
Iran's nuclear progam: UN nuclear watchdog leaders return to Tehran after war with Israel
The previous day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had announced the visit would launch "negotiations (…) to define the framework for cooperation," clarifying that no inspections of nuclear sites were planned. Nevertheless, the visit reflected Tehran's willingness to ease tensions with the international community over its nuclear program and to resume negotiations with Washington. Six rounds of talks had already taken place before the war, but they were unsuccessful.
On June 12, the IAEA Board of Governors published two reports accusing Iran of violating its nonproliferation commitments. The following day, Israel attacked several Iranian sites. During the 12-day war, Israel bombed key military and nuclear installations, killing scientists and civilians, with US support at the end of the conflict. On July 3, Tehran suspended its cooperation with the IAEA, citing its lack of impartiality.

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Euronews
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Iran's president criticises Netanyahu's pledge to help in water crisis
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to help the country deal with its water crisis, saying he should first address the situation in Gaza. Pezeshkian's response came as Netanyahu addressed Iranians in a video message on Tuesday, pledging that Israel would help solve the country's severe water shortages once Iran is 'free' from the current government, according to Israeli media. 'A regime that deprives people of Gaza of water and food says it will bring water to Iran? A mirage, nothing more,' Pezeshkian said on X. The Iranian president also doubled down on the comments during a cabinet meeting in Tehran, saying that 'those with a deceptive appearance are falsely claiming compassion for the people of Iran." 'First, look at the difficult situation of Gaza and defenceless people, especially children who are struggling ... because of hunger, lack of access to potable water and medicine, and because of a siege by the brutal regime.' The remarks mark a return to political spats that follow Israel's waves of airstrikes on Iran in June, targeting nuclear facilities, top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Water and power issues persist On Wednesday, authorities in Iran ordered government offices and banks across much of the country to close as surging summer temperatures and the worsening water crisis strain the power grid. The closure is the second this summer announced by state television, according to media reports. As temperatures across the capital Tehran have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, authorities urged residents to avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours and conserve water and energy. Iran produces some 62,000 megawatts of electric energy per hour at its peak, but needs about 80,000 megawatts to meet its needs. Experts warn that the two-hour electrical outages that Tehran and other cities currently face every other day could soon extend to four hours. On Sunday, reports say Pezeshkian told a group of officials that 'we do not have water; we do not have water under our feet and we do not have water behind our dams, so you tell me, what do we do? Someone comes and tells me, 'What do I have to do?' Pezeshkian said that Iran is in 'a serious and unimaginable crisis' and added that his administration is in touch with experts who are trying to find a solution to the problem.


Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Iran's president mocks Netanyahu over pledge of help in water crisis
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday mocked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to help the Islamic Republic deal with its water crisis, asking him to first address Gaza's food crisis. Pezeshkian's response came as Netanyahu addressed Iranians in a video message on Tuesday, pledging that Israel would help solve the country's severe water shortages once Iran is 'free' from the current government, according to Israeli media. On Wednesday, Pezeshkian took to social media to say that Israel, which has denied Palestinians access to water and food, can't be trusted. 'A regime that deprives people of Gaza of water and food says it will bring water to Iran? A MIRAGE, NOTHING MORE,' Pezeshkian said on X. The Iranian president also doubled down on the comments during a Cabinet meeting in Tehran, saying that 'those with a deceptive appearance are falsely claiming compassion for the people of Iran. 'First, look at the difficult situation of Gaza and (their) defenceless people, especially children who are struggling ... because of hunger, lack of access to potable water and medicine, and because of a siege by the brutal regime.' The remarks marked a transformation from a state of war to political spats. In June, Israel carried out waves of airstrikes on Iran, killing nearly 1,100 people, including many military commanders. Retaliatory Iranian strikes killed 28 people in Israel. On Sunday, Pezeshkian told a group of officials that 'we do not have water; we do not have water under our feet and we do not have water behind our dams, so you tell me, what do we do? Someone comes and tells me, 'What do I have to do?' He said that 'we are in a serious and unimaginable crisis' and added that his administration is in touch with experts who are trying to find a solution to the problem. Experts say years of drought and water mismanagement led to the crisis.

LeMonde
13 hours ago
- LeMonde
Britain, France and Germany threaten to reimpose sanctions on Iran as nuclear program deadline nears
The top diplomats of Britain, France and Germany threatened to reimpose sanctions on Iran as an end-of-the-month deadline nears for the country to resume negotiations with the West over its nuclear program and cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog . The three countries − known as the E3 − wrote in a letter to the United Nations dated Friday, August 8, that they were willing to trigger a process known as the "snapback" mechanism − which allows one of the Western parties to reimpose UN sanctions − if Tehran doesn't comply with its requirements. French Foreign Minister Jean-Nöel Barrot posted the letter on Wednesday to X. He co-signed it along with top diplomats from Germany and the United Kingdom. "E3 have always committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon," the letter said. "We have made clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism." The Iranian government didn't immediately respond to the development, but parliament member Manouchehr Mottaki − who was Iran's top diplomat for five years in the 2000s − warned of a swift reaction to any move to trigger the snapback mechanism. He said the Iranian parliament has a "finger on the trigger" for quitting the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, or NPT, the international treaty aimed at halting the spread of nuclear weapons. "We only need 24 hours to approve quitting the nuclear deal," if the E3 raises the issue at the UN Security Council, Mottaki said. The letter from the E3 comes following a period of apparent diplomatic deadlock after a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, where Israeli and American jets struck some key nuclear-related facilities in the Islamic Republic. The countries met with Iranian officials last month in Turkey at Iran's consulate building in Istanbul on the possibility of reimposing international sanctions, lifted in 2015 in exchange for Tehran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said at the time that he hoped that the meeting would see the E3 nations reassess their "previous unconstructive attitude." Since the war, talks with Washington for a new nuclear deal haven't resumed, and Iran has since suspended ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog , following the attacks. The IAEA's first visit to Iran since the war didn't entail any visits to nuclear facilities Monday, and cooperation wasn't officially restored. One of the three countries opting to trigger the snapback mechanism would renew sanctions on Iran, but Tehran renewing cooperation with the Vienna-based IAEA and addressing concerns about its highly-enriched uranium stockpile would delay it. Iran has had limited IAEA inspections in the past as a pressure tactic in negotiating with the West and it is unclear how soon talks between Tehran and Washington for a deal over its nuclear program will resume. German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Josef Hinterseher on Wednesday said that the letter "once again underlines that the legal preconditions for snapback have long existed." "Our position and our appeal is, very clearly, that Iran still has the choice of deciding to return to diplomacy (…) and full cooperation with the IAEA," he told reporters at a regular news conference in Berlin. US intelligence agencies and the IAEA had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% − a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.