Iran has yet to demonstrate any real urgency to conclude a deal, end the current nuclear crisis and achieve important sanctions lifting”. Iran’s envoy asserted that “Iran has demanded verifiable and objective guarantees… [as] the minimum requirements for determining the deal’s long-term viability”. “The ball is in [the] U.S.’s court and if the U.S. acts realistically and shows its serious intention to implement its obligations, the agreement is not out of reach”, he added.

After two days of indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Qatar, EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora announced: “Unfortunately, not yet the progress the EU team as coordinator had hoped-for. We will keep working with even greater urgency to bring back on track a key deal for non-proliferation and regional stability”. The following day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Qatari counterpart that “Iran is determined to continue the negotiation until a realistic agreement is reached”, assessing the talks “as constructive and positive”.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell announced the start of indirect, EU-facilitated talks between Iran and the U.S. in Qatar.

Anonymous hackers operating under the name “Gonjeshke Darande” claimed credit for a cyberattack that targeted three Iranian steel companies. The following day, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted that “just like there’s nuclear deterrence, there’s going to be cyber deterrence… My approach generally with our enemies, especially Iran, is, we don’t go around just wreaking havoc in Tehran. That’s never been our policy. Our policy is, though, that if you mess with Israel, you’ll pay a price. And you can no longer hit Israel indirectly through proxies, through Hizbollah, through Hamas, and think you’ll get away with it”. “If anyone attacks us on cyber, we’re going to attack back. We’re not going to be feeble”, he added.

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Kadhimi traveled to Saudi Arabia and then Iran, where he met with senior Iranian officials. President Raisi told al-Kadhimi that “the talks of the countries’ officials can solve the region’s problems”, highlighting “the need for the officials of the countries in the region to negotiate to solve problems and issues with each other”. He further maintained that “normalisation of relations with Israel or the presence of foreigners in the region will not solve any problem”. Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told al-Kadhimi that “Iran wishes nothing but the welfare of the region and supports the reopening of [Iranian and Saudi] embassies in the capitals of the two countries”. The two also conferred on Yemen, where Amirabdollahian reiterated “Iran’s support for the continuation of ceasefire”.

The defence ministry announced that Iran had test-fired a solid fuel satellite carrier.

During a visit to Tehran, EU High Representative Josep Borrell announced that “we managed to deblock the situation. And in the coming days… we will restart the [nuclear] discussion… And the U.S. and Iran will talk, not directly but with a facilitation by me and my team as Coordinator”. He further noted that “on the economic and nuclear side, I think the agreement is there. But at the end, it is also political consideration from both sides”. Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian stressed that “what is important to Iran is the economic benefit from the agreement”, while the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, separately asserted that “Iran’s retaliatory actions in the nuclear sector are merely legal and rational responses to U.S. unilateralism and European inaction and will continue as long as the West’s illegal practices are not changed”.

An IRGC commander confirmed that the death of an engineer at the Parchin facility on 26 May was due to “an act of industrial sabotage”.

The IAEA reported that Iran had started bringing online an additional cascade of IR-6 centrifuges at Fordow, adding: “The Agency has yet to receive clarification from Iran as to which mode of production it intends to implement for the aforementioned cascade”. The following day, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “we are deeply concerned by the current state of Iran’s nuclear program. It’s precisely why we want to see those strict [JCPOA] limits, that verification and monitoring regime reimposed on Iran”.

The Financial Action Task Force retained Iran’s classification as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action, one of two countries on the FATF’s blacklist.

The IRGC announced the arrest of what was described as a major fuel smuggling network. The same day, an Iranian official reported the seizure of a vessel carrying smuggled fuel off Iran’s southern coast, and detention of its six crewmembers.

The U.S. designated “a network of Iranian petrochemical producers, as well as front companies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that support…  entities instrumental in brokering the sale of Iranian petrochemicals abroad”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed that “the Biden administration has been sincere and steadfast in pursuing a path of meaningful diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA. Absent a deal, we will continue to use our sanctions authorities to limit exports of petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemical products from Iran”. The following day, President Raisi contended that “on the one hand, the Americans are sending the message that they are ready to negotiate, but on the other hand, they are adding to the sanctions. The world should give us the right not to trust them”.

Discussing a Venezuelan-owned aircraft, whose crew included several Iranian nationals, being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s security minister said that foreign intelligence sources had “advised that part of the crew belonged to companies related to the [IRGC’s] Quds Force”.

IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi confirmed that Iran had disabled IAEA 27 cameras and online monitoring systems, and asserted: “This is obviously a very, very serious thing with regards to not only the possibility of reviving the 2015 agreement, the JCPOA, but in general terms… In such a situation I might no longer be in a position to confirm the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program writ large”. He further maintained that “the longer the lapse without the visibility we need, the more difficult it [reviving the JCPOA] will be because no one, no one can go into an agreement without knowing what your baseline is”. Addressing Iranian authorities, Grossi emphasised: “We have to sit down now, we have to address the situation, we have to continue working together”.

A day after the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution on Iran’s lack of safeguards cooperation, Director General Rafael Grossi reported that Tehran had informed the agency of plans to remove 27 IAEA cameras installed per the JCPOA. Grossi assessed that the move “would be a fatal blow [to reviving the deal]”. Relatedly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised that “further nuclear provocations and further reductions of transparency… would be counterproductive and would further complicate our efforts to return to full implementation of the JCPOA. The only outcome of such a path will be a deepening nuclear crisis and further economic and political isolation for Iran. We continue to press Iran to choose diplomacy and de-escalation instead”. The same day, President Raisi asserted that “the Iranian nation is serious about its right. Did you think that if you issue a resolution… we will withdraw from our positions?” “We will not take a single step back from our positions”, he affirmed.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson denounced an IAEA Board of Governors resolution on Iran’s lack of safeguards cooperation as “miscalculated and ill-advised” and warned: “The initiators are responsible for the consequences. Iran’s response is firm and proportionate”. The same day, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) issued a statement asserting that “Iran has so far had extensive cooperation with the IAEA, but unfortunately having failed to consider such cooperation which has derived from Iran’s goodwill, the Agency has not appreciated it, and instead has considered it a duty”. In response, the statement read, Iran “decided that the operation of the cameras of the On-Line Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) and the IAEA’s flow meter should be stopped from today”. The same day, the IAEA reported that “Iran had started to install IR-6 centrifuges in the… single cascade previously declared by Iran” at Natanz, with intentions to install two more. Iran subsequently confirmed injecting fuel into the installed cascade.

A senior military commander warned that upon instruction from Iran’s leadership, the army would “raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground for any mistake made by the enemy”, while highlighting that “the range of drones and operational missiles of the Army’s Ground Force has increased”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that since February 2021, JCPOA-related nuclear monitoring and verification “have been seriously affected by Iran’s decision to stop the implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA, including the Additional Protocol”. Grossi also presented his conclusion on “the correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations under its Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol”, based on the 5 March roadmap between Iran and the Agency. He stated: “Iran has not provided explanations that are technically credible in relation to the Agency’s findings at three undeclared locations in Iran. Nor has Iran informed the Agency of the current location, or locations, of the nuclear material and/or of the equipment contaminated with nuclear material, that was moved from Turquzabad in 2018… Therefore, the safeguards issues related to these three locations remain outstanding”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told EU High Representative Josef Borrell that “the recent move by the U.S. and the European troika to prepare a draft resolution at the UN atomic watchdog against Iran is an undiplomatic, hasty and unconstructive behavior that will only make the process of talks more difficult and more complicated”. Referring to “a law approved by the Iranian parliament”, Amirabdollahian cautioned that “any move by the U.S. and the European troika at the International Atomic Energy Agency will be definitely met with an appropriate, effective and immediate response”.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett voiced to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi “Israel’s deep concern regarding Iran’s continued progress toward achieving nuclear weapons while deceiving the international community by using false information and lies”. He further underlined “the urgent need in mobilising the international community to take action against Iran, using all means, in order to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons”, and called for “a clear and unequivocal message” from the Board of Governors. Bennett went on to assert that although “Israel prefers diplomacy… It reserves the right to self-defence and action against Iran to block its nuclear program should the international community not succeed in the relevant time frame”. Iran’s foreign minister asserted that Grossi’s visit to Israel was “at odds with the principle of neutrality and the body’s technical and professional capacity”.

Iranian media reported that the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) had conducted cyber attacks against government-run infrastructure, including security cameras of Tehran’s municipality. The group claimed to have “hacked into over 5,000 cameras around Tehran”.

Amid reports that the U.S. and E3 had drafted a resolution for the IAEA Board of Governors calling on Tehran “to act on an urgent basis” with respect to the agency’s safeguards probe, Iran’s foreign ministry warned that it would “respond firmly and appropriately to any unconstructive action”.

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) ministerial council underlined “the need for negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file, and any future negotiations with Iran, to include its destabilising behaviour in the region, its sponsorship of terrorism and sectarian militias, its missile program and the safety of international navigation and oil installations”. The ministers also emphasised “the need for the GCC states to participate in those negotiations and all regional and international discussions and meetings related to this matter”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson described the statement as “groundless and unjustifiable” with respect to the JCPOA, while highlighting: “Iran has always considered neighbourly interactions and cooperation as a solution to regional issues and welcomes all initiatives regarding the development of relations”.

Following reports of the U.S. seizing Iranian oil aboard a tanker off the coast of Greece, the IRGC declared that it had seized two Greek oil tankers, identified as Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon. According to industry sources, the former was carrying a U.S.-bound cargo from Iraq and the latter was heading from Iraq to Greece. The Greek foreign ministry delivered a “strong-worded demarche” to Iran’s ambassador, condemned what it described as “actions… essentially tantamount to acts of piracy” and “called for the immediate release of the ships and their crews”. On 30 May, speaking with his Greek counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced the seizure “in the strongest terms” and contended: “Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights and freedoms are a threat to maritime security and the global economy”. 

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “we have reached a point that if the American side makes a realistic decision [regarding the Vienna talks], an agreement would be within reach”, adding: “When we talk about [a] return to the JCPOA, it means resumption of normal economic and trade activities of Iran within the context of international economy and global trade… We say out loud that the main factor [that has stalled the negotiations] is that Iran and the people of Iran must avail themselves of full economic advantages of the JCPOA”. “The IRGC being on the U.S. blacklist of terrorist groups is a secondary issue that has been magnified by the pro-Israeli lobby”, he claimed.

Media reports indicated that the U.S. had “confiscated Iranian oil held on a Russian-operated ship near Greece”, intending to “send the cargo to the U.S. aboard another vessel”.

Iran’s defence ministry reported that “an accident that took place in one of the [ministry’s] research units” near Tehran, resulting in the death of an engineer and one injury at the Parchin facility.

After Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian referred to possibility of a meeting with his Saudi counterpart, a Saudi official denied any scheduled meeting between the two, described the progress of Iran-Saudi talks as “not enough” and asserted: “Iran must build confidence for future cooperation, and there are several issues that can be discussed with Tehran if it has the desire to de-escalate tensions in the region”.

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) reported that Greece had seized an Iranian-flagged tanker reportedly operated by Russia and its cargo based on “a court order and in coordination with the U.S. Government”, while claiming that U.S. forces had begun “to discharge the cargo on board”. Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the senior Greek diplomat in Tehran and denounced “Greece’s surrender to U.S. pressure in this regard as unacceptable”. It also summoned the Swiss envoy, whose country represents U.S. interests in Iran, expressing “grave concern and outrage at the U.S.” and requesting “the immediate release of the ship and its cargo”.

The IRGC announced the death of a Quds Force colonel, identified as Sayad Khodai, who was shot in Tehran. President Raisi said he had “agreed for our security forces to seriously follow up on this matter and I have no doubt that revenge for the pure blood of our martyr will be taken”; Iran’s military chief of staff and IRGC commander Hossein Salami echoed the sentiment. The IRGC’s spokesperson warned that “thugs, rogue elements and remnants of terrorist groups affiliated with the global arrogance and Zionism [ie, the U.S. and Israel] will be punished for their criminal acts”. The same day as Khodai’s killing, the IRGC claimed to have arrested what was described as “a network of thugs affiliated with Israel’s spy services”.

A senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader remarked that “Iran and Saudi Arabia… can complement each other’s capacities to ensure peace and stability and development in the region. The two countries have chosen the path of dialogue to resolve their differences”. He further contended that “the presence of foreign forces in the region has always led to successive conflicts and even war”.

Referring to protests following increased food prices in Iran, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “the Iranian people have a right to hold their government accountable. We support their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression online and offline – without fear of violence and reprisal”. The next day, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson contended that “such an over-rejoicing of the U.S. government is indicative of the fact that the approach the Iranian government has adopted… worried the Americans”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora’s visit to Iran was “another opportunity to focus on initiatives to resolve the remaining issues” in nuclear talks, adding: “a good and reliable outcome is within reach if [the] U.S. makes its decision and adheres to its commitments”. EU High Representative Josep Borrell evaluated Mora’s meetings “very much positively”, noting: “Mora visited Iran with a concrete message from my side, saying that we could not continue like this. The answer has been positive enough in order to believe that we can relaunch the work between the parties… The negotiations were blocked, and they have been un-blocked. It means there is a perspective of reaching a final agreement”. A U.S. official indicated that “a deal remains far from certain. Iran needs to decide whether it insists on extraneous conditions and whether it wants to conclude a deal quickly… We and our partners are ready, and have been for some time”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of two European nationals whom it claimed “had entered the country tasked with provoking riots”.

The IRGC reported having “detained five members of [a] terrorist team who were trying to infiltrate the country and commit acts of sabotage” in western Iran. The following day, it fired artillery against what were described as “terrorist bases” in Erbil; Iraq’s foreign ministry condemned the attack.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi discussed the status of the 5 March roadmap reached with Iran on resolving safeguards concerns and said: “The situation does not look very good. Iran, for the time being, has not been forthcoming in the kind of information we need from them… We are extremely concerned about this”. Grossi also indicated that “we are, of course, still hopeful that some agreement [to revive the JCPOA] is going to be reached within a reasonable timeframe, although we have to recognise that the window of opportunity could be closed anytime”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Irish counterpart, whose government serves as facilitator for UNSC resolution 2231, that “Iran has repeatedly shown in practice the will required to reach a good, strong and lasting agreement… it is the American side that must move to correct Trump’s unlawful behaviour through a realistic approach and to take steps in the direction of political initiatives”. The same day, Amirabdollahian indicated that the Vienna talks “continue in another process… through the exchange of written messages” and called on the U.S. “to be realistic”, adding: “Removing sanctions in all areas and receiving economic guarantees are among the most important items on our negotiating team’s agenda”.

IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani claimed that Iran had successfully conducted two drone operations over the Israeli territory, without specifying when.

Marking Quds Day, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei affirmed that “Iran advocates and supports the camp of Resistance. It advocates and supports the Palestinian Resistance… We condemn the treacherous move to normalise relations” with Israel. On the same occasion, IRGC commander Hossein Salami warned Israel by saying: “Stop your vicious deeds. You know well that we are people of action and reaction… Our responses are painful. You create conditions for your own destruction. We will not leave you alone”. Too, Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani contended that “it is better for the Zionists to return to their original homelands in Europe or any other place from which they came before it is too late… Israel is heading towards extinction”.

The IRGC reported arresting in western Iran “all members of a counterrevolutionary terrorist group… who were led from abroad and had a history of terrorist acts and assassinations of citizens”.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, told Iraq’s parliament speaker that “Tehran is monitoring the meddlesome presence of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and the U.S. in the region and will react quickly and decisively to any security action with might”. In a separate meeting, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told the Iraqi official that “anti-Iran separatists and anti-revolution agents should not find a safe haven in Iraq to threaten the Islamic Republic”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson confirmed that “the fifth round of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Baghdad was held [on 21 April]… with the efforts of the Iraqi government and the preparations and assistance of the Omani government”, adding: “The talks were forward-moving and positive”.

A government cyber security unit reported disrupting what it described as “a large-scale cyberattack originating from IPs in Western states against the country’s infrastructure”.

A senior IRGC commander maintained that “the enemy keeps sending messages that if we give up on avenging Soleimani, they will give us some concessions or lift some sanctions… This is pure fantasy. The Supreme Leader has emphasised the need for revenge and the Revolutionary Guards’ top commander has said that revenge is inevitable and that we will choose the time and place for it”. In response, a U.S. spokesperson noted that “if Iran wants sanctions lifting that goes beyond the JCPOA, they will need to address concerns of ours beyond the JCPOA. Conversely, if they do not want to use these talks to resolve other bilateral issues beyond the JCPOA, then we are confident that we can very quickly reach an understanding on the JCPOA and begin reimplementing the deal”. The U.S. official added: “Under any return to the JCPOA, the U.S. would retain and aggressively use our powerful tools to address Iran’s destabilising activities and its support for terrorism and terrorist proxies, and especially to counter the IRGC”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of three individuals alleged to be “Mossad spies” in south-eastern Iran.

Addressing Israel, President Raisi warned that “if you seek to normalise relations with the countries of the region, you should know that your slightest move is not hidden from the eyes of our armed forces and our intelligence and security forces… Just know that if the slightest move on your part occurs against our nation, our armed forces will target the centre of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], and the power of our armed forces will not leave you at rest”. Asked to comment on Raisi’s remarks, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson contended that Iran’s “support for terrorism threatens international security and our partners throughout the region and elsewhere. Of course, that includes Israel. This administration’s commitment to Israel’s security is sacrosanct… We will use every appropriate tool to confront the IRGC’s destabilising role in the region including working closely with our partners in Israel”.

President Raisi told the Iraqi foreign minister that “Tehran seriously expects neighbouring countries, especially Iraq, not to allow anything that disrupts the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran, whether in areas controlled by the federal government or in areas controlled by the Kurdistan Region”. “Iran is closely watching the Zionist Regime’s [ie, Israel’s] actions… and we will not allow them to endanger the security of the region through any country, including Iraq”, he added. Raisi further emphasised that “the security of Iraq must be provided by the Iraqis themselves and that the presence of outsiders in Iraq does not provide security”. Relatedly, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Iraqi counterpart that “Iran cannot accept facing threats by the U.S., Israel as well as terrorist and separatist elements and seeing its security undermined through its own borders”.

IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani asserted that “if an act of aggression is carried out against the interests of the Islamic establishment anywhere in the world, we will respond with seriousness… Whenever we identify [an Israeli threat], we will definitely confront the Zionist regime harshly. They are too small to confront us”. “If we have certain reservations, that concerns ourselves and has nothing to do with [concerns] over your [ie, Israel’s] power”, he maintained.

The Saudi foreign ministry announced that the Kingdom and Kuwait had “agreed to expedite the development and exploitation of the Dorra field”, noting that they “had previously invited the Islamic Republic of Iran to negotiate the delimitation of the eastern boundary of the submerged divided zone but these call were not met”.  The two countries “as a single negotiating party, renew their invitation to the Islamic Republic of Iran to hold these negotiations”, Riyadh indicated.

The IRGC Ground Force’s commander remarked with reference to the late commander of the Quds Force that “if all American leaders are killed, this will still not avenge his assassination… We should avenge him by following Soleimani’s path and through other methods”.

Following earlier reports on Iran having moved equipment at the centrifuge component production workshop at the TESA Karaj complex to Natanz, the IAEA reportedly confirmed that “it had finished installing surveillance cameras at the location on April 12 and had then removed the seals from the machines”. “On 13 April”, the IAEA indicated, “Iran informed the Agency that the machines would start operating at the new workshop the same day”. The following day, Iran’s IAEA envoy noted that the agency “wasn’t allowed to have access to the footages of the surveillance cameras and wouldn’t be allowed until Iran resumes full compliance with the JCPOA”.

Iran’s foreign minister asserted that in discussions with Iraq’s top diplomat they “agreed on welcoming the ceasefire in Yemen and the importance of Yemeni-Yemini talks and the lifting of the inhumane siege”. He also “welcomed the Iraqi government’s efforts to resume the Iranian-Saudi dialogue”.

Addressing Saudi Arabia, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted: “There is no chance of victory [in Yemen]. So why does a war in which there is no chance of victory continue? Find a way out of this war”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told government officials that “you should by no means keep waiting [for the outcome of the Vienna talks] and move things forward”, adding: “Negotiations are going well… Our negotiating team has so far resisted the excessive demands of the other side, and God willing, it will continue to do so”.

Iran’s foreign minister contended that “if Biden has intentions to lift sanctions and return to the nuclear deal, he should issue an executive order to show his goodwill… On multiple occasions, we have told Americans they should bring forward one or two practical points prior to any agreement, for example by releasing some of Iran’s assets withheld in foreign banks”. The following day, a foreign ministry spokesperson asserted that “we really don’t know whether we’d reach a deal or not, because the U.S. has not still exhibited the necessary determination to reach an agreement… What are still outstanding are more than one subject. All components of the maximum pressure must be removed”.

In remarks marking Iran’s nuclear technology day, President Raisi said “we declare for the hundredth time that the nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran are peaceful and non-acceptance of them will never stop our work… Iran has not left the talks and will not stop them, but our strategy is the same strategy announced by the Supreme Leader and always the same strategy that obliges the government to protect the rights of the nation and the achievements of scientists”. 

Iran’s foreign ministry announced sanctions against nine U.S. citizens on counter-terrorism grounds, and a further fifteen for human rights violations.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) indicated that “we have handed over the documents [related to the IAEA’s safeguards probe] on 20 March to the agency. They are reviewing those documents and probably the agency’s representatives will travel to Iran for further talks and then the IAEA will present its conclusion”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “we are ready for the continuation of talks [with Saudi Arabia] and for the settlement of differences. We have submitted our views in written form to the Saudi side, and they should express their views”.

The IAEA confirmed that Iran had moved the equipment at the centrifuge component production workshop at the TESA Karaj complex to Natanz, adding that the “machines remained under agency seal at this location… and, therefore, were not operating”. Too, the agency highlighted that “without access to the data and recordings collected by… [the previously installed] cameras, the agency is unable to confirm whether the production of centrifuge components… in Esfahan has begun”. Iran’s IAEA envoy indicated that the cameras’ memory cards would “not be provided to the Agency until Iran resumes implementation of JCPOA”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that “we are close to an agreement in the [Vienna] negotiations and we have conveyed our proposals on the remaining issues through the European Union’s top negotiator to the U.S. side, and the ball is now in the U.S.’s court”. Relatedly, during a conversation with his Omani counterpart, Amirabdollahian argued that “Iran is ready for a good and lasting deal but the U.S. side is directly responsible for the prolongation of the talks up until now because it is making excessive demands”.

President Raisi told his Iraqi counterpart that “we consider the slightest insecurity in Iraq to be to the detriment of the whole region, so we welcome the realisation of the interests of the Iraqi people and the establishment of a strong government in this country”. He further highlighted that “we are determined to promote the level of relations and cooperation between the two countries in all fields… and lead to closer relations at the international level”. Raisi further contended that “any country in the region that neglects the hegemonic goals of the U.S. and the Zionist Regime [ie, Israel] will both disregard the interests of its nation and will spur Muslim nations’ anger”.

The UN Special Envoy for Yemen announced that “the parties to the conflict have responded positively to a United Nations proposal for a two-month Truce which comes into effect tomorrow”. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed hope that the “initiative will establish a new foundation for political talks and a lasting settlement”. Noting 30 March U.S. sanctions linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program, he further asserted that “even as we work to end the war in Yemen, there can be no doubt about President Biden’s commitment to supporting the defence of our partners, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia… We will continue to use all appropriate authorities to hold Iran and its proxy groups accountable for threats against our friends and partners”. Relatedly, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson welcomed the ceasefire announcement and reiterated support for “a political initiative to resolve the Yemen crisis”.

President Raisi remarked that “we have not left the negotiation table… but in no way have we tied people’s lives and economy to the JCPOA and negotiations”. “No matter what the results of the negotiations are, we have our plans in the management of the national economy”, he added.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami remarked that “some regimes to the south of the Persian Gulf have established political and security relations with the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], which poses a serious threat to the security of the region and especially those regimes… The continuation of such relations are not acceptable at all, and they should know that the existence of the evil Zionist regime everywhere is a cause of insecurity”.

Top diplomats from Israel, the U.S., Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt and the UAE convened the Negev Summit which, according to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid would become “a permanent forum”. “This new architecture, the shared capabilities we are building, intimidates and deters our common enemies – first and foremost Iran and its proxies – they certainly have something to fear”, he asserted. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the summit, cautioned against Israeli “sedition in the region” and expressed “Iran’s readiness to cooperate and expand bilateral relations with the countries of the region to counter the Zionist-American conspiracy”.

During a visit by EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora to Tehran, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian asserted that “the lack of a political decision on the part of America to remove the sanctions, to which the Iranian nation’s economic benefits are tied, currently poses an obstacle to the achievement of final results. Collecting all the economic dividends and an effective removal of the sanctions constitute a principal priority for us”.

An advisor to Iran’s supreme leader asserted that “the IRGC should be removed from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organisations (FTO). The IRGC is a national army and no national army can be considered a terrorist group”. The same day, a senior U.S. diplomat underscored that “regardless of what happens to the IRGC… our view of the IRGC, the sanctions, and many other sanctions on the IRGC will remain… This is not a deal that seeks to resolve that issue”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over developing a gas field as “illegal”, maintaining that “parts of it are located in areas between Iran and Kuwait whose water boundaries have not been defined” and stating Tehran’s willingness to engage in bilateral and trilateral negotiations on the matter. He also noted that Iran “reserves the right to tap the Arash/Al-Durra gas field”. On 29 March, Kuwait’s foreign minister insisted that the field was “purely a Kuwaiti-Saudi field”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told the Lebanese prime minister that “we are optimistic about the outcome of the [Vienna] talks… A deal must be such that it will remove most of the U.S. sanctions. Iran wants the deal to also be such that it will be beneficial to all the region”. He also asserted that Iran “does not seek a prolongation of the process and will not cross its own red lines”. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted that “there still are issues left… But we are still seeking a diplomatic outcome here that puts Iran’s nuclear program back in a box. Of course, if diplomacy doesn’t succeed, then we will work very closely with our international partners to increase the pressure on Iran”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told the Lebanese prime minister that “we are optimistic about the outcome of the [Vienna] talks… A deal must be such that it will remove most of the U.S. sanctions. Iran wants the deal to also be such that it will be beneficial to all the region”. He also asserted that Iran “does not seek a prolongation of the process and will not cross its own red lines”. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted that “there still are issues left… But we are still seeking a diplomatic outcome here that puts Iran’s nuclear program back in a box. Of course, if diplomacy doesn’t succeed, then we will work very closely with our international partners to increase the pressure on Iran”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that Iran “welcomes a natural return to bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia. However, mixed messages have been received from the Kingdom. We expect that the Saudis will act in the interest of the region”.

During a visit to Lebanon, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian underscored that “we are ready to continue our support and important trade and economic cooperation with Lebanon”. He further noted that Iran had expressed “readiness to establish two 1,000-megawatt power stations in Lebanon”, adding: “We have made other proposals to work with Lebanon to overcome the current difficult economic situation”. The following day, Amirabdollahian again emphasised Iran’s willingness to fulfil Lebanon’s “energy needs, including in the fields of electricity and gas”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi indicated that “the JCPOA that we are going to have to be monitoring now will be more complex than the one that was originally signed in 2015… now you have an Iran that produces uranium metal. Now you have an Iran that has developed the most sophisticated centrifuges. Now you have an Iran that is enriching uranium at 60 per cent, which is, in every practical sense, almost military level. So, more facilities are there in place. So, we will have our work of reconciling facts, figures. Going back to baseline is going to be huge”.

During a visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with President Bashar al-Assad on, inter alia, “the expansion of economic cooperation” and also hailed “the trend of the normalisation of ties between regional countries and Syria”, while highlighting that “as for regional tensions, the Islamic Republic opposes any war and supports resolution of disputes through dialogue and political means”.

The IRGC’s commander warned Israel that “we will not only take part in the funeral of our martyrs, but also immediately take their revenge. This is a real and serious message. If your mischief is repeated, you will once again experience our attacks and suffer the bitter taste of our missile blows”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “an agreement [with Iran] is neither imminent nor certain. We are preparing for both scenarios; that is to say, a scenario in which we have a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA and in which the original members of the JCPOA… that would once again reimpose stringent, verifiable, permanent limits on Iran’s ability to ever obtain and obtain a nuclear weapon, and a scenario in which we do not have a JCPOA but in which we will be equally committed to the President’s commitment that Iran will never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon”. The following day, Iran’s foreign minister asserted that “some matters are still pending and they are related to lifting the unjust sanctions… the U.S. should move on the right track instead of wasting time. We are ready to reach a strong, good and lasting agreement as long [as] it does not cross the Islamic Republic of Iran’s red lines”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei opined that “the country’s economy should not be tied to U.S. sanctions. Despite sanctions, the government has been able to increase foreign trade, sign new regional contracts and make improvements in the issue of oil and other economic matters”. “I’m not saying at all that we mustn’t seek to remove sanctions. But we must manage the country in such a way that sanctions cannot inflict a major blow”, he added.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “we are prepared to make difficult decisions to return Iran’s nuclear program to its JCPOA limits”, while highlighting: “There has been significant progress in recent weeks, but… an agreement is neither imminent nor is it certain. And in fact, we are preparing equally for scenarios with and without a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA”. The official went on to note that “Iran is unjustly detaining innocent Americans and others, and should release them immediately”. The following day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian indicated that “about the few, but very important remaining issue we have presented initiatives… Now it is the Americans who should prove the good will that they claim to have in practice to us”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi posited that “it is hard to imagine that anyone can reach a comprehensive agreement like the current JCPOA when [Iran’s] talks with the IAEA in the second negotiations are deadlocked”, adding: “Much hinges on the fruits of this cooperation [on safeguards]… I made very clear to them [ie, Iranians]: If you want normalcy you must exercise transparency. Otherwise, it would be completely impossible”.

Commenting on Iran’s 13 March missile attack against an alleged Israeli “strategic center for conspiracy” in Erbil, Iraq, an IRGC spokesperson asserted that “it is our natural right to destroy any base from which any attack is carried out against the security of Iran and this is a red line… If Iraqi officials do not take action to remove other bases… we will respond without hesitation”. He also claimed that the Israelis “had admitted themselves that [in mid-February] their drones, which flew over a [military] base in [Iran’s] Kermanshah [province], had taken off from their bases in Erbil”.

Iran’s judiciary announced the release two Iranian-British detainees convicted of espionage. The UK foreign minister confirmed that “in parallel, we have also settled the IMS (International Military Services) debt [to Iran]… in full compliance with UK and international sanctions and all legal obligations. These funds will be ring-fenced solely for the purchase of humanitarian goods”.

Media reports citing an IAEA report shared with member states indicated that “between 6 March and 9 March the IAEA verified that Iran had converted 2.1 kg of its up to 60 per cent uranium into 1.7 kg in a different form enriched to the same level suitable for making small ‘targets’ for irradiation”. By mid-March Iran had produced 88 targets containing a total of 515.7 grams of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent, the agency was said to report.

During a visit to Moscow, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Russian counterpart that “developing relations with… Russia will be defined and continue regardless of any third party or international developments, and regardless of the outcome of the talks in Vienna”. He further asserted that “the ball is in America’s court, and if Washington responds to the few remaining important issues and refrains from killing the time any further, the parties can return to Vienna as soon as possible”. Russia’s foreign minister stated that Moscow had been given U.S. “written guarantees” such that “all projects and areas of activity envisaged by the JCPOA have been protected, including the direct involvement of our companies and specialists”. The same day, a U.S. spokesperson emphasised that “the JCPOA is not going to be an escape hatch for the Russian Federation and the sanctions that have been imposed on it because of the war in Ukraine. But… we are not going to sanction Russia for undertaking, for participating in nuclear projects that are part of the JCPOA”.

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, asserted that “we will remain in the Vienna talks until we reach a ‘strong agreement’ that meets all our legal and logical demands”. Relatedly, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “there are still two or three main clauses between Iran and the U.S. that need to be resolved… In addition, the issue of Russia’s request is a new development”. The same day, the Russian foreign ministry stated that a return to the JCPOA would require “restoring a balance between the nuclear and economic aspects of the deal, as well as between the relevant interests of all the parties”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson highlighted that “if external factors make JCPOA reimplementation impossible, we will of course be open to diplomatic alternatives”. 

Iran’s intelligence ministry claimed to have uncovered “two foreign-backed terrorist teams, which were plotting to assassinate several foreign nationals working on infrastructure projects” in south-eastern Iran.

The IRGC declared that it had fired twelve ballistic missiles at what it described as an Israeli “strategic center for conspiracy” in Erbil, Iraq, in response to the killing on 7 March of two IRGC members in an alleged Israeli strike in Syria. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson underlined that “Iran by no means accepts that one of its neighbours, who has deep relations and interaction with it, will be the centre of threat to Iran”. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called the event “an attack on the security of our people” and the foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”, indicated it had “targeted a civilian residence”, and asserted: “We will support the Government of Iraq in holding Iran accountable, and we will support our partners throughout the Middle East in confronting similar threats from Iran”. The State Department said “the strikes were an outrageous violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. No U.S. facilities were damaged or personnel injured, and we have no indications the attack was directed at the U.S.”. Secretary Blinken also spoke with Iraq’s prime minister.

Iranian media reported that Iran had suspended the fifth round of the talks with Saudi Arabia, which according to Iraq’s foreign minister had been scheduled for 16 March.

An Iranian intelligence official reported uncovering what he claimed was an Israeli spy network in north-western Iran “trying to carry out acts of sabotage”. The following day, the IRGC reported the arrest of members of a purported Mossad-linked “group which had planned sabotage acts at the Fordow Nuclear Facility”.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell announced that “a pause in Vienna Talks is needed, due to external factors. A final text is essentially ready and on the table. As coordinator, I will, with my team, continue to be in touch with all JCPOA participants and the U.S. to overcome the current situation and to close the agreement”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that the “pause in Vienna Talks could be a momentum for resolving any remaining issue and a final return… No external factor will affect our joint will to go forward for a collective agreement”. Relatedly, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson stated that “there will need to be decisions made in places like Tehran and Moscow. And if that political will is there, if that seriousness of purpose is there, we remain confident that we can achieve a mutual return to compliance in fairly short order”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted that “regional involvement gives us strategic depth and more national strength. Why should we stop this approach? Progress in the nuclear sciences too is related to meeting the needs of the country in the near future”. He further argued that “giving in to the U.S. or any other power in order to be immune from their sanctions is a grave mistake and a blow to our political strength”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told EU High Representative Josep Borrell that “if all sides behave realistically, we are still close to reaching a good and robust deal”, adding: “The making of new demands by the U.S. has no logical justification and this is at odds with the country’s stance on swiftly reaching an agreement… the main issues and sanctions removal must not be affected by the excessive demands on the part of the U.S.”

The IRGC announced that it had successfully launched Nour-2, a satellite “expected to carry out a range of military and civilian missions”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi briefed the Board of Governors on the agency’s latest quarterly report on Iran’s JCPOA compliance, noting: “The repeated prolongation of the agreement I reached with Iran in February last year… will pose a significant challenge to the Agency’s ability to restore continuity of knowledge, which has been widely recognised as essential in relation to a return to the JCPOA”. Grossi also discussed his safeguards report and the 5 March roadmap reached with Iran.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted missile strikes near Damascus, killing two and causing material damage. The following day, Iran announced the death of two IRGC members in the attack, warning that Israel would “pay the price of this atrocity”. On 10 March, Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defence… to respond to such criminal act whenever it deems appropriate”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Russian counterpart that “good progress has been made so far, but despite the progress, some issues have not yet been resolved in Vienna [talks], which requires a political decision by the western side…Reaching an agreement in Vienna can expand the different fields of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and other countries, including its partners”. “We are against war and imposition of sanctions… Cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and any country, including Russia, should not be affected by the atmosphere of sanctions”, he added. In turn, the Russian foreign minister asserted that “the revival of the JCPOA must provide for all participants to have equal rights in relation to the unhindered development of cooperation in all areas without any discrimination”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that Tehran and Riyadh “have different views and approaches on some issues in the region, but the management of those differences by the two sides can serve the interests of the two nations, as well as friendly and brotherly countries”. He further said that bilateral contacts had “created a good atmosphere and yielded results, albeit small ones, and we are pleased that Saudi Arabia has taken the path of dialogue. Such a view, if held continuously, can lead to positive results”.

Russia’s foreign minister remarked that “we need guarantees that sanctions will not affect in any way the regime of trade, economic and investment ties set out in the JCPOA on Iran’s nuclear program. We asked our American colleagues (because they are running the whole show here) to give us guarantees in writing, at least at the level of Secretary of State, that the current process launched by the U.S. will not impinge in any way on our free full-scale trade, economic, investment and military-technical cooperation with the Islamic Republic”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken maintained that “the sanctions that are being put in place and that have been put in place on Russia have nothing to do with the Iran nuclear deal and the prospects of getting back into that agreement… It’s also in Russia’s interest, irrespective of anything else for Iran not to be able to have a nuclear weapon or… have the capacity to produce a weapon on very, very short order”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and the head of Iran’s nuclear agency announced an agreement “to accelerate and strengthen their cooperation and dialogue aimed at the resolution of the [safeguard] issues”.

The Financial Action Task Force announced Iran’s continued classification as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action, one of two countries on the FATF’s blacklist.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told EU High Representative Josep Borrell that “the rush on the part of the Western side [in the Vienna talks] will not cause Iran to cross its red lines”. He also “welcomed the finalising of the agreement as soon as possible” but asserted that “the prerequisite for the presence of foreign ministers and the announcement of a final deal is contingent upon respecting the red lines of Iran including effective economic guarantees”.

Commenting on Iran’s safeguards probe, Director General Rafael Grossi asserted that “the IAEA will never abandon a process that it launched… because of a political reason. It is not how the IAEA works and I as Director General would never do that. So what we need to do with Iran is to sit around the table and… clarify these issues”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson reported that “over 98 per cent of the prepared draft [Vienna agreement] has been jointly written… there have also been discussions on sanctions removal, assurances and some claims on Iran’s peaceful nuclear activity which should be settled on a proper ground”. He went on to note that “in case of a deal… the quality and quantity of enrichment will go back to what was stipulated in the JCPOA”. The same day, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “we are prepared to walk away if Iran displays an intransigence to making progress. But let me be clear that walking away won’t mean leaving the status quo. We have talked about the alternatives, at least in general terms, the alternatives that we have developed and we are prepared to pursue together with our allies and partners if the Iranians are unwilling to engage in good faith in a constructive way on the remaining outstanding issues”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “we have answered the IAEA‘s questions or even politically-motivated claims that we think were baseless about our certain measures… This dossier should be closed”.

Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “the fight against terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The illegal presence of foreign forces in parts of Syria which has provided favorable conditions for terrorist activities in Syria, must end immediately”. The Iranian diplomat further denounced Israel’s “repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity… We call on the Security Council to hold this regime accountable for such acts of aggression and its malign activities as well as its open threats to use force against other regional countries”. The following day, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, met with his Syrian counterpart.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council reportedly convened to review the status of the Vienna talks and underscored “the need to quickly resolve the remaining issues that put the negotiations on the border between agreement and dead end”. Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told EU High Representative Josep Borrell that “Iran seeks a good agreement, but within the framework of its national interests and in line with its red lines in the negotiations… the remaining important issues can be resolved and a final agreement can be reached if a realistic approach is taken by the West”.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran stated that “[Uranium] enrichment… continues with a maximum ceiling of 60 per cent, which led Westerners to rush to negotiations, and it will continue with the lifting of sanctions by both 20 and 5 per cent”.

Asked about the impact of Russia’s Ukraine invasion on the nuclear negotiations, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “it remains in our interest to see to it that Iran is never able to acquire a nuclear weapon. The fact that Russia has now invaded Ukraine should not give Iran the green light to develop a nuclear weapon, to weaponise, to move towards the point at which it can quickly acquire a nuclear weapon. It remains as in our interest today to deny Iran that ability”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson on 28 February similarly indicated that “the Ukraine war has nothing to do diplomatically with the ongoing talks in Vienna”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “there has been significant progress [in Vienna], and we are close to a possible deal, but at the same time, a number of very difficult issues remain unresolved. What we know is that there is very little time remaining to reach a deal”. He further maintained that “if Iran shows seriousness… we can and should reach an understanding on a potential mutual return to compliance in short order, potentially within days. But anything much beyond that, if this were to drag on any longer than that, would put the possibility of return to the deal at grave and profound risk”. The following day, Iran’s lead negotiator posited that “being near the finish line is no guarantee to crossing that. It requires extra caution, much perseverance, additional creativity and balanced approach to take the last step. To finish the job, there are certain decisions that our Western interlocutors need to take”.

Speaking alongside the Emir of Qatar, President Raisi remarked that “Iran seeks to help strengthen and promote regional relations… The countries of the region should pursue and operate crises and issues within the region through further consultations and talks”. “I extend my hand of friendship to all countries in the region, especially our neighbours, in the interests of the nations and maximum interaction”, he remarked. Raisi also told the Qatari Emir that “the expansion of the Zionist regime’s [ie, Israel’s] presence in the region is to the detriment of all countries, because this regime will overshadow the stability and security of other countries”.

President Raisi contended that “the U.S. must demonstrate its willingness to lift key sanctions”, indicating that “securing the interests of the Iranian people, especially the lifting of sanctions… valid guarantees… and closing the cases of political claims” were essential to restoring the JCPOA.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “we have never been this close to reaching a good agreement [in Vienna]… the Iranian team showed good initiatives and flexibility. But now, to the western side”. “There are some issues that are part of our red lines”, he added. “We have not yet received a practical and reliable initiative from the American side [on guarantees]. We believe that all the issues, the nuclear issue and the removal of sanctions should be resolved in the form of a package”. Amirabdollahian further argued that “it cannot be that we should both accept the strict supervision system by the IAEA, but at the same time, see that some of our issues still remain part of the agenda of the board of governors… In 2015 also, the issue of safeguards were resolved in a political agreement. We think we can repeat that model”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conveyed to his Iraq counterpart “Iran’s readiness to continue talks with Saudi Arabia”, noting: “This depends above all on the will of the other side”. The same day, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed interests in the resumption of bilateral talks with Tehran, while noting a “lack of substantive progress” in prior discussions. He also maintained that a revived JCPOA would be “a starting point, not an end point” in tackling regional issues, adding: “That will indeed require from our neighbours in Iran a serious desire to address the underlying issues that exist… We hope that there is a serious desire to find a new modus operandi… If we see substantive progress on those files, then yes rapprochement is possible. So far we have not seen that”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remarked that “the reason for the enemy’s focus on the Iranian nuclear issue and imposing oppressive sanctions, despite their knowledge of our peaceful intentions, and their utterance of nonsense such as Iran being close to producing nuclear weapons, is to prevent the country’s scientific progress for meeting the future needs of Iran”. He went on to state that “the way to confront economic pressures is to work inside the country and nullify the effect of the sanctions… Diplomacy is also good and our good, revolutionary brothers are working to have the sanctions lifted”.

Iran’s top negotiator in Vienna asserted that “after weeks of intensive talks, we are closer than ever to an agreement; nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, though. Our negotiating partners need to be realistic, avoid intransigence and heed lessons of [the] past four years. Time for their serious decisions”. Relatedly, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “as a matter of principle, public opinion in Iran cannot accept as a guarantee the words of a head of state, let alone the U.S., due to the withdrawal of Americans from the JCPOA… At least their parliaments or parliament speakers, including the U.S. Congress, can declare in the form of a political statement their commitment to the agreement”. He also indicated that “any direct dialogue, contact and negotiation with the U.S. would have very huge costs for my government. We are not ready to enter into the process of direct talks with the U.S. if we do not have a clear and promising outlook to reach a good agreement with sustainable guarantees in front of us”.

Iran’s top negotiator in Vienna conferred with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on “bilateral issues… and ongoing JCPOA discussions”.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, asserted that the “Vienna talks have reached a stage where outcome can be announced without speculation and with certainty. The U.S. political decision to realise or refuse to accept the requirements of a credible and lasting deal based on the principles accepted in JCPOA can replace speculation”. Relatedly, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “If the American side and the three European countries are serious about returning to fulfilling their obligations under the JCPOA, a good agreement can be reached… We are in a hurry to reach a good agreement, but within the framework of rational negotiations and achieving the rights and interests of our people”.

President Raisi maintained that “our relations in foreign policy are to create a balance. Looking to the west has made the country unbalanced. We must pay attention to all countries and capacities, especially our neighbours… We never hope in Vienna and New York”.

During an unveiling ceremony for a new long-range missile, Iran’s military chief of staff, Mohammad Baqeri, maintained that “Iran is consistently improving its missile capabilities to counter aggressors, oppressors, global arrogance [ie, the U.S.] as well as murderous Zionists [ie, Israel]”.  Relatedly, a Pentagon spokesperson remarked that the Iranians were “advancing a ballistic missile program that is designed for offensive purposes to inflict harm and damage potentially lethal so on other states, other peoples, and our allies and partners. We don’t look at this as a messaging issue. We look at it as a legitimate national security threat issue in the region to our people, to our facilities, and to those of our allies and partners”. 

The eighth round of JCPOA talks resumed in Vienna. EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora maintained that “we need spirit of compromise to take us back to full implementation. In view of different undesirable trends undermining the JCPOA, there is a need to swiftly conclude these negotiations”.

President Raisi told Iraq’s foreign minister that “the problems in the region are the result of the Americans’ extravagance, and if they are expelled from the region in a real way, we will see that the countries of the region themselves can fully establish peace, stability and security by working together in the region”.

The U.S. State Department notified Congress of sanctions waivers, revoked in 2020, for JCPOA-related civilian nuclear projects in Iran. “The waiver… is designed to facilitate discussions that would help to close a deal on a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA and lay the groundwork for Iran’s return to performance of its JCPOA commitments”, the notification read. “It is also designed to serve U.S. nonproliferation and nuclear safety interests and constrain Iran’s nuclear activities… It is being issued as a matter of policy discretion with these objectives in mind, and not pursuant to a commitment or as part of a quid pro quo”. France, Germany and the UK hailed the move and stated that “this should facilitate technical discussions necessary to support talks on JCPOA return in Vienna”. They also urged Iran to “take quick advantage of this opportunity, because the timing of the waiver underscores… [that] we have very little time left to bring JCPOA talks to a successful conclusion”. Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “the removal of some sanctions can, in the true sense of the word, translate into the goodwill that the Americans are talking about. What happens on paper is good, but not enough”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with his Iraqi counterpart on, inter alia, “Yemen, and the need to try to end the war in this country which causes insecurity and instability in the whole region”. Amirabdollahian told his Emirati counterpart the day before that “the continuation of the [Yemen] war and the escalation of hostilities do not serve the interests of either side or the region”. He also insisted that “the presence of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] in the region poses a threat to all countries and the region”.

During a visit by Israel’s president to Dubai, the UAE Defence Ministry reported downing a Huthi ballistic missile. A Huthi military spokesperson claimed they had attacked “important targets” in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with multiple drones and missiles, and warned that “the Emirati enemy state will remain unsafe as long as the tools of the Israeli enemy in Abu Dhabi and Dubai continue to launch aggression against the Yemeni people”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “the cycle of violation begun by some countries in Yemen has no end point unless they [the Saudi-led coalition] put an end to their aggressive actions”. He also denounced the Israeli president’s visit. The U.S. condemned the attack, stating: “While Israel’s president is visiting the UAE to build bridges and promote stability across the region, the Huthis continue to launch attacks that threaten civilians”.

The IAEA reported that Iran had “informed the Agency that it intended to produce centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows at a new location in Isfahan, instead of at the centrifuge component production workshop at the TESA Karaj complex, and that the Agency could adjust its surveillance and monitoring measures accordingly”. It also noted that as of 24 January, “production… at this new workshop had yet to commence”. Iran’s IAEA envoy maintained that “the information gathered through… [the Agency’s] surveillance process will remain in Iran and the IAEA will not have access to it until Tehran resumes its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA”.

The IRGC reported that “Iran’s border guards killed a terrorist trying to attack an IRGC base” in south-eastern Iran; another assailant was wounded.

EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora announced that “the eighth round of the Vienna talks, which started 27 December, so far the longest, takes a break. Participants will go back to capital for consultations and instructions to come back next week. Political decisions are needed now”.

President Raisi told the Qatari foreign minister that “Tehran recognises and welcomes regional cooperation for the benefit of peace, security and development of the region”, while insisting that the “presence of foreigners in the West Asia region only leads to increased insecurity and raises concerns”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “history, experience and a study of the U.S. behaviour have shown that the U.S. politicians and rulers cannot be trusted. For us, the criterion for any judgment will be the observation of the practical behaviour of the U.S.”. He also noted: “As for the issue of sanctions removal, all interests of Iran must be realised and things must change tangibly on the ground”. The following day, briefing parliament, Amirabdollahian emphasised that “Iran’s determination to reach a good, lasting and reliable deal is absolute”.

President Raisi emphasised that “the government operates in two areas. One; Neutralising sanctions, and two; Lifting sanctions. One of the ways to neutralise sanctions is to have relations with our neighbours”. He further maintained that “if the parties are ready to lift the oppressive sanctions against the Iranian nation, there is opportunity for any kind of agreement”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “if we reach a stage in the negotiation process where a good agreement is needed to have a dialogue with the U.S., we will not ignore it”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reiterated that “we are prepared to meet directly… it would be much more productive to engage with Iran directly on both JCPOA negotiations and on other issues. This extends to bilateral as well as multilateral formats”. “Meeting directly would enable more efficient communication, which is urgently needed to swiftly reach an understanding on a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA”, he added. “The Iranians have insisted on this indirect format… Indirect talks, especially on an issue of this complexity and of this importance, is a hindrance”.

U.S. Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley remarked that “it is very hard for us to imagine getting back into the nuclear deal while four innocent Americans are being held hostage by Iran… even as we’re conducting talks with Iran indirectly on the nuclear file we are conducting, again indirectly, discussions with them to ensure the release of our hostages”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson the following day asserted that “Iran has not accepted any preconditions from the onset of [Vienna] talks”, adding: “The case with Iranian and U.S. citizens… is of different nature. This humanitarian issue can be resolved in the shortest possible time if the U.S. adheres to the agreements it has already made”.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that on 21 January its “government, in close cooperation with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the United Nations (UN) Secretariat, completed the payment of Iran’s UN contributions… using Iranian frozen assets in Korea”. Iran’s UN envoy confirmed that Iran had regained its UN voting right after the payment.

Speaking in Moscow, President Raisi asserted that “we are not looking for a nuclear weapon, and such weapons have no place in our defence strategy… Iran is serious about reaching an agreement if the other parties are serious about lifting the sanctions effectively and operationally”.

The head of the IRGC Aerospace Division announced that “during the past two years, all Iranian satellite carriers, which were tested, operated on liquid fuel. But in [a recent] test, we succeeded to use solid-fuel engine”.

The South Korean foreign ministry announced “the issuance of an OFAC specific license, dated 6 January, with regard to the remittance of the arbitral award” made in a dispute settlement between the Korean government and shareholders in an Iranian company.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “for the second year in a row, and due to cruel and illegal sanctions of the U.S., the payments [for UN membership fees] by our country have hit a roadblock”, which resulted in suspension of Iran’s UN voting rights. “Iran… is engaged in the necessary consultations to resolve the matter. At the same time, creation of a safe channel for faster payment of the membership fee is under consideration”, he added.

Iran sanctioned 51 American individuals, including current and former officials, citing their role in the January 2020 killing of Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted that the announcement came “as Iran’s proxy militias continue to attack American troops in the Middle East, and as Iranian officials threaten to carry out terror operations inside the U.S. and elsewhere… Make no mistake: the U.S. will protect and defend its citizens”. “We will work with our allies and partners to deter and respond to any attacks carried out by Iran. Should Iran attack any of our nationals, including any of the 51 people named… it will face severe consequences”, Sullivan warned. The following day, IRGC Commander Hossein Salami maintained that “we have taken part of the harsh revenge [against the U.S.], and the other part still remains. Everybody is definitely aware of it. U.S. officials must bear in mind that it is impossible to take an act of aggression on a nation, and then evade the revenge”.

IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani contended that “all Americans will be expelled … from this region… they must leave Iraq, otherwise; the resistance front inside Iraq will make the Americans miserable and they will have to leave Iraq under more humiliated [sic] conditions than what they experienced in Afghanistan”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “lifting sanctions means lifting all forms of sanctions stipulated in the nuclear agreement, and the sanctions that Trump reimposed contradict the terms of the agreement… We demand guarantees that include not imposing any new sanctions, and not reimposing sanctions after lifting them under any pretext”. Amirabdollahian further noted “an informal and an indirect exchange of message with the Americans in Vienna – we hear good words from that delegation, but what is important to us is to see practical and serious American actions”.

Iran’s defence ministry announced what is said was the successful launch of “three research cargoes into the space” via a Simorgh rocket, asserting that “the intended research objectives of this launch were achieved” and noting: “This was done as a preliminary launch… we will have an operational launch soon”. The U.S. expressed “concern[] with Iran’s development of space launch vehicles, which pose a significant proliferation concern”. The following day, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson contended that “no [UNSC] resolution prevents the Islamic Republic of Iran from continuing its space program and the related experiments, including in the field of satellites-carriers”, while a defence official indicated that the payloads had been too slow to enter orbit.

The eighth round of JCPOA negations began in Vienna with a meeting of the Joint Commission. The senior EU official coordinating the talks indicated that “if we work hard in the days and weeks ahead we should have a positive result… it’s going to be very hard. Difficult political decisions have to be taken both in Tehran and in Washington”. “There is a sense of urgency in all delegations that this negotiation has to be finished in a relatively reasonable period of time… We are talking about weeks, not about months”, he added. Iran’s foreign minister maintained that “we must reach a point where, first, Iranian oil can be sold easily and without any restrictions, and oil money can be deposited in foreign currency in Iranian bank accounts, and we take full advantage of the economic benefits envisaged in the JCPOA”.

Asked whether Iran would “exceed the uranium enrichment level of 60 per cent” if nuclear negotiations failed, the head of Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran responded: “No. All our goals in terms of uranium enrichment are to meet our industrial, production needs, as well as the needs of our consumers for those goods that our country and our population need today. All our atomic activities are carried out within the framework of agreements, statutes and regulations of the IAEA”.

The IRGC concluded a five-day drill by testing sixteen ballistic missiles as well as drones. Iran’s military chief of staff indicated that the drill had been “planned in advance, but the numerous, empty threats of the Zionist regime’s [ie, Israel] officials in recent days caused this exercise to take place at this time”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with his Iraqi counterpart in Tehran and hailed “Baghdad’s initiative to host talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia”. He also announced that “last week, Saudi Arabia agreed to grant visas to three of our diplomats who will start work at the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Jeddah”. Amirabdollahian further indicated that “we offered a set of practical and constructive proposals to the Saudi side” in prior discussions, voicing hope that “the two countries’ delegations will meet in Baghdad in the near future and will work on the implementation of the next phase of the agreements”. Discussing the JCPOA negotiations, Iraq’s top diplomat posited: “the time has come for direct talks between Washington and Tehran to reach common understandings not just on the nuclear issue, but also on sanctions”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian asserted that the E3’s position in JCPOA negotiations “were in general not constructive… they did not put forward any new initiative in the talks”. “We will pursue our serious negotiations in Vienna with goodwill and seriousness and with an eye on achieving a good agreement”, he added. “if they [P4+1 and U.S.] want to give one concession and get ten concessions [in return], the Islamic Republic of Iran will never accept such an approach… if you want your concerns about Iran’s peaceful nuclear to be dispelled, all sanctions imposed in relation with the JCPOA must be removed”. Amirabdollahian also noted that there had been “unwritten messages” from the U.S. during the talks, met with “suitable responses”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian accused Saudi Arabia of being “very late in making a decision” regarding the evacuation of Iran’s ambassador to the Huthis back to Tehran while he was suffering from what was described as a fatal COVID-19 infection. The Saudi-led coalition described Iran’s claim as “defamatory” and noted that Riyadh “had commenced the facilitation of evacuating the aforementioned person for humanitarian considerations, and in recognition of the diplomatic mediation by the brotherly Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Iraq in less than 48 hours of reporting his health condition”.

An Iranian official explained that reports of explosions in the vicinity of the Bushehr nuclear plant related to “anti-aircraft fire, which was part of military drills in the area”.

A senior IRGC commander assessed that “no threat to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear and military centers from the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] would be possible without the U.S.’s green light and support”. He went on to warn that in the event of an attack, Iran would “immediately launch crushing attacks on all centres, bases, routes and spaces used for passing [of aircraft] as well as the origin of the aggression according to the operational plans that have been exercised”.

The seventh round of JCPOA negotiations concluded with a Joint Commission session. A senior U.S. official indicated that proceedings were “better than it might have been… worse that it should have been, which leaves us in an uncertain position”. “We now have a common understanding of what the text will be that will serve as the basis for negotiations on nuclear issues”, the official asserted. “What we’ve done is define the items on the agenda that need to be discussed. They have not been discussed, let alone resolved in this round”. The official added: “regardless of whatever progress was made, the pace at which we are moving won’t suffice to save the JCPOA… the pace needs to accelerate, or Iran’s nuclear program has to – they have to curb their nuclear program and exercise genuine self-restraint”. Iran’s top negotiator maintained that “we have made good progress this week… and will continue the talks after a break of a few days”.

IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi expressed “doubts” regarding Iranian accounts that missing footage from an agency camera at the Karaj centrifuge facility was due to the destruction of a memory card. “I’m hopeful that they are going to come up with an answer because it’s very strange that it disappears”, Grossi asserted.

The IRGC reported a clash with what it described as “a terrorist team that was planning to carry out an act of sabotage and terrorism” in south-eastern Iran, with four fatalities and a seizure of arms.

The IAEA announced an agreement with Tehran to “install new surveillance cameras at Iran’s Karaj centrifuge component manufacturing workshop”. The statement added that “the Agency and Iran will continue to work on remaining outstanding safeguards issues with the aim of resolving them. To this end, Iran and the Agency will conduct a series of exchanges of information and assessments including through meetings of experts”. Director General Rafael Grossi described the understanding as “an important development… It will enable us to resume necessary continuity of knowledge at this facility”.

IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi asserted that “if the international community through us, through the IAEA, is not seeing clearly how many centrifuges or what is the capacity that they [ie, the Iranians] have… what you have is a very blurred image”. “The more time passes and you lose the ability to record what is going on, then the moment this capability is restored, inspectors come back and start to put the jigsaw puzzle together again. There might be gaps. And these gaps are not a good thing to have”, Grossi added. He went on to state that “we are dealing with a very different Iran. 2022 is so different from 2015 that there will have to be adjustments that take into consideration these new realities so our inspectors can inspect whatever the countries agree at the political table”.

IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi asserted that “if the international community through us, through the IAEA, is not seeing clearly how many centrifuges or what is the capacity that they [ie, the Iranians] have… what you have is a very blurred image”. “The more time passes and you lose the ability to record what is going on, then the moment this capability is restored, inspectors come back and start to put the jigsaw puzzle together again. There might be gaps. And these gaps are not a good thing to have”, Grossi added. He went on to state that “we are dealing with a very different Iran. 2022 is so different from 2015 that there will have to be adjustments that take into consideration these new realities so our inspectors can inspect whatever the countries agree at the political table”.

The UN Security Council discussed the implementation of Resolution 2231 in light of the Secretary-General’s latest biannual report, with remarks from, inter alia, the U.S., Iranian, E3 and Russian envoys.  

Iran’s government criticised Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s visit to the UAE, asserting that it “disturbs regional security and is against expediency and interests”.

The UK, Germany and France jointly stated that “we still have not been able to get down to real negotiations… Time is running out. Without swift progress, in light of Iran’s fast-forwarding of its nuclear program, the JCPOA will very soon become an empty shell”. “We are losing precious time dealing with new Iranian positions inconsistent with the JCPOA or that go beyond it”, the E3 added. The following day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated: “we continue in this hour, on this day, to pursue diplomacy because it remains, at this moment, the best option. But we are actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives”. Relatedly, Iran’s top negotiator in Vienna asserted that “the sanctions, which are in contradiction and inconsistent with the JCPOA, need to be removed immediately. These sanctions have been imposed either during the Obama, Trump, or Biden administrations. All of them need to be removed”.

The JCPOA Joint Commission reconvened in Vienna. Iran’s lead negotiator indicated that Iran would “continue the path of dialogue based on its own positions and views, which it has already stated, and has a serious will to enter into serious negotiations… Iran will not see any obstacle to reaching an agreement if the necessary grounds are provided”. “The fact that the parties have a serious will to continue the talks shows that the two sides want to get closer to each other”, he remarked.

The Treasury Department designated “seven Iranian individuals and two Iranian law enforcement entities in connection with serious human rights abuse”; in parallel the State Department blacklisted “two entities and two individuals who are responsible for certain gross violations of internationally recognised human rights in Iran”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted that “the U.S. is committed to promoting democracy and accountability for those who abuse human rights around the world… [and] will utilise its full range of tools to highlight and disrupt these abuses of human rights”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson riposted that “even amid the Vienna talks, the U.S. cannot stop imposing sanctions against Iran… Doubling down on sanctions won’t create leverage – and is anything but seriousness and goodwill”.

Meeting the UAE’s National Security Advisor, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, affirmed that “warm and friendly relations with neighbours as well as an exchange of economic, trade and investment capacities are the Islamic Republic of Iran’s main foreign policy priorities… Through cooperation and collective efforts, countries in the Persian Gulf region can both bring prosperity to their nations and also play an important role as an energy hub in the regional and international economy”. During a separate meeting, President Raisi asserted that “the security of the countries of the region is intertwined and Iran supports the security of the Persian Gulf littoral states”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “Iran took part in the first meeting of the new [round] of [nuclear] talks with goodwill, initiative and a plan”, lamenting that the European participants “lacked any serious initiative and determination”.  “Our demands are totally in line with the JCPOA”, Iran’s top diplomat asserted, adding: “we… do not think about a Plan B while [we are at] the negotiating table”. He also underscored that “Iran does not consider a temporary agreement a good agreement. We will wait and try to achieve progress expected by the Iranian nation through strong and firm negotiations aimed at removing sanctions”.. Amirabdollahian further rejected media reports on Iran “taking technical steps to prepare to enrich uranium to 90 per cent purity”, affirming that the country “continues enrichment at 20 per cent and higher levels only within the framework that it has declared transparently and within the framework of the JCPOA”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with his Syrian counterpart and noted “the need for special focus on promoting economic and trade relations”. He further denounced “the Zionist [ie, Israeli] regime’s aggression against Syria”, and charachterised “the military presence of foreign forces without coordination with and permission from the Syrian government as a source of insecurity in the region, particularly in Syria”. The Syrian minister also met with President Raisi, who asserted that “comprehensive planning should be done to develop and deepen relations”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “the main goal of the Vienna talks should be the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA, as well as the normalisation of trade relations and sustainable economic cooperation… Iran must fully become the beneficiary of the lifting of all sanctions. Iran, subject to the provision of guarantees, compensation for damage and effective and verifiable lifting of sanctions, is ready to stop its compensatory measures”.

Iranian defence officials indicated that reports of an explosion near Natanz were the result of a missile exercise “to test the performance of rapid reaction units”. Asked to comment on the incident, a senior Israeli defence official indicated that “we don’t ask a man what he did at night, but we are currently trying to bring about a change in the motivations of the whole world through diplomatic means”, adding: “we have used force against our enemies in the past and we are convinced that in extreme situations, there is a need to act using military means… We hope the whole world will be mobilised for the mission. For that, we’ve allocated a significant sum to increase our readiness”.

The IRGC announced that it had seized a weapons cache in north-western Iran belonging to “anti-Revolution adversary armed groups [who] were trying to deliver these weapons to the elements affiliated with them with the aim of creating insecurity and riots inside the country”.

The JCPOA’s Joint Commission convened in Vienna, after which EU’s Enrique Mora remarked that “now is the time to consult with capitals… We have substantial challenges ahead, time is not unlimited, there is an obvious sense of urgency”. E3 officials asserted that Iran had during the seventh round “backtracked on diplomatic progress… breaking with almost all of the difficult compromises crafted in months of tough negotiations and is demanding substantial changes to the text”. Iran’s lead negotiator maintained that “it’s true that European parties were not very satisfied with some of our proposals, but these proposals were based on common principles between the two sides”. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that “what we’ve seen in the last couple of days is that Iran right now does not seem to be serious about doing what’s necessary to return to compliance, which is why we ended this round of talks”. “We’re going to be consulting very closely and carefully with all of our partners in the process itself… and we will see if Iran has any interest in engaging seriously”, he added.

The IAEA confirmed that “Iran had started the process of enriching uranium to up to 20 per cent purity with one cascade, or cluster, of 166 advanced IR-6 machines at Fordow” Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), in addition to having “94 IR-6 machines… in a cascade at Fordow that is not yet operating”. The Agency also indicated that it had “decided, and Iran has agreed to increase the frequency of verification activities at FFEP and will continue consultations with Iran on practical arrangements to facilitate implementation of these activities”. Iran’s mission in Vienna asserted that the IAEA’s report was “an ordinary update in line with regular verification”.

Against the backdrop of nuclear talks, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian reiterated that “the likely return of the U.S. to the nuclear deal would not be meaningful unless guarantees are presented to prevent the recurrence of the bitter experience of the past and Iran’s trade partners could confidently enter into long term economic engagement with Iran free from any concern”. “Iran will not accept requests beyond the JCPOA”, he asserted, underscoring that “this opportunity is not a window that could remain open forever… Iran, while making its determined, strong and active diplomatic efforts to remove the oppressive U.S. sanctions, has devised an effective program to neutralise the sanctions in line with its sustainable economic development program”. Relatedly, Iran’s lead negotiator in Vienna emphasised the importance of “the removal of all post-JCPOA sanctions”, and affirmed: “we remain prepared to react proportionately to any pressure and reciprocate any goodwill gesture”.

Ahead of the resumption of JCPOA talks, Iran’s top negotiator asserted that “the removal of all JCPOA-related sanctions such as the sanctions imposed within the framework of [the] ‘maximum pressure’ campaign is the necessary condition for success… Demanding guarantees from the other party not to exit the deal, not to impose and enforce new sanctions, and not to reinstate and reapply the previous sanctions is aimed at neutralising the possibility that political chaos in the U.S. could have an impact on its international behaviour”. He also contended that “Europeans should make amends for their non-compliance regarding the JCPOA through implementing practical steps”. The following day, Iran’s foreign minister told the EU’s Josep Borrell that “if the opposing sides are prepared to return to their full obligations and the lifting of sanctions, a good and even immediate agreement can be reached”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the Board of Governors that his discussions with senior Iranian officials in Tehran the previous day had “proved inconclusive”. He also reported that  “the repeated prolongation of the [February Iran-IAEA] agreement… is becoming a significant challenge to the Agency’s ability to restore this continuity of knowledge”, and indicated that denial of access to a facility in Karaj was “seriously affecting the Agency’s ability to restore continuity of knowledge at the workshop, which has been widely recognised as essential in relation to a return to the JCPOA”. He also updated the Board on safeguards concerns.

During a visit to Tehran, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “the agency is seeking to continue and deepen the dialogue with the government of Iran… We agreed to continue our joint work on transparency and this will continue”. Speaking alongside Grossi, Iran’s nuclear chief indicated that “all the issues between Iran and the IAEA are technical… Iran answered the IAEA’s questions regarding documents that Iran’s foes deliver to the international body as evidence… some questions are left and some others are related to the issues that have been closed in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal”. In a separate meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian assured Grossi “of Iran’s firm determination to constructively interact with the agency within the framework of safeguards agreement”, and emphasised “the need for the agency to ignore foreign political pressures”. The following day, Amirabdollahian tweeted that they had “reached good agreements on continuing cooperation. Yet, to work out a text, we need work on a few words. Agreement is possible”.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister asserted that “Iran continues its nuclear activities legitimately within the [JCPOA] framework… Until the violating and non-compliant party to the deal does not demonstrate, in practice, its commitment to the JCPOA, there is no reason for Iran to abandon its rights and entitlements guaranteed by the deal”. “The U.S. and the EU must show that they have the political will to implement what they agreed to do in 2015”, he contended. “They must overcome domestic considerations to resolve this”.

Mahan Air, Iran’s second-biggest carrier, reported a cyberattack against its “internal systems”, with a spokesperson for the airline maintaining it had failed to create any “major issue”.

The IRGC Navy’s commander claimed Iran had “slap[ed] the Americans six times in one and a half years of confrontation, many of which have not been covered by the media yet”. “We in the IRGC Navy have sacrificed nine martyrs in direct battles with the Americans to defend the territory of our beloved country in the Persian Gulf… [and in return] we were able to give them nine memorable slaps”, he added.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “the effective, altogether and verifiable removal of sanctions is a condition for the U.S. to return to the JCPOA… If the U.S. enters the Vienna talks with the same approach and is ready to lift the sanctions altogether in a verifiable manner, the agreement will definitely be attainable in the shortest possible time”. “However”, he added, “we want guarantees that the U.S. will not ridicule international law again… The U.S., including the current U.S. administration, has shown that it cannot abide by its guarantees and the signature of the U.S. President is not as reliable and valuable as they claim”.

Iran’s UN ambassador told the General Assembly that “Iran is ready to fully implement the JCPOA if the other parties fully and effectively implement their commitments and verifiable removal of all illegal sanctions and guarantees that they will not violate their obligations again”. The following day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian underscored that “the lifting of illegal sanctions against Iran is the goal of his country in the [JCPOA] talks”.

President Ebrahim Raisi told his Russian counterpart that “Iran is very serious in the [nuclear] negotiations and we are equally serious in ensuring the rights of our nation to lift sanctions as well”. The same day, he told parliament that “the country’s international interactions are pursued with the priority of diplomacy with neighbours and based on mutual respect and the principles of dignity, wisdom and expediency, and the country’s diplomacy has turned from passive to active”.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister told his Chinese and Russian counterparts that “it is necessary that the entire sanctions contrary to the JCPOA and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231… be removed in line with interests of the Iranian economy and normalising Iran’s economic and commercial ties, as a condition for the success of the upcoming negotiations”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian emphasised that Iran “has no intention to be locked in the stalemate remaining from the previous [nuclear] negotiations”. He added: “Iran is determined to achieve a good agreement, but it requires effective and verifiable removal of sanctions and all parties return to obligations … U.S. actions and violations, including its new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, have made it an unavoidable necessity for the U.S. to present objective guarantees”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi indicated that other than a meeting with the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran in September, he had “not had any contact with this [Iranian] government… that has been there for more than five months”. He added that “We should have had this contact much earlier… There’s a long list of things we need to discuss”.

Commenting on U.S. sanction-related commitments under the JCPOA, Iran’s deputy foreign minister maintained that “we need verification, and this remains unresolved”, while emphasising: “this is about an agreement not a policy. If there is a peace agreement between two states, it has the effect of a treaty… It is not intended that domestic laws of the U.S. can prevail over an international agreement”.  Ali Bagheri-Kani also noted that “the JCPOA has a clear framework and other issues are not relevant. We are not going to negotiate on our defence capabilities or our security… Iran’s relations with other countries did not need a guardian”.

During a visit to France, Iran’s deputy foreign minister noted that “we do not have nuclear talks, because the nuclear issue was resolved in 2015… the main issue we are facing now is the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, which are limited to the illegal sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that the U.S. “must lift the oppressive sanctions completely and effectively” and “should show that it has the capability and will to provide guarantees that it will not abandon the deal again if the talks to revive the deal succeed”. He added that “Iran will not stop its remedial actions until it is confident that U.S. sanctions will be lifted in an effective and verifiable manner with the necessary and objective guarantees”.

The Iraqi military reported a drone “assassination attempt” against Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. President Biden “strongly” denounced the attack, offering “all appropriate assistance to Iraq’s security forces” in their investigation process. Too, the UN Security Council members voiced condemnation “in the strongest terms”, while expressing “support for the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, democratic process and prosperity of Iraq”. Relatedly, a Pentagon official stated that “there are multiple groups operating inside Iraq that are that are backed by Iran, who are capable of these kinds of attacks”. The following day, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson deplored the incident and asserted: “we must all help so that the culprits and the orchestrators of this incident are found… The path to stability in Iraq relies on such cooperation on the rule of law”. The same day, IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani reportedly visited Iraq and met with the prime minister and other senior officials. 

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told his Russian counterpart that “fast progress in talks is contingent upon the European troika and the U.S. adopting a realistic and constructive approach through avoiding demanding too much of Iran and making demands beyond the nuclear deal”. He added that “Iran takes into account the process and records of previous talks in Vienna… [and] will insist on its demands forcefully”. In a separate conversation with the Chinese foreign minister, Amirabdollahian asserted that “the U.S. cannot push ahead with its failed maximum pressure policy and economic terrorism and at the same time claim it wants talks and an agreement”.

Speaking one day after the announcement that JCPOA talks would resume at the end of November, President Raisi asserted that “our negotiation is a result-oriented negotiation… We will not leave the negotiation table, but we will also stand against the excessive demands that lead to the loss of the interests and rights of the Iranian people. At the same time, we will pursue the lifting of sanctions and the neutralisation of sanctions”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi maintained that “it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to do the job [on Iran’s nuclear activities]… If they want to have someone saying that things are correct and there is no deviation or whatever, we have to have the ability to do what we need to do and at this moment we don’t have it”. “We need the access that is commensurate with a nuclear program of such sophistication and ambition”, he added. Grossi went on to assert: “we need to verify. Without verifying, how are the powers that be going to walk into a negotiation without knowing what is the real situation on the ground?”

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran’s spokesperson stated that per a 2020 law, “we were tasked to produce 120kg of 20 per cent enriched uranium, while now we have exceeded 210kg… So far, we have produced 25kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium which no country is able to produce, except for countries with nuclear weapons”.

The EU announced that “the Joint Commission of the JCPOA will convene in a physical format on 29 November in Vienna… [to] continue the discussions on the prospect of a possible return of the U.S. to the JCPOA and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the agreement by all sides”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “it remains possible to quickly reach and implement an understanding on a mutual return to compliance… This window of opportunity will not be open forever, especially if Iran continues to take provocative nuclear steps”.

The IRGC claimed to have “thwarted an attack by U.S. terrorist forces on an Iranian tanker to confiscate its oil in the Sea of Oman” on 25 October. The Pentagon called the account “totally false and untrue”, with a spokesperson asserting that “the only seizing that was done was by Iran”. The vessel in question was identified as MV Southys, sailing under a Vietnamese flag. The Vietnamese foreign ministry indicated that they would “continue to closely follow the developments and work closely with Iranian authorities to resolve this issue”. On 10 November, the IRGC announced the tanker’s release after unloading its oil cargo in Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “the White House calls for negotiations with Iran and claims to be ready to return to the JCPOA. Yet it simultaneously imposes new sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities… The purpose of negotiations is not talking for the sake of talking, but to achieve tangible results on the basis of respect for mutual interests”. Relatedly, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson reiterated that the “onus is on the U.S. president to convince [the] international community – including all JCPOA participants – that his signature means something. For that, ‘objective guarantees’ [are] needed. No one would accept anything less”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, commenting on the Agency’s monitoring and verification activities in Iran, indicated that “we are flying in a heavily clouded sky… we are flying and we can continue in this way, but not for too long”. He also asserted that providing full IAEA access “is in their [ie, the Iranians] interest as much as it is in the international community’s interest, because if they take seriously their intentions to continue with their nuclear program for civil purposes, they have to give the guarantees of what is going on there”. “One has to, at some point, come to grips with this situation”, Grossi said. “Otherwise we are going to be in a very uncertain territory, and I hope that will not be the case”. He also acknowledged that “together with the change of government, we have seen increased levels of tight security around their facilities… this has led on occasion to some difficult moments with our inspectors”.

Discussing a 26 October nationwide cyberattack against Iranian gas stations, a senior Iranian official indicated that “we are still unable to say forensically, but analytically I believe it was carried out by the Zionist Regime [ie, Israel], the Americans and their agents”. He also attributed to Israel and the U.S. 2020 cyberattacks on Iran’s railroad system and a southern port.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “the lifting of anti-Iran sanctions will bring about positive impacts, so the speculations that the new Iranian negotiating team would follow up [in] a way that would lead to a standstill have nothing to do with realities on the ground”. He also contended that “President Joe Biden can issue an executive order to return to the point that his predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from the [JCPOA]… The problem here is that Biden pretends that he is against his predecessor’s foreign policies because when it comes to Iran the U.S. president pursues the same policies that Trump had”. Amirabdollahian went on to assert that “Iran’s economic development should not be tied to nuclear negotiations and the JCPOA, so the country requires other channels to nullify the negative impacts of the U.S.’s sanctions”.

The U.S. sanctioned six individuals and entities that, according to the Treasury Department, “provided critical support to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its expeditionary unit”. The statement went on to assert that the IRGC’s Quds Force had “used and proliferated lethal UAVs for use by Iran-supported groups, including Hizbollah, Hamas, Kataeb Hizbollah and the Huthis, and to Ethiopia… Lethal UAVs have also been used in attacks on international shipping and on U.S. forces”. In response to the announcement, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson asserted that “the imposition of new sanctions exposes the quite contradictory behaviour of the White House”, and represented “continuation of the Trump administration’s failed ‘maximum pressure’ policy”.

The IRGC reported uncovering “an armed terrorist outfit that intended to infiltrate and carry out sabotage operations in Iran’s north-western area”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “our relationship with Iran is a permanent one, it’s not predicated on the JCPOA or other things. It’s a permanent relationship based on their membership on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons… There are ups and downs as in any relationship, and we are always making every possible effort to keep it at a good level”. He went on to assert that “diplomacy cannot fail. We have to make sure that every element is there and it is possible to have a sort of a modus vivendi”, adding: “Iran can continue with its nuclear program within important limitations and giving, at the same time, all the necessary assurances to the international community that nothing is incorrect or not in the way it should be. And for that, you have the inspectors”.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister met with the EU’s Joint Commission coordinator and emphasised the importance of “effective lifting of sanctions and normalisation of trade and economic relations between other countries and Iran”, while asserting that “Iran will not relinquish its demand for a guarantee that negligence and illegal behaviour on [the] part of other sides will not happen again”. The Iranian diplomat subsequently announced that “we agree to start negotiations before the end of November”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “we are prepared to return to Vienna, and we believe that it remains possible to quickly reach and implement an understanding to return to full mutual [JCPOA] compliance… This window will not remain open forever as Iran continues to take provocative nuclear steps, so we hope that they come to Vienna to negotiate quickly and in good faith”. The same day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “we don’t want to enter the Vienna negotiations from the deadlock point of the Vienna negotiations [in June]”.

Iranian authorities acknowledged a cyberattack against gas stations nationwide; A senior cybersecurity official speculated that the attack may have been state-sponsored, without offering specific attribution.

Confirming imminent discussions with the EU’s Joint Commission coordinator, a senior Iranian diplomat affirmed that “Iran is determined to engage in negotiations that would remove unlawful and cruel sanctions in a full and effective manner, secure normalisation of trade and economic relations with Iran and provide credible guarantee for no further reneging”. “The question is if our partners are genuinely ready to fulfill their commitments”, he noted, adding: “the continuation of the failed maximum pressure policy definitely will not remove any obstacle… rather will add more to already existing negotiations’ complexities”. In related comments the day before, President Raisi had asserted that “we are committed to what we promised, but the U.S. and the Europeans are in a decision-making crisis”.

The IAEA reported “that Iran began feeding [uranium hexafluoride gas] enriched up to 20 per cent U-235 into a single IR-6 centrifuge in R&D line 2 at PFEP [the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz] and that the resulting product and tails streams were being re-combined”.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei contended that “some governments made a mistake… They sinned by normalising relations with the usurping, despotic Zionist regime [ie, Israel]. This move is against Islamic unity and solidarity. They should turn back from this path and compensate for this grave mistake”.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi indicated the agency’s monitoring capability in Iran was “no longer intact” after Tehran had restricted access to a centrifuge facility in Karaj. “It hasn’t paralysed what we are doing there, but damage that has been done, with a potential of us not being able to reconstruct the picture, the jigsaw puzzle”, he added, while noting: “if and when the JCPOA will be restarted, I know that for the JCPOA partners to go back to an agreement, they will have to know where they are putting their feet”. Grossi further stated that so far he had seen “no indication” of Iran trying to make a nuclear weapon, but asserted that “the case of the DPRK should remind us of what may happen if diplomatic efforts go wrong… If diplomacy fails, you may be confronted with a situation that would have enormous political impact in the Middle East and beyond”.

The Financial Action Task Force announced Iran’s continued classification as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to a call for action, one of two countries on the FATF’s blacklist.

Iran’s UN envoy wrote to the Security Council criticising Israel over what he called “yet another explicit threat… against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its peaceful nuclear program”, adding that “the number and intensity of such provocative and adventuristic threats have consistently grown and reached an alarming level”. Contending that Israel had attacked Iran’s nuclear sites “beyond any doubt”, the ambassador “warn[ed] against any miscalculation and possible military adventurism and called on the council to “hold that regime fully accountable for the consequences of its unlawful measures”, while maintaining that “Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defence to decisively respond to any threat or wrongful act perpetrated by the Israeli regime”.

President Raisi asserted that “we will seriously pursue the policy of the economy of resistance and do not tie people’s livelihood and the market to these [nuclear] negotiations, but… we are definitely serious about outcome-oriented negotiations”. Relatedly, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that “if parties to the JCPOA live up to their obligations fully, Iran will return to fulfilling its commitments too”. He also maintained that “we consider the issue of prisoners [ie, foreign nationals detained in Iran] to be humanitarian and we do not want this issue to be tied to the nuclear talks”.

EU Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora visited Iran to highlight “the urgency to resume JCPOA negotiations in Vienna”, saying it was “crucial to pick up talks from where we left last June to continue diplomatic work”. Iran’s deputy foreign minister told Mora that “it is important for Iran to achieve tangible results… Iran is always ready for serious negotiations that result in a practical agreement, not a paper agreement”. According to Iran’s foreign ministry, “at the end of this meeting, the two sides agreed to continue dialogue on questions of mutual interest in the coming days in Brussels”. The following day, EU High Representative Josep Borrell remarked that “I’m ready to do that if they want to come to Brussels. But time is pressing… I understand that the new [Iranian] government requires time to study the [nuclear] file, to instruct the negotiation team, but this time has already passed. It’s time to go back to the negotiations”. “No ‘Plan B’ that I could imagine would be a good one”, Borrell added.

Iran’s UN ambassador wrote to the president of the Security Council regarding “yet another explicit threat by the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its peaceful nuclear program”, and argued that “the fact that the Israeli regime has admitted that it will continue to ‘destroy Iranian capabilities’ proves beyond any doubt that it has been responsible for the terrorist attacks against our peaceful nuclear program in the past”. The ambassador went on to “warn against any miscalculation and possible military adventurism”, and called for Israel to be held “fully accountable for the consequences of its unlawful measures”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest in Bushehr province of ten people whom it claimed “were linked to foreign intelligence services”.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) criticised the IAEA “for failing to denounce the [June] sabotage operation against Iran’s Karaj nuclear”, arguing that “the IAEA’s silence effectively encouraged such terrorist acts”. He further noted that “the IAEA was informed that it was not necessary to replace damaged cameras at the sabotaged site”. The official also reported that “Iran possesses over 120 kg of 20 per cent enriched uranium to supply its research reactor in Tehran with fuel”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian reiterated that “we will return to the Vienna talks. For the new government of Iran, which is a pragmatic and result-oriented government, it is very important that the interests and rights of the Iranian people be fully secured in the [JCPOA] negotiations”. “We will not waste our time in negotiations”, he added. “It is important for us to receive signals from the other side, including the U.S., that the Americans have a strong intention to fully return to their commitments”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Beirut and met with senior Lebanese officials. He expressed Iran’s “steadfast support for Lebanon and its readiness to provide Beirut with full support in the areas it requires, especially in the difficult economic conditions it is going through”, while voicing Iran’s willingness “to play an active role in development plans in Lebanon, particularly in power plant projects”.

During a trip to Moscow, Iranian Foreign Minister Amiradollahian reaffirmed that “we will resume the [JCPOA] talks soon”, adding: “Iran is interested in dialogue and negotiation, but a negotiation that guarantees the rights of the Iranian people and forces all parties to return to their commitments”. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the JCPOA with his Russian counterpart the same day, and, describing Russia as “an important participant” in efforts to resume mutual compliance, said he had conveyed to Moscow a sense that “the runway is getting shorter and shorter on that prospect”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson reiterated that “we will return to [JCPOA talks in] Vienna as soon as our internal review process is concluded”, while asserting that “[there are] no preconditions”. “Our sole aim is to ensure talks will secure our rights—including sufficient guarantees that the U.S. will actually stick to the deal this time”, he added.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell maintained that “time is running and it is urgent that [JCPOA] negotiations resume. I understand Iran needs time to study the file, but the other participants of the JCPOA are becoming worried by the delay”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed Iran’s intention to resume nuclear negotiations, while indicating that the government was still assessing “all the negotiations that have already been conducted to clarify all the dimensions, before entering into an active and effective dialogue”. “As soon as this reassessment takes place”, he added, “we will not waste an hour before arriving in Vienna”.

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry reported uncovering “a terrorist team that was supported and guided by the spy services of adversary countries” and intended “to carry out acts of sabotage inside the country”. According to the ministry, the group’s leader was killed and an unspecified number arrested.

Iran’s representative to the IAEA asserted that “if [the] IAEA wants to implement supervision activity, it must act responsibly and explicitly condemn the terrorist attacks on Iran’s technical centers”, calling too on Washington and European governments to “prevent terrorist acts” by Israel. He further underscored that the “activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran are completely peaceful and do not conflict with its obligations under JCPOA”.

The IAEA reported that “Iran from 20 to 22 September permitted IAEA inspectors to service identified agency monitoring and surveillance equipment and to replace storage media at all necessary locations in Iran with the exception of the centrifuge component manufacturing workshop at the TESA Karaj complex”, which Director General Rafael Gossi described as “contrary to the agreed terms of the [Iran-IAEA] joint statement issued on 12 September”. Iran’s IAEA representative maintained “since TESA Karaj Complex is still under security and judicial investigations, equipment related to this Complex are not included for servicing”, and contended that the IAEA’s characterisation “isn’t accurate and goes beyond the agreed terms of the Joint Statement”. The U.S. representative told the Board of Governors that Washington was “deeply troubled” by Iran’s lack of cooperation and underscored that “Iran should provide the IAEA with required cooperation on an urgent basis”. “If Iran fails to do so, we will be closely consulting with other Board Members in the coming days on an appropriate response”, the U.S. official warned.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian contended that despite the Biden administration’s stated willingness to return to the JCPOA, “there is no action taken in order to show and prove the true will to the new Iranian administration, to the Iranian nation. And worse than that, simultaneously, they have managed to put on new sanctions”. He further indicated that “we will keep the window of diplomacy and negotiations open. And we will very soon return to the negotiations”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “there has been remarkable progress in the talks over security in the Persian Gulf… talks [between Tehran and Riyadh] have never stopped  and messages have been exchanged in proper level after the new administration in Iran took office”. He further said that “if Saudi Arabia pays serious attention to Iran’s message that the solution to the region’s problems lies in the region itself and there should be an inclusive regional solution, the two countries may have a good, sustainable relationship”.

Iran’s foreign minister told EU High Representative Josep Borrell that the Raisi administration “seeks a practical result in the nuclear negotiations”. “We are seriously reviewing the records of the negotiations and the new administration will resume the talks”, he indicated, while positing that “the U.S. is one hundred per cent mistaken if it thinks pressures on Iran will pay off”. “All signatories to the deal should understand that the agreement must be fruitful for Iran and that Tehran must see all sanctions lifted in light of it”, Amirabdollahian asserted, adding: “If other sides return to their commitments and this is verified, we are also ready to stop our retaliatory measures”. Borrell, in turn, highlighted “the need for [Iran’s] full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)” and “the great importance of a quick resumption of the Vienna talks”. The same day, Borrell met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and highlighted that “the JCPOA remains a key instrument for global non-proliferation, peace in the region and for international security, but time to return to its implementation is not indefinite, if we want to ensure it delivers fully”.

Iran’s foreign minister joined senior officials from the Gulf in an Iraqi-chaired follow-up to the Baghdad Conference on Cooperation and Partnership, and remarked that Iran had “always emphasised that we need endogenous and indigenous security arrangements to create stability and security in the region”. Amirabdollahian underscored that “foreign presence and intervention in any form are contrary to the goals of peace and security in the region… the priority of the new government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to strengthen and develop relations with its neighbours and the region”. According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, attendees reiterated “their support for the Iraqi government and people… and stressed the need to solve them through cooperation and mutual benefit and in accordance with the principles of international law, good neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries”.

President Ebrahim Raisi told the UN General Assembly that a U.S. “policy of ‘maximum oppression’ is still on” against Iran, adding: “We want nothing more than what is rightfully ours”. He added that nuclear weapons “have no place in our defence doctrine and deterrence policy”, underscoring that “the Islamic Republic considers the useful talks whose ultimate outcome is the lifting of all oppressive sanctions”. The same day, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson stated that “the Vienna talks will resume soon in the next few weeks, and this has been announced to the P4 + 1”.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, President Ebrahim Raisi maintained that “the security-making model of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on forming intra-regional mechanisms through diplomacy that is pivoted on and free from outside interferences… It has been our policy to strive for the preservation of stability and territorial integrity of all the countries of the region”. “Iran is keen to have large-scale political and economic cooperation and convergence with the rest of the world. I seek effective interaction with all the countries of the world especially with our neighbours and shake their hands warmly”, he emphasised.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, President Ebrahim Raisi maintained that “the security-making model of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on forming intra-regional mechanisms through diplomacy that is pivoted on and free from outside interferences… It has been our policy to strive for the preservation of stability and territorial integrity of all the countries of the region”. “Iran is keen to have large-scale political and economic cooperation and convergence with the rest of the world. I seek effective interaction with all the countries of the world especially with our neighbours and shake their hands warmly”, he emphasised.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran told the IAEA’s General Conference that the Agency should “avoid politicisation and maintain its independence, impartiality and professionalism”. He also asserted that “issues related to terrorism and cyber-attacks are the most significant nuclear security threats… My country’s IAEA safeguarded installations have been under sabotage and terrorist attacks for several times. It is clear that Iran will defend itself by all possible means and manners, but it is a necessity that the world community unequivocally and strongly condemn and take a stand on the act of terrorism against safeguarded nuclear installations”. He also met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “unilateral and oppressive pressure [by the U.S.] on the Iranian people are continuing, and once this approach is put aside in practice and we make sure that the U.S. is credible and that we can verify what the U.S. claims, then the Vienna path will be different”. “We do not make any more commitments to anyone than the JCPOA, and we do not accept any profit from the JCPOA less than the JCPOA”, he noted. “The U.S. must come to Vienna with a different approach”.

Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced that it had demolished “an anti-revolutionary team of terrorists” in north-western Iran, whom in claimed was “planning to carry out assassinations against military and law enforcement forces… extort money… [and] threaten and beat some local residents and prominent figures in the region”. According to the ministry, “a large volume of weapons and ammunition were also seized from the terrorist team”. The following day, the IRGC reported targeting “four headquarters of the anti-revolutionary groups… by precision-guided weapons in response to their movements on the border of our country with northern Iraq”. It also claimed that the groups were sponsored by “the adversary foreign intelligence services and some Arab states”.

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence reported uncovering “a terrorist team sponsored by intelligence services of adversary countries… planning to attack and commit acts of terrorism against some of the most sensitive and vital centers of the country”.

Iran’s IAEA representative told the Board of Governors that “until the sanctions on Iran are not removed, no one should expect more forbearance from Iran. Our nuclear activities, including enrichment at different levels and production of metallic based uranium fuel are completely peaceful, in line with our rights under the NPT, and are under the safeguards monitoring and verification of the Agency”. He further maintained that “the [nuclear] negotiations should be result oriented. It is important that the outcome of these efforts ensure that all sanctions are lifted in an effective and verifiable manner, we do not want to face, once again, the catastrophe in which the U.S. withdraws from the agreement or abuses the mechanisms in the JCPOA and violates all of its commitments therein while Iran is in full compliance with the provisions of the deal”. The following day, the envoy insisted that “there is no safeguards related issue regarding Iran’s ongoing nuclear activities”, adding: “Iran has voluntarily continued practical and constructive interactions and working relations with the Agency to address questions about a few immaterial and insignificant issues. Despite sincere efforts, it is profoundly inadequate that, the Secretariat has taken a counterproductive and hasty approach in reporting the matter”.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acknowledged that “in recent months, there have been some incidents related to security checks of Agency inspectors at one Iranian facility… the Agency immediately and firmly raised this issue with Iran to explain in very clear and unequivocal terms that such security-related incidents involving Agency staff are unacceptable and must not happen again”. “Iran has provided explanations related to reinforced security procedures following events at one of their facilities”, the IAEA added. “As a result of this exchange between the Agency and Iran there have been no further incidents”. Iran’s IAEA representative indicated that “security measures at the nuclear facilities in Iran are, reasonably, tightened. The IAEA inspectors have gradually come up with the new rules and regulations”. The following day, the U.S. IAEA representative told the Board of Governors that “harassment of IAEA inspectors is absolutely unacceptable and any repeat of such conduct would be of serious concern… Should additional incidents occur, the U.S. stands ready to work with other Board members to take appropriate action”.

IAEA Director General Grossi told the Board of Governors that “Iran’s failure to respond to the Agency’s requests for access to its monitoring equipment was seriously compromising the Agency’s technical capability to maintain continuity of knowledge… The Agency’s confidence that it could maintain continuity of knowledge had been declining over time and had recently significantly further declined. This confidence could continue to decline unless the situation were immediately rectified by Iran”. Grossi further expressed concern that “after some two years, the safeguards issues… in relation to the four locations in Iran not declared to the Agency, remain unresolved”. He also reported on “constructive discussions” on his trip to Iran a day earlier, and expressed hope that “through a direct, cooperative and productive dialogue with the new Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran these urgent matters can be addressed”.

President Raisi told Prime Minister al-Kadhimi that “Iran supports the role of Iraq in the region and we seek to institutionalise security in [the] region revolving around Iran, Iraq and neighbouring countries without intervention of foreign forces”. “The presence of foreign forces, especially Americans, in any of the countries in the region is detrimental to security and stability in the region and the implementation of the Iraqi parliament’s law on expelling American forces from the country can be useful in this regard”, he emphasised. The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, separately expressed concerns to the Iraqi premier over “the growing movements of terrorist groups that have bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan region”, calling for “their immediate disarmament and expulsion from Iraq”.

Following a visit to Tehran by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, the IAEA and Iran issued a joint statement indicating they had agreed “to maintain their mutual interactions and meetings at relevant levels… with the aim of enhancing cooperation between Iran and the IAEA in different fields and discussing current issues of mutual interest”. Too, it was announced that “IAEA’s inspectors are permitted to service the identified equipment and replace their storage media which will be kept under the joint IAEA and AEOI seals in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The way and the timing are agreed by the two sides”. Grossi acknowledged that “we had a major, major communication breakdown with Iran… and I think that was solved”, further noting that “the reconstruction and the coming together of the jigsaw puzzle will come when there is an agreement at the JCPOA level. But at that time, we will have all this information and there will not have been a gap… This cannot be a permanent solution”.

Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency asserted that the “IAEA cannot disassociate itself from the destiny of the JCPOA. And counterproductive action disrupts the negotiation process… Depoliticisation, impartiality, independence and professionalism are essential for the credibility of the IAEA and member states’ trust in its work. The Agency should plan for increasing cooperation and interaction with its member states rather to incept mistrust”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told the UN Secretary-General that “the U.S. made a miscalculation by maintaining their illegal sanctions on Iran and they mistakenly think they can use the sanctions as a bargaining chip… The negotiating parties should come to Vienna with a realistic understanding and pay serious attention to the rights and interests of the Iranian people, and Iran believes negotiations will be acceptable if they lead to a tangible result”.

The Saudi foreign minister chaired a session of the Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee that discussed, inter alia, “strengthening joint coordination to stop Iranian interference in the region and its financing of the Huthi militia in Yemen and other terrorist groups”, as well as “the importance of imposing the mechanisms for a rapid and comprehensive inspection of all Iranian nuclear sites”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson dismissed what he described as “absurd accusations” by the grouping of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt.

President Raisi remarked that “in the case of a non-constructive treatment in the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is unreasonable to expect Iran to have a constructive response. Non-constructive actions naturally disrupt the [JCPOA] negotiation process as well”. Raisi went on to argue that “the Trump administration has left the White House and the Biden administration came to power, but in practice there has been no change in U.S. policy on Iran and the same approach and measures, namely sanctions and pressure against Iran remains”.

Referring to relations with the IAEA, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson emphasised that “neither side should make a miscalculation and move in a direction that will affect the negotiations in Vienna. The political use of the IAEA technical platform will lead to a different response from Iran”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that the Raisi administration “considers negotiation as an effective tool of diplomacy and we will not distance ourselves from [JCPOA] negotiations in any way… but we believe that negotiations for negotiations’ sake will not benefit the Iranian nation and other sides”. Relatedly, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson affirmed that “Iran will not wait forever for the U.S. to put pressure on the Iranian people with the illegal leverage of sanctions, and this window will not be open for Washington forever… If verified and exactly Iran’s interests are served under the JCPOA, Iran will fulfill its obligations as a committed party”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian remarked that “our foreign policy will be balanced. Accordingly, a major priority for us will be our neighbours”, and Asia, which he described as “two axes in our foreign policy priorities”, adding: “our priority over neighbours and Asia does not mean ignoring the rest of the world”. Amirabdollahian further noted that “we view dialogue with regional nations as a principle and consider regional talks as a serious way out of the current situation in the region”, while arguing: “Foreign interference and efforts to resolve regional issues through military means are detrimental to the region”.

Commenting on the JCPOA talks, President Raisi affirmed that “negotiation is an option as a diplomacy tool, but negotiation under pressure and threats is not acceptable at all… The focus of our talks is the interests of the Iranian people and the complete lifting of sanctions, from which we will not take a step back”.

The IRGC claimed to have “spotted and dismantled a terrorist team” that had infiltrated Iran’s western border, resulting in “several deaths and injuries” and a seizure of weapons.

Iran’s ambassador to Iraq confirmed that “through the cooperation of the Iraqi government, we held three rounds of talks with Saudi Arabia in Baghdad, and the fourth round will be held following the formation of the new Iranian government”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “the Vienna talks are not aimed at reaching a new agreement… Tehran seeks to ensure the implementation of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal”. He further argued that “if the U.S. facilitates the release of Iranian prisoners and fulfills its commitments in this regard, it will be better for the Vienna talks”.

Commenting on the JCPOA talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian indicated that “Iran welcomes a logical negotiation, and we certainly do not seek to escape from the negotiating table, but it is a very important point that the… [Raisi] administration believes in negotiations that have tangible achievements in the interests of the Iranian people”. He further noted that “it will take two to three months for the new government to take office and plan for any decision”. France’s foreign minister subsequently conveyed to Amirabdollahian “the importance and the urgency of an immediate resumption of negotiations”, a sentiment similarly echoed by the German government.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Syria and met with senior officials including President Bashar al-Assad. According to a Syrian readout, the two conferred on, inter alia, “steps… to enhance bilateral cooperation with the aim of reaching a higher level of partnerships at various levels, particularly in the economic and trade fields, in a way that enables the two peoples to continue facing the repercussions of the blockade and sanctions imposed on the two countries”.

At the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian reiterated that “peace is possible only through dialogue and negotiation within the region”, and called for “mutual trust, reliance on national capabilities, strengthening relations and good neighbourliness as well as through the non-intervention of extra-regional governments”. He went on to describe Iran’s approach as “balanced, active and smart”. Amirabdollahian also discussed bilateral issues with senior Iraqi leaders including Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi and President Barham Salih.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell emphasised “the great importance of a quick resumption of the Vienna talks to bring the JCPOA back on track” to Iran’s foreign minister, who in turn asserted that “a negotiation that has tangible and practical results and is accompanied by securing the rights and interests of the people is acceptable”.

Meeting with Israeli premier Naftali Bennett, President Biden remarked that the two would “discuss the threat from Iran and our commitment to ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon… We’re putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us. But if diplomacy fails, we’re ready to turn to other options”. Bennett stated that he was “happy to hear your clear words that Iran will never be able to acquire a nuclear weapon and that you emphasised that you’ll try the diplomatic route, but there’s other options if that doesn’t work out… If a radical Islamic regime acquired a nuclear weapon, that marriage would be a nuclear nightmare for the entire world”. Bennett added: “We’ve developed a comprehensive strategy that we’re going to be talking about with two goals: The first is to stop Iran on its regional aggression and start rolling it back into the box; and the second is to permanently keep Iran away from ever being able to break out their nuclear weapon”. A senior Iranian official subsequently asserted that “the emphasis on using ‘other options’ against Iran, while being an illegal threat to another country, establishes the Islamic Republic of Iran’s right to reciprocal response to available options”.

President Raisi argued that “the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and the region does not provide security… The role of other countries, including neighbours, should only be a facilitator to the establishment of an inclusive and participatory government with the presence of all Afghan groups”.

The Pentagon confirmed twelve U.S. fatalities, later revised to thirteen, following an ISIS attack at Kabul airport; a further fifteen service members were injured. President Biden subsequently remarked that “we will continue the evacuation” from Afghanistan, adding that he had instructed the military “to develop operational plans to strike ISIS-K assets, leadership and facilities”. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson extended “deepest condolences” over the incident, which killed an estimated 60 Afghans, while calling for “the immediate establishment of a broad-based government in Kabul”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson emphasised that “there is no military solution to the problems of Afghanistan and all groups and parties must resolve the issues through negotiation and dialogue”. He further indicated that Tehran was “not at the stage right now” of recognising Taliban rule, adding: “We are now at a stage where we must strive to form an all-inclusive government in Afghanistan that reflects all the realities of Afghanistan and the ethnic and popular composition”.

The State Department’s spokesperson underscored that “it remains profoundly in our national interest to seek to effect a mutual return to compliance of the JCPOA… [the Iranians] have decisions to make about their orientation not only towards the international community, but specifically toward diplomacy in the context of Vienna and diplomacy to test the proposition that we can effect a mutual return to compliance”. Iran’s foreign ministry the same day indicated that “our positions have not changed. The effective lifting of all U.S. sanctions and other sides’ compliance with the JCPOA are still a prelude to any agreement… Time in not on JCPOA’s side”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “we sell oil according to our own decisions and upon the announcement of demand from our friends… We express readiness to sell fuel to the Lebanese government if it is also willing, in addition to the fuel that has been purchased by the Shiite business people of Lebanon”. Asked about Iranian oil exports to Lebanon, a U.S. official maintained: “All of the sanctions that are in place on Iran remain in place. When it comes to petroleum, when it comes to oil, that has not changed”.

France, Germany and the UK expressed “grave concern [over] the latest reports by the IAEA confirming that Iran has produced uranium metal enriched up to 20 per cent for the first time, and has significantly increased its production capacity of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent”. The three countries added that “both [advancements] are key steps in the development of a nuclear weapon and Iran has no credible civilian need for either measure”. They further asserted that “Iran’s activities are all the more troubling given the fact talks in Vienna have been interrupted upon Tehran’s request for two months now and that Iran has not yet committed to a date for their resumption… Iran must halt all activities in violation of the JCPOA without delay”. “Time is on no-one’s side”, they warned.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had increased the number of centrifuge cascades enriching uranium to 60 per cent from one to two. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “Iran’s remedial reduction of its JCPOA commitments has been done according to mechanisms within the 2015 nuclear deal”, adding: “Iran will move forward with its peaceful nuclear program merely based on its needs and the decisions made by its leadership and within its Safeguards commitments, unless the U.S. and other JCPOA parties return to the full and unconditional implementation of the JCPOA”.

Following an Iraqi invitation for Iranian attendance at a regional summit, President Raisi told Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi that “we consider it our pleasure to participate in this summit, and we will support any initiative that brings about stability in Iraq and increases the role of the country in the region”. “Foreign interference in the affairs of the region is neither a platform for security building and stability, nor a basis for development and progress”, Raisi argued. “Only the countries of the region can decide on the fate of the region”.

The IAEA told member states that it had verified Iran’s using “257g of uranium enriched up to 20 per cent U-235 in the form of UF4 (uranium tetrafluoride) to produce 200g of uranium metal enriched up to 20 per cent U-235”. The U.S. diplomatic spokesperson characterised Iran’s actions as “unconstructive and inconsistent with a return to mutual [JCPOA] compliance… Iran has no credible need to produce uranium metal, which has direct relevance to nuclear weapons development”. He further warned: “We are not imposing a deadline for negotiations, but this window will not remain open indefinitely”.

As the Taliban swept into Kabul, President Biden maintained that “there was only the cold reality of either following through on the agreement to withdraw our forces or escalating the conflict… American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves”. He went on to assert that “as we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban: If they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the U.S. presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful… our current military mission will be short in time, limited in scope, and focused in its objectives: Get our people and our allies to safety as quickly as possible. And once we have completed this mission, we will conclude our military withdrawal”. The same day, President Raisi maintained that “the military defeat and the withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan should become an opportunity to restore life, security and lasting peace in the country”. “Iran will work for establishing stability… [and] calls on all groups to reach a national agreement”, he added. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson raised concerns over “a new wave of displaced people” and reaffirmed Iran’s “readiness to facilitate the resolution of the Afghan question through intra-Afghan, Afghan-owned dialogue, as well as to contribute to a regional consensus on Afghanistan”.

Meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hossein, President Raisi emphasised that “cooperation and synergy among the countries of the region, without the intervention of foreigners, are a necessary condition for the stability of regional security”. Hussein also extended Iraq’s invitation for Iranian participation in a summit that he said would “create a basis for dialogue between the countries of the region”. The Iraqi diplomat also met with other senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as Iran’s president, and asserted that “sanctions against Iran must be lifted and we will support any diplomatic plan that achieved this goal”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “we hope that Iran seizes the opportunity now to advance diplomatic solutions and the diplomatic solutions that are before all of us… We are prepared to return to Vienna to resume negotiations”. The spokesperson also warned that “the opportunity to achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA won’t last forever. The longer this goes on, the advantages to our national security that would be accrued by a mutual return to compliance will start to chip away by the advancements that Iran is able to make while the shackles are at present removed from its nuclear program”.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning notice regarding a “potential hijack” off the UAE coast; industry sources reported that a Panama-flagged tanker had been boarded by “armed forces… directing it towards Iran”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “reports on the occurrence of successive security incidents for ships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is completely suspicious”; An IRGC spokesperson also characterised the report as “psychological warfare”. The following day, the UKMTO reported that “boarders have left the vessel… incident complete”.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning notice regarding a “potential hijack” off the UAE coast; industry sources reported that a Panama-flagged tanker had been boarded by “armed forces… directing it towards Iran”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “reports on the occurrence of successive security incidents for ships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is completely suspicious”.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett contended that “with absolute certainty – Iran carried out the attack” against the M/T Mercer Street, adding: “The intelligence evidence for this exists and we expect the international community will make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake. In any case, we know how to send a message to Iran in our own way”. The U.S. condemned the attack, adding: “We are confident that Iran conducted this attack, which killed two innocent people, using one-way explosive UAVs, a lethal capability it is increasingly employing throughout the region”; the State Department also indicated that “an appropriate response… will be forthcoming”. The British government, one of whose citizens had been killed in the incident, similarly assessed that “this attack was deliberate, targeted and a clear violation of international law by Iran”, and noted that London was working with our international partners on a concerted response”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson blasted the statements as “provocative”, warning that “any anti-Iran adventurism will receive an immediate and decisive response”.

Meeting with the outgoing Rouhani government, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remarked that “it became clear in this administration that trusting the West will not work… Whenever you made our affairs contingent on reaching an agreement with the West and the U.S., you were unsuccessful”. On the Vienna talks, he said: “The Americans have stuck to their obstinate position. On paper and in words, they promise to remove the sanctions, but they have not and will not remove them… They say, ‘If you want the sanctions to be removed, we should include a clause in the agreement which states that we must negotiate and agree over certain matters in the future’”. “This clause is actually a pretext for their future interference”, Khamenei contended, adding: “This is about the JCOPA itself, about renewing it and about various other matters such as missiles and regional issues. If we say later on that we are not going to negotiate over these matters… they will say that there is no deal because we have supposedly violated it”. He also emphasised that “when they [ie, the U.S.] are told to promise and guarantee that they will not violate [the deal] another time, they respond that they cannot give such a guarantee”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry announced that it had uncovered “a network of agents” it claimed were linked to Israel, and seized “a large shipment of weapons and ammunition”.

Iran’s government spokesperson asserted that “we are still committed to [the] return of all parties to their JCPOA obligations… As long as the U.S. and the other P4+1 members have not complied with all their commitments in the JCPOA, it would [be] meaningless to talk or even think about negotiations beyond that”.

An Iranian judicial official announced the arrest of a “terrorist group” which he claimed “intended to carry out simultaneous terrorist operations in several provinces of the country which was plotted with the intelligence and financial cooperation of two intelligence services of the European countries and certain regional states”.

President Rouhani argued that “if the parliamentary law had not stopped us, we would have lifted the sanctions before Nowruz [March 2021].

Iran’s government spokesperson maintained that “regional negotiations are a constant necessity… We look at the negotiations with Saudi Arabia in a positive light”. He further indicated that “bilateral talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia is [sic] continuing through appropriate channels. We are committed to continuing consultations to resolve all disputes between the two countries, and if there is a need to raise the level of dialogue and it is agreed, we have no restrictions”.

Iran’s government spokesperson remarked that “the main part of the [JCPOA] negotiations has taken place and the initial agreements have been reached on the lifting of most of the sanctions”. “However”, he added, “the committee formed in the Supreme National Security Council, which is responsible for implementing the text of the memorandum with the law of the Parliament approved in December 2020, has recognised this memorandum as incompatible with it”. “The negotiations will be postponed until after the complete transfer of the administration, and the new negotiating team will be responsible for it”, the spokesperson noted. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi contended that Iran’s decision “leaves us in a rather uncomfortable situation… I’m talking about the agency, I don’t know about the others [ie, the U.S. and P4+1], but I suppose they would rather be negotiating that waiting”. “We still have a number of questions, issues that we are trying to clarify with Iran, and we will have to wait and start anew with the new team when they are in office”, Grossi noted.  

Iran’s lead JCPOA negotiator indicated that “Vienna talks must… obviously await our new administration”; he further asserted that “the U.S. and the UK need to understand this and stop linking a humanitarian exchange—ready to be implemented—with the JCPOA…  Ten prisoners on all sides may be released tomorrow if the U.S. and the UK fulfill their part of deal”. The U.S. State Department described the remarks as “an outrageous effort to deflect blame for the current impasse”, and asserted that “there is no agreed deal yet on the matter of the detainees… While it would be more effective to make progress if we were meeting in Vienna, we are also prepared to continue with talks on detainees during this period”.

Facebook announced that it had removed 200 accounts linked to “a group of hackers in Iran to disrupt their ability to use their infrastructure to abuse our platform, distribute malware and conduct espionage operations across the internet, targeting primarily the U.S.”. The company added that “this group is known in the security industry as Tortoiseshell, whose activity was previously reported to mainly focus on the information technology industry in the Middle East. In an apparent expansion of malicious activity to other regions and industries, our investigation found them targeting military personnel and companies in the defense and aerospace industries primarily in the U.S., and to a lesser extent in the UK and Europe”. 

President Rouhani maintained that Iran’s atomic energy agency “has shown in recent months what capabilities it has by enriching 20 per cent and 60 per cent in a short time… if we need it one day, and our reactors needs 90 per cent enrichment, we can do it and we can do anything within the framework of peaceful activities”. Referring to internal debates regarding the Vienna talks, Rouhani contended that “they took away the opportunity to reach an agreement from this government. We deeply regret missing this opportunity”.

The IRGC reported that it had “thwarted the plot of the anti-revolutionary group that intended to enter the country” via north-western Iran.  

The IRGC reported that it had “thwarted the plot of the anti-revolutionary group that intended to enter the country” via north-western Iran.  

Iran’s government spokesperson remarked that “negotiations are under way on the exchange of prisoners between Iran and America, and we will issue more information if Iranian prisoners are released and the country’s interests are secured and the talks reach a conclusion”. “Iran is ready to exchange all American political prisoners in exchange for the release of all Iranian prisoners who have been detained around the world at the behest of America”, he added. Relatedly, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson noted “indirect but active discussions taking place”, and also indicated that “we are treating the issue of detainees independently from discussions of the JCPOA”. “We’re also working with our allies, many of whom also have citizens currently arbitrarily or wrongfully detained by the Iranian Government”, he added. “Iran’s unjust imprisonment of U.S. citizens for use as political leverage, it’s abhorrent, it’s outrageous. Our priority is bringing these individuals home as possible and resolving the cases of missing and abducted U.S. citizens just as quickly as we can”.

A U.S. court indicted “four Iranian nationals with conspiracies related to kidnapping, sanctions violations, bank and wire fraud, and money laundering”; a fifth individual was also charged for having “provided financial services that supported the plot”. According to a judicial official, “four of the defendants monitored and planned to kidnap a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who has been critical of the regime’s autocracy, and to forcibly take their intended victim to Iran, where the victim’s fate would have been uncertain at best”. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley “strongly condemn[ed] Iran’s continued attempts at kidnapping journalists and critics of the regime in order to silence dissent”, and asserted that “even as the U.S. remains willing to engage in diplomacy toward a mutual return to the JCPOA, we will not hesitate to defend our citizens and call out Iran’s human rights abuses”. Tehran called the allegations “baseless and ridiculous”.

The U.S. State Department asserted that “we are prepared to return to a seventh round [of nuclear negotiations]… we’re not imposing a deadline on these talks, but… we are conscious that as time proceeds, Iran’s nuclear advances will have a bearing on our view of ultimately returning to the JCPOA”. A spokesperson went on to reiterate that “diplomacy is the most effective means at our disposal to achieve what we seek, and that is verifiably and permanently ensuring that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon”. The same day, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “we are close to the end of the Vienna talks. Some unresolved issues remain, but what matters is that the weight of unresolved issues far outweighs the unresolved issues… we hope that the other parties can make their own decisions so that we too can reach an agreement that will be in everyone’s interests”.

During a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged “Iran to uphold and fully implement all its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and refrain from all activities which are inconsistent with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231”. Iran’s embassy in Brussels maintained that “such remarks are either misguided or a grossly irresponsible spinning of facts”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif hosted a meeting with Taliban and Afghan government officials, voicing Iran’s “readiness… to support the process of inter-Afghan peace talks” and its “commitment to contribute to the comprehensive political, economic and social development of Afghanistan after the establishment of peace”. The participants subsequently jointly asserted that “all efforts must be directed towards a political and peaceful solution”, while deeming “the intra-Afghan meeting held in Tehran as a new opportunity to strengthen the political solution to the Afghanistan problem”. Commenting on the talks, a U.S. diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “Afghanistan’s neighbours and countries in the region, they too have a stake in Afghanistan’s future. They need to use their influence in ways that are positive… What Iran is trying to do or is in the process of doing by hosting this meeting may well be constructive. I think the jury is still out”. 

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that manufacturing enriched uranium metal was “merely for peaceful purposes… and its production is by no means contradictory to observation of any non-proliferation or nuclear treaty”. He further reiterated that “Iran is ready to halt its remunerative measures and return to observing its full JCPOA commitments as soon as the unjust sanctions are terminated, but no one should expect Iran to unilaterally observe its JCPOA commitments, as it once did before”.

Iran’s government spokesperson indicated that “some progress has been made” in talks with Saudi Arabia, adding that “in some cases, disputes may have complexities that take time to resolve”. He went to assert that “we are always ready to continue this dialogue seriously, relying on mutual goodwill and securing the interests and concerns of both sides”.

Referring to a 23 June incident at an Iranian nuclear facility in Karaj, an Iranian official acknowledged a “sabotage act” and asserted it had “not led to significant human and equipment damage”. He also maintained that “the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] carried out these actions to signal it can stop Iran and to say that there is no need to talk with Iran… But whenever sabotage has happened, our strength has increased”.

The IAEA received and conveyed to the Board of Governors Iranian notification that “UO2 [uranium oxide] enriched up to 20 per cent U-235 would be shipped to the R&D laboratory at the Fuel Fabrication Plan in Isfahan, where it would be converted to UF4 [uranium tetrafluoride] and then to uranium metal enriched to 20 per cent U-235, before using it to manufacture the fuel”. The E3 jointly expressed “grave concern” at the development, adding that “this further step in Iran’s escalation of its nuclear violations is all the more concerning at a time when no date has been set for the continuation of the negotiations in Vienna… [and] in the context of Iran having significantly curtailed IAEA accesses”. “Iran is threatening a successful outcome to the Vienna talks despite the progress achieved in six rounds of negotiations”, Berlin, Paris and London warned. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “it is worrying that Iran is choosing to continue to escalate its nonperformance of its JCPOA commitments, especially with experiments that have value for nuclear weapons research”. “We have made clear that such provocative steps would not and will not provide Iran with any leverage in negotiations”, he added. “They would only intensify our concerns with Iran’s activities, and we continue to urge Iran to stop this brinksmanship, to return to Vienna prepared for real talks, and to be in a position to be prepared to finish the work that we have started”.

In a letter to the president of the Security Council, Iran’s UN envoy insisted that “Iran has not been involved, directly or indirectly, in any armed attack by any entity or individual against U.S. personnel or facilities in Iraq”. The ambassador also condemned “in the strongest terms” 27 June U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, adding: “the argument of the U.S. that such attacks were conducted to deter the Islamic Republic of Iran and the so-called Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on U.S. personnel or facilities has no factual or legal ground, as it is founded on mere fabrication as well as arbitrary interpretation” of the UN charter.

A cargo vessel travelling from Saudi Arabia to the UAE was reportedly “attacked in the Indian Ocean”; the Tyndall did not suffer major damage and unnamed Israeli officials assessed that the ship had been targeted by Iran.

Briefing the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 2231, a senior UN official noted that “the continued diplomatic efforts in Vienna offer a critical opportunity for both the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran to return to the full and effective implementation of the [JCPOA]… This would be a welcome and crucial development”.  She drew attention to the Secretary-General’s call that Washington “extend the waivers with regard to the trade in oil with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects”, while urging Iran to fully implement its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. The U.S. envoy told the Council that “Iran continues its escalatory steps, including many that exceed the JCPOA’s nuclear limits”, while urging “Iran to refrain from taking further escalatory steps and to return to full implementation of all its JCPOA commitments”. He further asserted that “the U.S. is committed to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and we believe diplomacy, in coordination with our allies and regional partners, is the best path to achieve that goal”, adding: “The last few rounds of discussions in Vienna have helped to crystallise the choices that need to be made by Iran and by the U.S. in order achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA”. The U.S. representative also underscored that “we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to counter Iran’s destabilising activities in the region, and to promote implementation of other Security Council resolutions to address Iranian conventional weapons proliferation”.

President Rouhani contended that “if Biden[‘s administration] procrastinates the implementation of the JCPOA in any way, it has betrayed the vote of the American people”, while asserting that “we have never sought weapons of mass destruction and Iran’s nuclear activities are completely peaceful”.

Iran’s envoy told the UN Security Council that “given years of serious violations of the JCPOA by other sides, it is essential to secure enough assurances that all sanctions are removed verifiably; and the U.S. will not, once again, withdraw from the JCPOA or abuse its mechanism to create another implementation crisis to deprive Iran of its benefits from the deal”. He further asserted that “Iran’s ballistic missiles are designed to deliver conventional warheads and are ‘not designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons’, and accordingly are outside the purview of Resolution 2231”. The ambassador also referred to “clear indications pointing to the Israeli regime’s responsibility” in the 2020 killing of a nuclear scientist and April 2021 incident at Natanz, calling on the Security Council to “hold the Israeli regime to account for such adventuristic practices”.

Referring to the technical agreement between Iran and the IAEA that expired on 24 June, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “no new decision has yet been made” on extending it.

The Pentagon announced that it had carried out “defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region”, noting that “these facilities are utilised by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that “we took necessary, appropriate, deliberate action that is designed to limit the risk of escalation, but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message”. An Iraqi defence official argued that the operation constituted “a blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty”, and Iran’s foreign ministry maintained that the U.S. was “upsetting security in the region”. Later in the day, a spokesperson for the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition confirmed that “U.S. Forces in Syria were attacked by multiple rockets”, with no casualties reported, and subsequently announced that “U.S. Forces in Syria, while under multiple rocket attack, acted in self-defence and conducted counter-battery artillery fire at rocket launching positions”.

The Pentagon announced that it had carried out “defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region”, noting that “these facilities are utilised by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that “we took necessary, appropriate, deliberate action that is designed to limit the risk of escalation, but also to send a clear and unambiguous deterrent message”. An Iraqi defence official argued that the operation constituted “a blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty”, and Iran’s foreign ministry maintained that the U.S. was “upsetting security in the region”. Later in the day, a spokesperson for the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition confirmed that “U.S. Forces in Syria were attacked by multiple rockets”, with no casualties reported, and subsequently announced that “U.S. Forces in Syria, while under multiple rocket attack, acted in self-defence and conducted counter-battery artillery fire at rocket launching positions”.

Iran’s lead negotiator in Vienna remarked that “when the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA and Iran decided to stay in the deal, it was Iran’s big and difficult decision… Now it is the other party’s turn to decide and reach a conclusion on the JCPOA[‘s] revival based on the negotiations we have had”.

The IAEA called for “an immediate response from Iran” regarding the technical agreement with Iran that expired on 24 June, adding: “The Director General stresses the vital importance of continuing the Agency’s necessary verification and monitoring activities in Iran, including the uninterrupted collection and storage of data by its monitoring and surveillance equipment”. Iran’s IAEA envoy contended that “the basis of this agreement is to facilitate political negotiations, not Iran’s obligation to implement the Agency’s request”. The same day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored that “this remains a serious concern, a concern that we’ve communicated to Iran, and it needs to be resolved”.

Iranian media reported that “an act of sabotage targeting one of the buildings belonging to the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI)” had been stymied, adding that “the attack did not result in any casualties or damage”.

A Pentagon spokesperson stated that “U.S. Space Command is aware of the Iranian rocket launch failure which occurred early 12 June”. Iran’s telecommunications minister subsequently maintained that “the report on the unsuccessful launch of the satellite is not true”.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the seizure of “33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and three websites operated by Kataeb Hizbollah (KH), in violation of U.S. sanctions”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the move and said: “The current U.S. administration is exactly following the previous U.S. administration’s path, which will result in nothing but a double failure for Washington”.

The IAEA confirmed receiving updated information from Iran’s atomic energy organisation “regarding the technical problem at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant” that resulted in a temporary shutdown of the facility. Per the AEOI, “the technical problem occurred in the electrical generator of the plant, and after resolving it, the plant will be reconnected to the national electricity grid”.

The IRGC reported uncovering “three counter-revolutionary terrorist teams who were trying to endanger the security of the country during [the 18 June presidential] elections”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “if and when we are able to achieve that mutual return to [JCPOA] compliance, we will be in a stronger position to, through diplomacy, take on these other areas that have been such a challenge: the ballistic missile program, support for proxies and terrorist groups and human rights, among others”. The spokesperson also noted that “the Iranians have no doubt about where we stand on the issue of this follow-on diplomacy… they have heard it in no uncertain terms as well”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson the same day asserted that “there will never be a discussion about a new JCPOA”, adding: “if anyone wants to be sure of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, it is better to put the full implementation of the JCPOA on its agenda”. He further highlighted that “the U.S. once showed during the Trump era that it can arrogantly ignore the interests of other countries, so Iran wants guarantees from the current U.S. administration”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson described Iran’s 18 June presidential elections as “pre-manufactured. This was not a free and fair election process in which Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders”. He also noted that “ultimately, it is Iran’s supreme leader who determines Iran’s policy on a range of important issues”. Relatedly, a White House spokesperson asserted that President-elect Ebrahim Raisi “will, of course, be held accountable for violations of human rights on his watch going forward”, adding: “We strongly urge the Iranian government, regardless of who’s in power, to release political prisoners, improve respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Iranians”. An Iranian government spokesperson maintained that “such remarks are nothing new and Iran considers them as intervention in its internal affairs and in contrast with the international law”.

Commenting on the technical agreement between Iran and the IAEA, set to expire on 24 June, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi maintained that “it is becoming increasingly difficult to extend or keep this arrangement”, adding: “this temporary agreement is not a sustainable solution. This agreement cannot be seen as a replacement for a correct verification approach… We are on a ventilator”. Grossi further indicated that “I cannot see any advantage for them [ie, the Iranians] to sever ties with the IAEA or pursue a policy of confrontation with the IAEA. This will only create problems for Iran at every level, and it is not in their interest”.

Ebrahim Raisi was elected to succeed Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president, winning just under 18 million votes from a total of 29 million cast.

Ahead of the 24 June expiration of a technical agreement between Iran and the IAEA, Iran’s lead negotiator in Vienna talks conferred with IAEA Director General Raphael Grossi on “the latest developments around the JCPOA negotiations and possible assistance of the IAEA in this process”.

The U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license related to Iran to “build upon… existing authorisations for COVID-19-related transactions and activities”, adding that “these new authorisations will further support the critical work of governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and private sector actors in providing COVID-19-related assistance to the people in certain sanctioned jurisdictions”. It further “encourage[d] those interested in providing COVID-19-related relief to Iran… to avail themselves of the available exemptions, exceptions and authorisations pertaining to humanitarian assistance”.

In a speech ahead of Iranian presidential elections, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claimed that “American and British media are trying very hard to decrease the people’s presence at the ballot box. Of course, experience has shown that the people have done the opposite of what the enemy wanted. This will be the case this time too… The people’s support of the system must be shown to the enemy”.

Referring to Iran’s 18 June presidential election in the context of ongoing JCPOA negotiations, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked that “it will be necessary to wait for the new Iranian government”. “The discussions that have been going on for weeks have dealt with very complex and delicate technical questions, but what is needed is the political will of the parties”, he added.

After meeting with President Biden, the Swiss foreign minister, referencing the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement with Iran (SHTA), indicated that “the trouble is it hasn’t been used enough, and why? Because there are transfers of funds that still require approval, and I think on this the U.S. is willing to accelerate their decisions so that this channel can be used to its full effect”. He also said that Switzerland “is always ready to provide help for prisoner exchanges, especially for countries where it plays the role of a protecting power”.

With a sixth round of JCPOA talks underway in Vienna, Iran’s lead negotiator remarked that “a good deal is when our key concerns are addressed and our key objectives are met, without which we don’t have a deal… We continue negotiations, we are not in a hurry. We don’t have any deadline for ourselves”. Acknowledging that “there are many technicalities to be resolved”, he went on to posit that the other parties “have to make their difficult decisions and they have to make sure, this is very important, they have to assure the Islamic Republic of Iran that what happened in the past is not going to be repeated in the future”.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi indicated that “there is no information” suggesting that Iran’s nuclear program had an ongoing military dimension. However, he went on to note that “when you enrich at 60 per cent, you are very close. It’s technically indistinguishable from weapon-grade material. So when you combine this with the fact that our inspection access is being curtailed, then I start to worry”.

President Rouhani remarked that “everyone saw that Iran… did 63 per cent [uranium] enrichment, and if necessary, we can do higher enrichment at any time, but at the same time we are not looking for nuclear weapons”. He further noted that “we do not intend war and tension, but at the same time we will not bow down to the aggressor powers. Today in the Vienna talks, it is clear that if the Americans and the rest of the P5+1 fulfil all their obligations without exception, the Islamic Republic of Iran will fulfil all its obligations without delay and after the verification”.

Iran’s mission to the UN maintained, with reference to comments by the former head of Israel’s Mossad, that “lawlessness has reached a point when the former official of this regime is shamelessly and blatantly threatening our nuclear scientists with death… This madness must not be tolerated”.

Iran’s UN ambassador indicated that “illegal U.S. sanctions have not just deprived our people of medicine; they have also prevented Iran from paying our dues in arrears to the UN. After six months of working on it, the UN today announced it has received the funds”. The funds reportedly drew on Iranian assets in South Korea, the transfer of which was facilitated by the U.S.

A senior Iranian military official confirmed that “the 77th strategic naval fleet of the Navy, comprising of the Sahand destroyer and the Markan ship, is present in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time to demonstrate the capabilities of Iran in the maritime arena”. Asked about the vessels, the State Department noted that the U.S. was “prepared to leverage our applicable authorities, including sanctions, against any actor that enables Iran’s ongoing provision of weapons to violent partners and to proxies”. Noting that “freedom of navigation is something that we espouse for ourselves and for our international partners”, a spokesperson underscored that “if Iran would seek to effect the transfer of weapons or other illicit materials, we would be prepared to hold Iran accountable”.

The Biden administration told the IAEA Board of Governors that “although we welcome the ongoing discussions focused on a mutual return to JCPOA… we note that Iran’s obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement are separate from its JCPOA commitments. They cannot be set aside. Failing to hold Iran to them would both undermine the integrity of the international safeguards system and set a troubling precedent for international efforts to ensure that Iran is adhering to all of its nonproliferation commitments”. Further referencing “with serious concern developments related to Iran’s decision to suspend implementation of provisions of its Additional Protocol as of 23 February”, the U.S. asked the IAEA to provide continued safeguard reporting “sufficiently in advance of the September Board so that the Board may consider any necessary response”. Meanwhile, Iran’s envoy asserted that the “recurrence of sabotage acts and assassination of nuclear scientists will be responded [to] decisively, but also certainly leave no option for Iran but to reconsider its transparency measures and cooperation policy with the Agency”.

The U.S. sanctioned “members of a smuggling network that helps fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force and the Huthis in Yemen” based on counterterrorism authorities. The Treasury Department asserted that “the Huthis have relied on support from the IRGC-QF to wage their campaign against the internationally recognised Yemeni government and the Saudi-led Coalition”, and indicated that the blacklisted “network generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of commodities, like Iranian petroleum”. In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on “the Huthis to accept a ceasefire and for all parties to resume pollical talks”, adding: “The U.S. will continue to apply pressure to the Huthis, including through targeted sanctions, to advance those goals”. Washington also announced that it was “lifting sanctions on three former Government of Iran officials, and two companies”, explaining that “these delistings are a result of a verified change in behaviour or status on the part of the sanctioned parties”.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) derestricted its latest quarterly report on Iran’s nuclear program, dated 31 May.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and stressed that “we can end the current miserable situation in Yemen… only through political dialogue and peaceful means”.

The U.S. told the IAEA Board of Governors that Iran should “refrain from taking further steps beyond the JCPOA’s limits and to return to all of its JCPOA commitments, including by allowing the IAEA to have unimpeded access to sites and activities necessary to fulfill its monitoring and verification responsibilities under the JCPOA, and by fully implementing the Additional Protocol”. The U.S. statement went on to “urge Iran to join the U.S. in reaching and implementing an understanding for a mutual return to full compliance with the JCPOA”. Iran’s IAEA envoy subsequently maintained that “Iran [is] engaged seriously in JCPOA negotiations. It’s important that the outcome secures enough assurances that all sanctions are lifted in a verifiable manner and we do not face, once again, the crisis situation in which the U.S. withdraws from the deal or abuse mechanisms therein… It is yet to be observed whether the U.S. is serious enough”.

IAEA Director General Grossi briefed the Board of Governors on the agency’s safeguards concerns and noted that “Iran has provided no new information in relation to one location, has not answered any of the Agency’s questions nor provided any information in relation to two other locations and provided a written statement on a fourth location without any substantiating documentation”. “I reiterate the requirement for Iran to clarify and resolve these issues without further delay”, he added. Grossi went on to underscore that “the lack of progress in clarifying the agency’s questions concerning the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations seriously affects the ability of the IAEA to provide assurance of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program”. Iran’s IAEA envoy subsequently criticised what he deemed “the biased approach of the [IAEA] Secretariat vis-à-vis its interactions with Iran, which ignores the level of cooperation and engagement”, warning that “this approach could turn into an obstacle for future good-will interactions between the two sides”.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remarked that “one cannot merely rely on words and promises. Concerning the issue of nuclear negotiations… I have always told officials that actions speak louder than words and one cannot rely on mere promises”.

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Kadhimi stated that he was “proud that Iraq’s relations with Iran are at their best now”, adding: “We have established balanced relations with all neighbours. No exchanges were made at the expense of another country, especially with Iran”. He also expressed “hope that the Iranian-Arab, Iranian-Saudi and even Iranian relationships with other countries of the region would grow… Iraq endeavours to pave the way, if requested to do so, to get the views of the conflicted parties in the region closer”. “Everyone thinks that there is an opportunity for stability”, al-Kadhimi asserted.  

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressing “strong dismay over the announcement that the Islamic Republic of Iran will lose its voting privileges in the UN General Assembly due to arrears in the payment of its financial contribution”, explaining: “Iran’s inability to fulfil its financial obligation toward the United Nations is directly caused by ‘unlawful, unilateral sanctions’ imposed by the U.S.”. “The people of Iran have been under the most unprecedented economic warfare – and indeed economic terrorism – following the Trump administration’s U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA (shamelessly continued to this day by its successor as so-called ‘bargaining leverage’)”, he added. In a tweet, Zarif also referred to the U.S. having sold seized Iranian oil and maintained: “The UN can also collect from $110m that the U.S. stole in recent piracy”.

The Kharq, an Iranian navy vessel used for logistics and training, sank off the coast of Jask; a military spokesperson said a fire “had started from the engine house” and proved uncontainable.

President Rouhani asserted that “the [JCPOA] negotiations in Vienna today are going well… the main issues with the U.S. have been resolved, and if there is a will do to this in this government’s term, this government has done it”. Relatedly, Iran’s lead negotiator indicated that “disputes have reached a point where everyone believes that it is not impossible to resolve, but details are important anyway, and our firm positions are important to be respected”. The Joint Commission met later in the day and concluded the fifth round of talks.

Following media reports on the possibility of two Iranian ships heading to Venezuela, Iran’s government spokesperson maintained that “there is nothing abnormal in the friendly and traditional relations between Iran and Venezuela”, and posited that “our relations with Venezuela are not against any third country”. The foreign ministry underscored that “Iran is always present in international waters and has this right under international law”; a spokesperson also cautioned Washington against “miscalculations”.

Iran’s lead negotiator in Vienna indicated that “we are now at a point where the obvious differences that are being addressed. The texts of negotiation have been prepared and a large number of texts are ready, but differences are under consideration”. Relatedly, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson noted that “there is no deadlock in the Vienna talks… We do not allow the talks to erode, nor do we rush”. “The JCPOA must be implemented exactly”, he added. “There has never been any discussion about the new JCPOA and we have not had any new negotiations with the U.S.”.

Iran’s lead negotiator at the JCPOA negotiations remarked that “serious and important issues still remained in Vienna talks that need to be resolved. Of course, the number of these issues has decreased, and we have advanced a lot in writing the draft in previous periods. We can move forward further, but the few issues that remain are still key issues that need to be decided”. He further noted that “time is not the criterion for us. Securing the interests of the country is the criterion for us, and until these interests are secured, the negotiations will continue”. The same day, President Rouhani asserted that “our negotiators are negotiating very decisively, firmly and carefully in Vienna, and their progress is remarkable… today everything is ready for an agreement”.

IAEA Director General Raphael Grossi warned that the development of Iran’s nuclear program was “very concerning”, noting that “a country enriching [uranium] at 60 per cent is a very serious thing — only countries making bombs are reaching this level”. “You cannot put the genie back into the bottle — once you know how to do stuff, you know, and the only way to check this is through verification”, Grossi highlighted. “The Iranian program has grown, become more sophisticated so the linear return to 2015 is no longer possible. What you can do is keep their activities below the parameters of 2015”. Grossi also discussed the IAEA investigation over traces of uranium at undeclared sites, which he described as “a big problem”, and maintained: “They know they have to provide explanations… This is going to affect the credibility of your country in general and the chances for any bigger wider agreement that you want to enter with your counterparts in the JCPOA”.

Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami indicated that “strengthening and upgrading the missile power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the first goal of the Ministry of Defence”, adding: “We have gained various achievements in various fields, which are not limited to ground combat… in the field of missiles, we are undoubtedly one of the world powers, and in the field of UAVs, we are even better than the world’s top powers”.

The IAEA announced that it had “agreed with Iran to extend by one month the necessary verification and monitoring activities carried out by the Agency in the country”. Relatedly, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, indicated that Iran was continue to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, claiming that Tehran had amassed 2.5kg, 90kg and 5 tons at 60, 20 and 5 per cent respectively. The following day, Iran’s government spokesperson expressed “hope that this constructive move will send a clear message to the P4+1, the U.S. and the IAEA that the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to conclude the [JCPOA] negotiations as soon as possible”. He further insisted that Iran would “not tolerate talks of attrition”, warning that “every day of delay in this process complicates resolving the disputes”.

Iran’s intelligence ministry reported apprehending “three foreign-backed terrorist teams” in south east and north west Iran.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami spoke with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas officials and asserted that “Iran is ready to provide all kinds of assistance to the Palestinian nation and resistance forces in all areas and it will spare no effort in this regard”.

A day after the announcement of a ceasefire following confrontations across Israel-Palestine, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hailed “the victory of the Palestinian nation over the Zionist regime [ie, Israel]”, and contended that “Muslim governments should earnestly enter the field to support the Palestinian nation in both military and financial areas”. In a statement, the IRGC said that the “‘hit and run era’ and destruction of homes and displacement of oppressed and defenseless Palestinians is over”. Iran also unveiled a drone named after Gaza. Too, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told the UN General Assembly that “the people of Palestine are fully entitled to defend themselves and to defy the tyrannical tactics of this racist apartheid regime”, and criticised “the futility of normalisation” of relations between Israel and some Gulf Arab states.

Amidst a flare-up across Israel-Palestine, IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani reportedly wrote to a Hamas military official that “no matter how much pressure mounts [on Iran] and to what degree sanctions are intensified, we will never let Palestine be alone… We will not stop until the usurping Zionist regime [ie, Israel] is annihilated and every inch of the land of Palestine is liberated”. Referring to the Abraham Accord normalising relations between Israel and some Gulf Arab states, Qaani contended that “those who were involved in the process of selling out Palestine… will soon regret what they have done”.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell indicated that “teams in Vienna made good progress in past weeks. All sides now need to take necessary political decisions, so we can conclude negotiations and get back to full [JCPOA] implementation”. He also asserted that “[it’s] crucial for the IAEA to continue its verification activities”. The same day, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told Borrell that “it would not be acceptable to see… President Joe Biden continue to use the illegal and inhumane sanctions imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump as leverage in the talks”. “A fundamental change in this approach is a sine qua non for the Vienna talks to be fruitful, and this is a political decision that the U.S. president should adopt”, he added.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy met with Iran’s UN envoy and called on “the Iranians to engage with seriousness and urgency in nuclear negotiations, pressure the Huthis to end the war in Yemen, urge Hamas to accept a ceasefire and end rocket attacks into Israel and release Morad Tahbaz from prison”. In turn, the Iranian side emphasised “the need for practical removal of all U.S. sanctions on Iran” and expressed “Iran’s will for a peaceful settlement of the war in Yemen”, noting in particular that “any solution to the Yemeni crisis must ensure the complete lifting of the siege and impeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the country and a ceasefire”.

After a Joint Commission meeting in Vienna, EU High Representative Enrique Mora indicated that “I am quite sure that there will be a final agreement… I think we are on the right track”. Iran’s lead negotiator remarked that “good progress has been made, and there are certain key issues that call for more consultation and decisions to be made in the capitals, which we hope will be reached in the next few days so that we can reach a conclusion on them in the next round of the talks”. The following day, President Rouhani said that “the other sides… [had] accepted to lift all the main sanctions, including oil, petrochemical, shipping, insurance, central bank and banks, and in this regard, the main agreement has been reached and we are discussing some issues to reach a final agreement”. A senior U.S. diplomat indicated that proceedings had been “positive and we saw meaningful progress… Nevertheless, important differences remain, which still need to be addressed”.

Referring to the three-month 21 February technical agreement between Iran and the IAEA, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “the access of the Agency beyond the safeguards has been suspended… If the [Vienna] talks are concluded [by 21 May], those films will be delivered to the IAEA”. “If the negotiations remain on the right track by that day”, he added, “Iran may decide to give another opportunity to IAEA, but in either case, accesses beyond safeguards will not be granted to the Agency”.

Amidst a flare-up across Israel-Palestine, IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani spoke with the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and, the following day, with the head of Hamas’s political bureau maintaining that “Iran will never stop supporting the Palestinian people and the brave Resistance”.

Iran’s foreign ministry underscored the position that “the only solution to settle the Palestinian crisis is to hold a referendum”, adding: “Until that day arrives, all-out resistance will be the only way to prevent… widespread oppression”. 

Iran’s lead negotiator in Vienna affirmed that the “resumption of voluntary application of Additional Protocol [to the NPT] by Iran is predicated on sanctions being lifted. We’d like to get to it before 21 May [the end date of Iran’s technical agreement with the IAEA], if possible”. He further asserted that “we’re serious and determined, ready to do it even tomorrow: once sanctions are verifiably lifted, we’ll return to full implementation of JCPOA”.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with his Syrian counterpart and discussed, inter alia, “Tehran’s support for the Syrian nation and government against the inauspicious phenomena of extremism and terrorism”; Zarif also posited that U.S. sanctions were “depriving the Iranian and Syrian people of [the] COVID-19 vaccine”. According to an Iranian readout, the Syrian official “appreciated Iran’s support for the people and government of Syria, and underlined the necessity of the two countries’ cooperation”. Zarif also met President Bashar al-Assad and noted the “role that can be played… by pioneering countries behind the Axis of Resistance” in supporting the Palestinian cause, and updated Assad regarding “the latest developments in the Vienna nuclear talks… as well as the regional movements of the Islamic Republic of Iran in relations with other countries in the region”.

Amid violence in Israel and Gaza, the IRGC issued a statement calling the U.S. “guarantors of the Zionist regime’s atrocities and deplorable crimes”, and pledged that “it continues to support and accompany [the Palestinians] with greater intelligence and power than ever before”. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif spoke with the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) expressing Iran’s “preparedness to support the Palestinian people and resistance”. In related remarks a day earlier, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei condemned what he described as “malicious behaviour” by Israel and opined that “only can only talk with the language of strength with these criminals. [The Palestinians] must increase their strength, stand strong and confront them”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif remarked that “We have had connections with Saudi Arabia, and we hope these contacts would yield results through later cooperation… for the sake of regional peace and security, particularly Yemen, which is suffering huge humanitarian catastrophe”. The following day, President Rouhani told the Qatari Emir that “there is no military solution to the crisis in Yemen”, emphasised “the need for cooperation and efforts to resolve the crisis in the country” and voiced “hope that UN-led peaceful motives for peace in Yemen would yield desired results”.

The IRGC seized an arms shipment in western Iran that it claimed “were planned to be transported to the central regions inside the country in order to be used in terrorist attacks in the run-up to the June presidential elections”. The same day, the IRGC reported killing seven “anti-revolution terrorists who had infiltrated into the country from Turkey”; two IRGC members also died in the clash.