Grossi: Iran Is Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons; My Report Did Not Trigger the Attack
WANA (Oct 05) – The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, stated: “My report clearly said that Iran has no program to develop nuclear weapons. So, if anyone thinks that report was a reason for war, they are mistaken.”
In response to a question about whether he sees any hope of returning to Iran after the country’s recent criticisms of him and its restrictions on IAEA access, Grossi said: “Yes, absolutely. We take this matter very seriously. Recently, after lengthy negotiations, IAEA inspectors returned to Iran. As a first step in resuming inspections, they visited the Bushehr reactor. However, we still need to agree on a set of technical procedures and methods so that we can access all sites, including those damaged in the attacks, because nuclear material remains under the rubble of these sites, and such materials remain of interest to the international community. We are in the process of rebuilding the connections that were severed due to the attacks.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today regarding the recent Iran–IAEA agreement in Cairo: “We signed an agreement with the IAEA outlining a new framework for cooperation between Iran and the Agency, and the reason was quite clear. Given the changes on the ground and the attack on our facilities, cooperation with the Agency could not continue as before. Due to existing security and safety concerns, it was absolutely necessary to define a new framework for collaboration.”……………………………
Military Attacks May Have Only Short-Term Effects
When asked what his message to Iran would be, Grossi said: “We must always trust dialogue. Even though I have personally faced threats, I believe we must stay committed to diplomacy. For me, for Iran, and for those who attacked Iran, it is absolutely clear that a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only come through diplomacy.”
Grossi admitted that military attacks would not eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities: “Military attacks may have short-term effects, but the fact remains that technical expertise and technology exist — and what is destroyed can be rebuilt, perhaps with a spirit of revenge. That’s why I always remind all sides that a sustainable solution must be some kind of agreement — one that restores lost trust
Our Reports Only Reflected the Status of Iran’s Nuclear Program
In response to claims that the IAEA has not been impartial, Grossi said: “I am constantly criticized, and one should not fear criticism, even when I believe it is misplaced. It has been said that the IAEA’s reports gave a green light for military action — that is completely false.”
He insisted: “Our reports simply reflected the state of Iran’s nuclear program, without any new or surprising information that could justify military action. Even regarding nuclear weapons development, my report explicitly stated that Iran did not have — and still does not have — a program to build nuclear weapons. So if anyone thinks my report was a reason for war, they are entirely wrong.”……………… https://wanaen.com/grossi-iran-is-not-seeking-nuclear-weapons-my-report-did-not-trigger-the-attack/
UN nuclear chief says military action cannot destroy Iran nuclear program
Iran International, 5 Oct 25
ilitary strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites would have only short-term effects and fail to destroy its capabilities, the UN atomic watchdog chief said, urging diplomacy as the sole path to a lasting solution to concerns over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
“One thing is clear to me, to Iran, and to those who attacked Iran: a lasting, permanent solution to this situation and to the doubts surrounding Iran’s nuclear program can only be diplomatic,” Rafael Grossi said on a podcast hosted by Colombia’s Innovation for Development Foundation on Friday.
“Although attacks or military action may have short-term effects, the technical and technological capabilities exist — what was destroyed can be rebuilt,” he added.
“I always remind all the parties involved that beyond missiles and bombs, the only lasting solution will have to be some form of new agreement to restore lost trust.”
Talks between Tehran and Western powers over the country’s nuclear program remain stalled.
A sixth round of indirect US-Iran talks was suspended in June after Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting waves of Iranian missile retaliation against Israel.
A preliminary US Defense Intelligence Agency assessment found the strikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, according to a report by Reuters.
However, US President Donald Trump has consistently said Iran’s nuclear facilities targeted in the attacks were “totally obliterated.”……………………………………….
The UN sanctions on Iran were reinstated on September 28 after the UK, France, and Germany (the E3) triggered the snapback mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
The E3 said the decision followed “Iran rejecting two offers put on the table by the JCPoA coordinator in 2022 and further expanding its nuclear activities in clear breach of its JCPoA commitments.”
Iran has blamed the failure of the talks on what it calls Western powers’ “excessive demands.” https://www.iranintl.com/en/202510054637
Iran says nuclear cooperation with IAEA ‘no longer relevant’
Iranian FM warns that Europe has ‘eliminated justification for talks’ with UN nuclear watchdog after triggering snapback sanctions.
By Elis Gjevori and News Agencies, 5 Oct 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/5/iran-says-nuclear-cooperation-with-iaea-no-longer-relevant
Iran’s foreign minister has declared that cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog is “no longer relevant” after Western countries reinstated international sanctions on the country.
“The Cairo agreement is no longer relevant for our cooperation with the IAEA,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, referring to a deal signed last month with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
That agreement had laid out a framework for renewed inspections and monitoring after Tehran suspended cooperation following Israeli and United States attacks on its nuclear facilities in June.
However, the deal lost significance after Britain, France and Germany – all signatories to the 2015 nuclear accord – triggered the return of UN sanctions, accusing Iran of breaching its commitments, claims which Tehran has rejected.
“The three European countries thought they had leverage in their hands, threatening to implement a snapback,” Araghchi told foreign diplomats in Tehran. “Now they have used this lever and seen the results. The three European countries have definitely diminished their role and almost eliminated the justification for negotiations with them.”
He added that the European trio “will have a much smaller role than in the past” in any future talks over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Double standards
Tehran has accused the IAEA of double standards, saying the agency failed to condemn Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites despite its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Western states, led by the US and supported by Israel, have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons – allegations Tehran strongly denies. Iran insists its programme is purely civilian and that it retains the right to enrich uranium under the NPT.
Some Iranian lawmakers have suggested withdrawing from the NPT altogether, though President Masoud Pezeshkian has maintained that Iran will remain committed to its treaty obligations.
Araghchi said Tehran’s “decision regarding cooperation with the agency will be announced”, without elaborating, but noted that “there is still room for diplomacy”.
Talks between Iran and the US that began in April to revive a broader nuclear agreement collapsed after Israeli attacks in June targeted Iranian nuclear, military and residential sites.
Tehran has since accused Washington of sabotaging diplomacy and demanded guarantees and recognition of its rights before any potential resumption of negotiations.
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon, while Israel is widely believed to possess an undeclared nuclear arsenal of dozens of atomic bombs.
Iran won’t risk Russia, China’s ire by quitting nuclear treaty, expert says
Threats by Iranian hardliners to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
after a June war are likely headed nowhere because of Tehran’s keenness not
to irritate Russia and China, Middle East expert Kenneth Pollack told Iran
International. “The Chinese absolutely do not want to see Iran acquire
nuclear weapons. That would be very problematic for them. For the same
reason, the Chinese do not want to see Iran violate the NPT,” added
Pollack, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute think tank
in Washington DC.
Iran International 2nd Oct 2025, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202510021782
Iran angry as sweeping UN sanctions take effect after failure of nuclear talks
Foreign ministry attacks ‘unjustifiable’ return of measures expected to have wide effects on troubled economy
Guardian, Agence France-Presse 28 Sept 25
Widespread UN sanctions against Iran have come back into force for the first time in a decade, prompting anger from Tehran, after last-ditch nuclear talks with western powers failed to produce a breakthrough.
The sanctions, which came into effect late on Saturday and three months after Israel and the US bombed Iran, bar dealings related to Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programme and are also expected to have wider effects on the country’s troubled economy.
In a statement on Sunday, as the Iranian rial plummeted to a record low against the US dollar, the Iranian foreign ministry hit out at the move. “The reactivation of annulled resolutions is legally baseless and unjustifiable,” it said. “All countries must refrain from recognising this illegal situation.”
European and US diplomats stressed immediately after the resumption of sanctions that diplomacy was not over…………………………………
Iran has allowed UN inspectors to return to its nuclear sites, but the president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the US had offered only a short reprieve in return for handing over its whole stockpile of enriched uranium, a proposal he described as unacceptable.
An 11th-hour effort by Iran’s allies Russia and China to postpone the sanctions until April failed to win enough votes in the security council on Friday, leading to the measures taking effect at 1am BST on Sunday…………………………………..
The sanctions are a “snapback” of measures frozen in 2015 when Iran agreed to major restrictions on its nuclear programme under a deal negotiated by the former US president Barack Obama.
The US has already imposed massive sanctions, including trying to force all countries to shun Iranian oil, in steps taken by Donald Trump when he withdrew from the deal in his first presidential term.
Iran and the US had held several rounds of Omani-brokered talks this year before they collapsed in June when first Israel and then the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran recalled its envoys from the UK, France and Germany for consultations on Saturday, state television reported…………………………………………. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/28/sweeping-un-sanctions-on-iran-come-into-effect-after-nuclear-talks-fail
A hungrier, poorer and more anxious Iran awaits ‘snapback’ of UN sanctions over its nuclear program.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS, 28 September 2025, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-15139177/A-hungrier-poorer-anxious-Iran-awaits-snapback-UN-sanctions-nuclear-program.html
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – As Iran’s ailing economy braced Saturday for the reimposition of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, it is ordinary people who increasingly find themselves priced out of the food they need to survive and worried about their futures.
Iran’s rial currency already sits at a record low, increasing pressure on food prices and making daily life that much more challenging. That includes meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table.
Meanwhile, people worry about a new round of fighting between Iran and Israel – as well as potentially the United States – as missile sites struck during the 12-day war in June now appear to be being rebuilt.
Activists fear a rising wave of repression within the Islamic Republic, which already has reportedly executed more people this year than over the past three decades.
Sina, the father of a 12-year-old boy who spoke on condition that only his first name be used for fear of repercussions, said the country has never faced such a challenging time, even during the deprivations of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the decades of sanctions that came later.
“For as long as I can remember, we´ve been struggling with economic hardship, and every year it´s worse than the last,” Sina told The Associated Press. “For my generation, it´s always either too late or too early – our dreams are slipping away.”
Early Sunday at 0000 GMT (8 p.m. Eastern), barring any last-minute diplomatic breakthrough, U.N. sanctions on Iran will be reimposed through “snapback,” as the mechanism is called by the diplomats who negotiated it into Iran´s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Snapback was designed to be veto-proof at the U.N. Security Council, meaning China and Russia cannot stop it alone, as they have other proposed actions against Tehran in the past.
The measure will again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran, and penalize any development of Iran´s ballistic missile program, among other measures.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered snapback over Iran further restricting monitoring of its nuclear program and the deadlock over its negotiations with the U.S.
Iran further withdrew from the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring after Israel´s war on the country in June, which also saw the U.S. strike nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, the country still maintains a stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% purity – a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% – that is largely enough to make several atomic bombs, should Tehran choose to rush toward weaponization.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though the West and IAEA say Tehran had an organized weapons program up until 2003.
Tehran has further argued that the three European nations shouldn´t be allowed to implement snapback, pointing in part to America´s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018, during the first term of President Donald Trump´s administration.
“The Trump administration appears to think it has a stronger hand post-strikes, and it can wait for Iran to come back to the table,” said Kelsey Davenport, a nuclear expert at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. “Given the knowledge Iran has, given the materials that remain in Iran, that´s a very dangerous assumption.”
Risks also remain for Iran as well, she added: “In the short term, kicking out the IAEA increases the risk of miscalculation. The U.S. or Israel could use the lack of inspections as a pretext for further strikes.”
Iran on Saturday recalled its ambassadors to France, Germany and the U.K. for consultations ahead of the sanctions being reimposed, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The aftermath of the June war drove up food prices in Iran, putting already expensive meat out of reach for poorer families.
Iran’s government put overall annual inflation at 34.5% in June, and its Statistical Center reported that the cost of essential food items rose over 50% over the same period. But even that doesn’t reflect what people see at shops. Pinto beans tripled in price in a year, while butter nearly doubled. Rice, a staple, rose more than 80% on average, hitting 100% for premium varieties. Whole chicken is up 26%, while beer and lamb are up 9%.
“Every day I see new higher prices for cheese, milk and butter,” said Sima Taghavi, a mother of two, at a Tehran grocery. “I cannot omit them like fruits and meat from my grocery list because my kids are too young to be deprived.”
The pressure over food and fears about the war resuming have seen more patients heading to psychologists since June, local media in Iran have reported.
“The psychological pressure from the 12-day war on the one hand, and runaway inflation and price hikes on the other, has left society exhausted and unmotivated,” Dr. Sima Ferdowsi, a clinical psychologist and professor at Shahid Beheshti University, told the Hamshahri newspaper in an interview published in July.
“If the economic situation continues like this, it will have serious social and moral consequences,” she warned, with the newspaper noting “people may do things they would never think of doing in normal circumstances to survive.”
Iran has faced multiple nationwide protests in recent years, fueled by anger over the economy, demands for women’s rights and calls for the country’s theocracy to change. The most recent came in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after being detained by police allegedly for not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to their liking.
In response to those protests and the June war, Iran has been putting prisoners to death at a pace unseen since 1988, when it executed thousands at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights and the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran put the number of people executed in 2025 at over 1,000, noting the number could be higher as Iran does not report on each execution.
“Political and civic space in Iran has shrunk to nothing, and outside Iran, civil society activists and dissidents face transnational repression,” the center warned. “The Iranian people, millions of whom aspire to more than a closed and brutal theocracy, have tried every option within their reach. Their leaders have not.”
Vahdat reported from Tehran, Iran. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report. ___
UN Security Council rejects Russia and China’s last-ditch effort to delay sanctions on Iran
By FARNOUSH AMIRI, STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN and EDITH M. LEDERER, September 27, 2025
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Friday rejected a last-ditch effort to delay reimposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, a decision that the country’s president immediately called “unfair, unjust and illegal.” The decision on the “snapback sanctions” came a day before the deadline and after Western countries claimed weeks of meetings failed to result in a concrete agreement.
The resolution put forth by Russia and China — Iran’s most powerful and closest allies on the 15-member council — failed to garner support from the nine countries required to halt the series of U.N. sanctions from taking effect Saturday, as outlined in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The vote was 4-9 with two abstentions.
“We had hoped that European colleagues and the U.S. would think twice, and they would opt for the path of diplomacy and dialogue instead of their clumsy blackmail, which merely results in escalation of the situation in the region,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, the deputy Russian ambassador to the U.N., said during the meeting.
Shortly after the vote, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at a meeting with journalists and Iran experts on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, a day before the deadline for the sanctions to kick in. Pezeshkian said that despite previous threats, Iran won’t withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty like North Korea, which abandoned the treaty in 2003 and then built atomic weapons.
Barring an eleventh-hour deal, the reinstatement of sanctions — triggered by Britain, France and Germany — will once again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, among other measures. That will further squeeze the country’s reeling economy.
The move is expected to heighten already magnified tensions between Iran and the West. But despite previous threats to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Pezeshkian said in an interview with a group of reporters that the country had no intention to do so right now. North Korea, which abandoned the treaty in 2003, went on to build atomic weapons.
Four countries — China, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria — once again supported giving Iran more time to negotiate with the European countries, known as the E3, and the United States, which unilaterally withdrew from the accord with world powers in 2018 during Trump’s first administration…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Barring an eleventh-hour deal, the reinstatement of sanctions — triggered by Britain, France and Germany — will once again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, among other measures. That will further squeeze the country’s reeling economy.https://apnews.com/article/iran-snapback-sanctions-united-nations-nuclear-program-europe-1f1f6e1781bdb6b27f8bfad2661db4c5
UN sanctions on Iran set to return as nuclear diplomacy fades
September 27, 2025, https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/un-sanctions-on-iran-set-to-return-as-nuclear-diplomacy-fades/news-story/0c414f139787f2be580259e3e8daba7f
Iran was set to come under sweeping UN sanctions late Saturday for the first time in a decade — barring an unexpected last-minute breakthrough — after nuclear talks with the West floundered.
The UN nuclear watchdog on Friday said that inspectors had been allowed to return to Iranian sites, but Western powers did not see enough progress to agree to a delay after a week of top-level diplomacy at the UN General Assembly.
European powers set the clock ticking a month ago for the “snapback” of the UN sanctions, accusing Iran of failing to come clean on its nuclear program — including through countermeasures it took in response to Israeli and US bombing.
Iran on Saturday recalled its envoys in Britain, France and Germany for consultations, after the three European countries triggered the mechanism, Iranian state television said.
The sanctions are set to go into effect at 0000 GMT on Sunday (8:00 pm on Saturday in New York).
They will set up a global ban on working with companies, people and organizations accused of developing Iran’s nuclear program or ballistic missiles.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said there was no reason to reach a deal when, in his view, Israel and the United States were seeking to use the pressure to topple the Islamic republic.
“If the goal had been to resolve concerns on the nuclear program, we could easily do that,” Pezeshkian told reporters, as he insisted again that Iran will never pursue nuclear weapons.
Pezeshkian, who met during the week with French President Emmanuel Macron, said France had proposed that Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in return for a one-month delay in the return of sanctions
“Why would we put ourselves in such a trap and have a noose around our neck each month?” he said.
He accused the United States of pressing the Europeans not to reach a compromise.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s friend and roving negotiator, had said that the United States does not want to hurt Iran and was open to further talks.
But Pezeshkian charged that Witkoff lacked seriousness, saying he had backtracked on agreements during earlier talks — which abruptly stopped when Israel launched its military campaign.
– No Russia enforcement –
The sanctions are aimed at imposing new economic pain to pressure Iran, but it remains to be seen if all countries will enforce them.
Russian deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Friday that Moscow, a top partner of Iran, considered the reimposition of sanctions “null and void.”
Russia and China sought at the Security Council Friday to delay the reimposition of sanctions until April but failed to muster enough votes.
The United States already has unilateral sanctions on Iran and has tried to force all other countries to stop buying Iranian oil, although companies from China have defied the pressure.
Trump imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign during his first term when he withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former president Barack Obama, which had offered sanctions relief in return for drastic curbs on Iran’s nuclear program.
The new sanctions mark a “snapback” of the UN measures that were suspended under the 2015 deal, which had been strongly supported by Britain, France and Germany after Trump’s withdrawal.
The International Crisis Group, which studies conflict resolution, said in a report that Iran seemed dismissive of the snapback as it had already learned to cope with the US sanctions.
But it noted that the snapback was not easy to reverse as it would require consensus at the Security Council.
“It is also likely to compound the malaise around an economy already struggling with high inflation, currency woes and deepening infrastructure problems,” the report said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a defiant UN address Friday urged no delay in the snapback and hinted that Israel was willing to again strike Iran’s nuclear program, after the 12 days of bombing in June that Iranian authorities say killed more than 1,000 people.
Pezeshkian said that Iran would not retaliate against the sanctions by leaving the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, warning that unnamed powers were seeking a “superficial pretext to set the region ablaze.”
Russia, Iran sign nuclear power plants deal as sanctions loom
Agreement between Rosatom and Iran targets energy expansion with eight new nuclear plants planned by 2040.
By Usaid Siddiqui and Reuters, 24 Sep 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/24/russia-iran-sign-nuclear-power-plants-deal-as-sanctions-loom
Russia and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of small nuclear power plants in Iran, according the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, as Tehran has been engaged in a diplomatic push to avert new sanctions over its nuclear programme.
The agreement was signed by Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev and Iran’s top nuclear official, Mohammad Eslami, on Wednesday at a meeting in Moscow. Rosatom described it as a “strategic project”.
Eslami, who is also Iran’s vice president, told Iranian state media earlier this week that the plan was to construct eight nuclear power plants as Tehran seeks to reach 20GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2040.
Iran, which suffers from electricity shortages during high-demand months, has only one operating nuclear power plant, in the southern city of Bushehr. It was built by Russia and has a capacity of approximately 1GW.
The development comes amid looming sanctions on Iran, after the United Nations Security Council voted on Friday not to permanently lift economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, meaning sanctions will return by September 28 if no significant deal is reached beforehand.
Russia was among four nations that voted to stop the sanctions from being reintroduced.
Iran pushed back against the UNSC vote, saying the resumption of sanctions would “effectively suspend” the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN watchdog.
The vote followed a 30-day process launched in late August by the United Kingdom, France and Germany – known as the E3 – to reinstate sanctions unless Tehran meets their demands.
The E3 have accused Tehran of breaching its nuclear commitments, including by building up a uranium stockpile of more than 40 times the level permitted under a 2015 nuclear deal, from which Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018, during his first term. The deal allowed Iran to enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent purity.
In its defence, Iran says it boosted its nuclear enrichment only after Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions on the country. Tehran deems the US action a violation of the 2015 deal.
Iranian officials have accused the European trio of abusing the dispute mechanism contained in the 2015 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which allows for the application of sanctions under a “snapback mechanism”.
New sanctions would result in freezing of Iranian assets abroad, a halt in arms deals with Tehran, and penalise the development of ballistic missile programme, among other measures.
Iran has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons but affirmed its right to peacefully pursue nuclear energy. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would never seek a nuclear bomb.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran will not directly negotiate with the United States over Iran’s nuclear programme, calling talks with the US “a sheer dead end”.
Tensions escalated this June, when Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran, with Israeli and US forces striking several nuclear facilities.
Iran’s president vows to never build a nuclear bomb in his UNGA speech
Masoud Pezeshkian accused the UK, France and Germany of acting ‘at the behest of the United States of America’.
By Caolán Magee, 24 Sep 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/24/irans-president-vows-to-never-build-a-nuclear-bomb-in-his-unga-speech
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran will “never seek to build a nuclear bomb”, as diplomatic efforts are under way to avert the so-called “snapback” sanctions on Tehran over the country’s nuclear programme.
The remarks on Wednesday came as a 30-day process launched by the United Kingdom, France and Germany to restore UN sanctions against Iran approaches its September 27 deadline.
The three European powers, known as the E3, accuse Tehran of failing to comply with a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear arms.
The E3 have said they would delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months if Iran restores access for UN nuclear inspectors, addresses concerns about its enriched uranium stockpile and engages in talks with the United States.
“An agreement remains possible. Only a few hours are left. It’s up to Iran to respond to the legitimate issues we have raised,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X after meeting Pezeshkian at the United Nations.
Iran has previously pointed to US President Donald Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal and the air strikes on Iran in June as reasons for scaling back its previous commitments.
Pezeshkian accused the Europeans of bad faith, saying that Iran’s lack of cooperation was in response to Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“They falsely presented themselves as parties of good standing to the agreement, and they disparaged Iran’s sincere efforts as insufficient,” Pezeshkian said.
In his speech at the UN, Pezeshkian went on to accuse the E3 of acting “at the behest of the United States of America”.
“In doing so, they set aside good faith,” he told the assembly. “They circumvented legal obligations. They sought to portray Iran’s lawful remedial measures taken in response to the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA and to Europe’s breach and other incapacity as a gross violation.”
In a recorded speech on Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated that Tehran is not seeking to build nuclear weapons, but ruled out talks with the US, saying, “This is not a negotiation. It is a diktat, an imposition.”
New sanctions would result in freezing of Iranian assets abroad, a halt in arms deals with Tehran, and penalise the development of ballistic missile programme, among other measures.
12-day war
In his address, Pezeshkian went on to condemn the Israeli and the US surprise attacks that sparked the 12-day war.
Several senior Iranian military figures were killed in the war, which also weakened the country’s defences.
More than 1,000 Iranians were killed when Israel launched air strikes and violated Tehran’s sovereignty, which it claimed was a preemptive act of “self-defence” to target Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israel has been accused of disregarding the sovereignty of neighbouring Arab countries, as it has attacked multiple countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Qatar. The Israeli strikes on Iran were its biggest military offensive in recent years, drawing retaliation from Tehran.
“The Iranian nation has time and again demonstrated that it shall never bow before aggressors,” Pezeshkian said.
He added that during the war, “the patriotic and valiant people of Iran laid bare before the aggressors the fallacy and self-delusion of their arrogant calculations.”
‘Greater Israel’ ambitions
The second day of the UN General Assembly’s annual debate featured speeches by leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Argentina’s Javier Milei, and Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Israel’s war on Gaza has dominated both days, with Pezeshkian using his address to denounce Israeli rhetoric about establishing a “greater Israel,” which he said refers to expanding control over Palestinian land and creating “buffer” zones in neighbouring countries.
“After nearly two years of genocide, mass starvation, the perpetuation of apartheid within the occupied territories and aggression against its neighbours, the ludicrous and delusional scheme of a ‘greater Israel’ is being proclaimed with brazenness by the highest echelons of that regime,” he said.
He added that Israel’s recent attacks on neighbouring countries showed it was no longer seeking security through normalisation.
“Israel and its sponsors no longer even content themselves with normalisation through political means. Rather, they impose their presence through naked force, and have styled it peace through strength,” the Iranian president said.
He closed his address by pledging that Iran is ready to cooperate with international partners and emerge from isolation.
“Iran is a steadfast partner and a trustworthy companion for all peace-seeking countries of friendship and a partnership grounded not in fleeting expediency but in dignity, trust and a shared future,” he said.
“Let us, together with you, turn threads into opportunities.”
Iran publishes alleged leak of Israeli nuclear sites, experts and secret files
Itamar Eichner, Lior Ben Ari, 24 Sept 25, https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1errtw2eg
Iran’s intelligence ministry claims Israelis leaked sensitive documents and photos for money, including details on 189 nuclear experts, images of the Dimona reactor and personal photos of IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.
Iran’s intelligence ministry on Wednesday published what it described as a large trove of “secret and classified” Israeli documents and photographs, claiming the materials were leaked by Israelis themselves.
Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib said the documents include footage from “the Dimona reactor and Israeli nuclear facilities,” details on “upgrades to nuclear weapons,” and information on “past and present Israeli projects developed in cooperation with the United States and the European Union.” He also claimed the material contains “a full list of staff and the administrative structure of Israel’s nuclear weapons program.”
Iran says it obtained secret files on Israel’s nuclear program
25 Sept 25, https://www.iranintl.com/en/202509242634
According to the intelligence ministry, the material demonstrated that Israeli intelligence spies “on everyone,” including the IAEA chief, and that the data it had obtained proves this claim.
Iran’s intelligence ministry aired a segment on national TV displaying information and documents that it says it obtained from Israel’s intelligence apparatus on the Jewish state’s nuclear program
The broadcast featured a series of video files that reportedly contain material from inside Israeli nuclear and other sensitive facilities, including the Dimona site. It also presented alleged details about personnel working on Israel’s nuclear program.
“We identified 189 Israeli nuclear and proliferation scientists and top officials, along with their networks,” Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib said during the presentation, which included names and ID cards of alleged nuclear personnel.
“I tell Netanyahu … your employees collaborated with us for money and still do,” Khatib, a cleric and veteran military and intelligence official, added.
Israel is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
Tehran’s nemesis killed nuclear scientists and hundreds of military personnel in a surprise 12-day military campaign in June, underscoring Iranian intelligence failures.
Iran has said it too has infiltrated its enemy, and Israel has arrested several of its citizens on charges of spying for Tehran.
One alleged employee was introduced with a photo and described as working across seven Israeli nuclear sites under the cover of a company called ROTEM.
Another was identified as a nuclear scientist allegedly involved in “proliferation projects” between Israel and the United States.
It also mentioned the Chaim Weizmann laboratory, which it described as Israel’s leading proliferation program and was targeted by Iranian ballistic missiles during a 12-day war in June.
Additional documents shown in the broadcast suggested alleged nuclear cooperation between Israel and France under a project called SARAF.
One batch of the alleged material included private and family photos of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi it alleged was obtained from Israeli intelligence sources.
The video, published on Tasnim’s Telegram channel, showed images of Grossi with his family at Disneyland, at home during birthdays and in gatherings with colleagues and friends.
According to the intelligence ministry, the material demonstrated that Israeli intelligence spies “on everyone,” including the IAEA chief, and that the data it had obtained proves this claim.
Iran, U.S. signal possible easing in nuclear tensions
By Parisa Hafezi and John Irish, September 25, 2025 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-president-tells-un-tehran-will-never-seek-build-nuclear-bomb-2025-09-24/
- Summary
- Iran president speaking at U.N. General Assembly
- Gaps remain between Iran and E3 as deadline looms
- European powers offering delay if Iran makes concessions
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Tehran and Washington signalled a possible softening in nuclear tensions on Wednesday, with Iran insisting it has no ambitions to build nuclear weapons and the U.S. expressing readiness to resume talks aimed at resolving the long-standing standoff.
A few hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the U.N. General Assembly that Iran will never seek to build a nuclear bomb, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff said “we have no desire to hurt them”.
“We’re talking to them. And why wouldn’t we? We talk to everybody. As well we should. That’s the job. Our job is to solve things,” he told the Concordia summit in New York.
Prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks but faced major stumbling blocks such as uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation.
Tehran accuses Washington of “betraying diplomacy” and the nuclear talks have stopped since the war.
One Iranian insider told Reuters that “several messages have been conveyed to Washington for resumption of talks via mediators in the past weeks, but Americans have not responded”.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on key state matters such as foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, ruled out negotiations with the United States under threat.
The United States, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear programme as a veil for efforts to try to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
‘A FEW HOURS LEFT’
Britain, France and Germany on August 28 launched a 30-day process to reimpose U.N. sanctions – known as snapback – that ends on September 27, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
The European powers have offered to delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months to allow space for talks on a long-term deal if Iran restores access for U.N. nuclear inspectors, addresses concerns about its stock of enriched uranium, and engages in talks with the United States.
“I think we have a desire, however, to either realize a permanent solution and negotiate around snapbacks, and if we can’t, then snapbacks will be what they are. They’re the right medicine for what’s happening,” Witkoff said.
But amid the looming threat of sanctions and last-ditch talks between Tehran and European powers to reach a deal to avert snapback of sanctions, diplomats have warned the chances of success remain slim.
After meeting his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron said Iran still had a chance to prevent reimposition of international sanctions, adding that Tehran had not offered anything tangible.
“An agreement is still possible. There are only a few hours left. It is up to Iran to meet the legitimate conditions we have set,” Macron posted on X.
Two European diplomats told Reuters that Iran, the E3 and the EU held a fresh round of talks on Wednesday.
DEADLINE ON SATURDAY
If Tehran and the E3 fail to reach a deal on an extension by the end of September 27, then all U.N. sanctions will be reimposed on Iran, where the economy already struggles with crippling sanctions reimposed since 2018 after Trump ditched the pact during his first term.
The so-called snapback process would reimpose an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, a ban on activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, a global asset freeze and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities.
Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Michelle Nichols, Hugh Lawson, Alison Wiliams and Daniel Wallis
Iran hits out ahead of UN vote on nuclear sanctions
Tehran says it has offered fair proposals and accuses the E3 of ‘political bias’ in seeking to revive sanctions.
By Elis Gjevori and News Agencies, 19 Sept 25, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/19/iran-hits-out-ahead-of-un-vote-on-nuclear-sanctions
Iran has hit out at European states that have threatened to revive international sanctions over the monitoring of its nuclear programme.
Tehran officials on Friday accused the European states, which have said they will reimpose international sanctions if Tehran does not meet conditions, of “political bias” and insisted that they have presented fair proposals to resolve the issue.
The complaints come ahead of a scheduled United Nations Security Council (UNSC) vote later on Friday on a resolution that would permanently lift UN sanctions.
The resolution is unlikely to get the nine votes needed to pass, diplomats told news agencies, and if it did, it would be vetoed by the United States, Britain or France.
Britain, France and Germany – known as the E3 – launched a 30-day process in late August to reimpose sanctions unless Tehran meets their demands.
Iranian officials have accused the trio of abusing the dispute mechanism contained in the 2015 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which allows for the application of sanctions under a “snapback mechanism”.
“What Europeans are doing is politically biased and politically motivated … They are wrong on different levels by trying to misuse the mechanism embedded in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
The Europeans offered to delay the snapback for up to six months if Iran restored access for UN nuclear inspectors and engaged in talks with the US.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that sanctions are likely to be reinstated, with European officials claiming that Iran has not engaged seriously in negotiations.
Following Macron’s statement, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that Tehran had presented a “reasonable and actionable plan” and insisted Iran remains committed to the NPT.
Khatibzadeh cautioned that “all options are on the table if diplomacy fails,” although he did not offer details.
“If Europeans go on this path, they are making the level of unpredictability to the highest level possible, and they are responsible for… any possible future risks,” he declared.
Dirty work
The E3 accuse Tehran of breaching the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed by Iran, the US, China, Russia, and the EU.
Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. The agreement unravelled in 2018 after then-US President Donald Trump pulled out and reimposed unilateral sanctions.
Tensions escalated further earlier this summer, when Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran, with Israeli and US forces striking several nuclear facilities.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz caused anger in Tehran at the time when he declared: “This is dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us.”
Iranian officials have also criticised the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for accusing Tehran of noncompliance with its nuclear obligations ahead of the attacks.
Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon, while Israel is widely believed to possess an undeclared nuclear arsenal of dozens of atomic bombs.
UN security council fails to prevent ‘snapback’ nuclear sanctions on Iran
Iranian foreign ministry urges further diplomacy and says return to pre-2015 measures are unlawful and unfounded.
William Christou, 20 Sept 25, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/20/un-security-council-fails-to-prevent-snapback-nuclear-sanctions-on-iran
Last month, France, Germany and the UK triggered the snapback provision of the deal after Iran refused to cooperate with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, which is tasked with monitoring implementation of the deal.
Two weeks later, Iran agreed to resume cooperation with the IAEA, but it has not yet been able to carry out all of its inspection activities and the body’s ability to operate in the country has been restricted for years.
Since the initiation of the snapback mechanism, intense diplomacy has taken place between mainly European powers and Iran to reach a deal to prevent the sanctions. Talks have not been fruitful, though the UK indicated on Friday after the vote that it was still open to diplomacy.
“The United Kingdom remains committed to a diplomatic solution. We are ready for further engagements diplomatically in the next week and beyond to seek to resolve differences,” said Barbara Woodward, the British ambassador to the UN.
The Iranian foreign ministry said in a Friday statement that it had consistently kept the path of diplomacy open and that it viewed the reimposition of sanctions as “unlawful, unfounded and proactive”.
Iran is still dealing with the impact of the 12-day Iran-Israel war, when Israel launched surprise attacks that it said was a pre-emptive move against the country’s nuclear programme. Iran insists that its nuclear programme is of a civilian nature and that it does not seek to create a nuclear bomb.
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