Iran's capital faces worst drought in recent memory, water chief says

"I hope that Iran, and I've written them a letter saying, I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing for them," Trump said in a segment of the interview broadcast on Friday.

"There are two ways Iran can be handled, militarily or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal because I'm not looking to hurt Iran," Trump added. "They're great people. I know so many Iranians from this country."

The letter was swiftly dismissed by an official outlet of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a military force which along with Khamenei is a key decision-maker, as a pointless psychological operation.

Trump made a similar approach in his first term, sending a letter with Japan's prime minister at the time Shinzo Abe. The 2019 letter was disregarded by Khamenei who said it was 'not worthy' of a reply.

Tehran's UN mission in New York said no letter from Trump has been received.

Again saying Iran would not negotiate under the strengthened sanctions Trump imposed last month, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Israel was trying to embroil the United States and the region in a foolish war.

"It is Israel's desire to involve the other countries in the region in a war. It is Israel's desire to draw America into a war," he said in an interview with AFP.

This is precisely an Israeli plan to drag America into war, and America is extremely vulnerable if it enters a war in the region. They themselves know this."

'One way or the other'

Trump added in his interview that a nuclear deal would be a victory for Iran.

"I think they want to get that letter," he said. "The other alternative is we have to do something, because you can't let another nuclear weapon."

"I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me. But we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," US president added. "Something's going to happen one way or the other."

The letter comes after the Trump administration broke with decades of US policy to negotiate directly in recent weeks with the Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas movement it views as a terrorist organization.

Trump’s remarks come as his administration ramps up pressure on Tehran through renewed economic sanctions and enforcement measures targeting Iran’s oil exports.

On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined the administration’s updated "maximum pressure" campaign, saying that the goal is to push Iran’s economy to the brink by tightening restrictions on its oil trade.

"Making Iran broke again will mark the beginning of our updated sanctions policy," Bessent told the Economic Club of New York, highlighting the impact of US sanctions on the Iranian rial, which has lost half its value in the past six months.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing parliament on Sunday, acknowledged increasing economic pressure, saying that Iranian tankers now face growing uncertainty in unloading their cargoes due to heightened US enforcement.

Hugo Shorter's summons came after Britain said it would put Iran's intelligence and security establishment on the highest tier of a foreign influence watchlist on Tuesday, toughening London's stance on perceived political interference by Tehran.

Under the designation, Iran and anybody acting on its behalf would be deemed a potential security threat and compelled to register their activities in the UK. Not doing so would potentially incur a five-year prison sentence.

According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Alireza Yousefi, assistant foreign minister and director general for Western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry, met with Shorter on Friday.

IRNA's report added that during the meeting Yousefi told Shorter that Britian's "biased stance and unfounded allegations" contradict international law and diplomatic norms, further deepening Iranian distrust of the UK’s policies toward Iran.

The report cited Shorter as saying he would relay the message to London.

Earlier on Thursday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also condemned the move, saying, "Any government that makes baseless accusations against the Iranian nation or takes hostile actions against them must be held accountable."

Under the new designation, Iran and any individuals acting on its behalf will be required to register their activities in the UK or face possible prison sentences of up to five years.

Referring to past British involvement in Iran’s internal affairs, Baghaei added, "You accuse Iran of what you yourselves are skilled at: interfering in the internal affairs of nations! But this is no longer the 19th century."

Fear over a potential designation prompted emergency meetings among Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani and PMF leaders, Al Seyassah reported.

A senior Iraqi official was quoted as saying that Washington’s decision is driven by Iraq’s refusal to dissolve the PMF and the group's close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The State Department announced Tuesday that it is officially implementing its decision to designate the Iran-backed Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, setting in motion President Donald Trump's push earlier this year, to do so.

State Secretary Marco Rubio cited the Houthis' attacks on Red Sea shipping and threats to US and allied security as justification for the designation.

Since October 7, the Houthis have launched near-daily drone and missile attacks on Israel and targeted shipping, claiming it as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), encompassing factions such as Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba, have actively engaged in operations against US forces in Iraq and Syria, aligning with Iran's regional strategy.

Following a drone attack in January last year at a US outpost in Jordan—known as Tower 22—that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers and injuries to 47 others, the US conducted retaliatory airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq and Syria.

Subsequently, Kata'ib Hezbollah announced a suspension of its military operations against US forces to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government, which had called for de-escalation.

Known as the "Fourth Night of Architects," the 12th Iranian Interior Design Award was held on January 20 at the National Library of Iran, attracting over 500 attendees.

Shortly afterward, videos emerged on social media showing women, including judges and participants, without headscarves.

The head of Iran's Public Security Police stated that under orders from Tehran's prosecutor, "swift and decisive action" was taken against those involved in "acts contrary to morality and public decency."

Police official Majid Fayz Jafari told domestic media on Friday that "the police do not compromise on citizens' security and will take firm action against those who deliberately violate the law."

Tehran's prosecutor Ali Salehi also confirmed legal action, alleging that "some women attended without observing the hijab, and moral and legal standards were not upheld."

This case is part of a broader enforcement of the Islamic Republic's hijab regulations.

Last month, Iranian singer Hiva Seifizadeh was arrested during a live performance at Tehran's "Emarat Roo Be Roo," prompting the venue to announce its closure until further notice.

Authorities have also expanded monitoring efforts, with reports of increasing warning messages and legal cases related to hijab violations.

According to the Dideban Azar website, some women received warnings through text messages, which, in certain cases, were sent to their family members.

In December, Tehran paused implementation of a controversial hijab law, which would impose harsher penalties on women and girls violating veiling requirements, following significant domestic and international backlash.

Yet, Iranian authorities continue to enforce existing hijab regulations, taking action against women who appear unveiled in public.

Earlier this week, 209 lawmakers signed a petition urging Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to enforce the controversial "Chastity and Hijab Law."

Following that, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk addressed the state's hijab policies.

"I call again on the authorities to repeal the (hijab) law fully and permanently, along with all other laws and practices that discriminate against women and girls," Turk said on Monday.

Russia is an active geopolitical player with its own vested interests, Nematollah Izadi told ILNA News Agency on Friday.

"There is no doubt the Russians are interested in mediating between Iran and the US, but whether they can do so effectively remains in doubt," Izadi said. "They play a role in regional issues concerning Iran, the US, and Europe and have their own interests. Therefore, they cannot be impartial mediators."

He also urged Iran to adopt a balanced foreign policy, warning against over-reliance on a single ally.

"If Iran fails to do so, all of its foreign policy ‘eggs’ will end up in Russia’s basket—and most likely China’s as well," he said. "This will undoubtedly have negative consequences, as it will limit Iran’s options."

His remarks come following an alarming report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi revealed that Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, raising further concerns over its nuclear intentions.

Grossi also acknowledged that Western sanctions have failed to curb Tehran’s nuclear expansion, with its program growing significantly in recent years.

“Sanctions aren’t working,” Grossi told Bloomberg. “Quite obviously, the country has learned to circumvent them. The program has grown enormously, especially since 2018.”

The IAEA has consistently argued that there is no credible civilian use for uranium enriched to 60%, as it is just a short technical step from weapons-grade (90%) uranium.

Russia’s expanding role in Iran talks

As Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West intensifies, Russia has positioned itself as a key diplomatic actor, proposing talks with Washington.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met with Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali on Thursday to discuss international efforts to resolve issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

Moscow has agreed to assist the US in communicating with Iran on various issues, including its nuclear program and support for regional anti-US proxies, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, later confirmed by the Kremlin.

The report, later picked up by Russian state media, quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that "Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations" and that Moscow "is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this."

Last month, before the Russian offer of mediation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, where both sides "aligned their positions" on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that unraveled following the US withdrawal in 2018.

Additionally, in an exclusive interview with BBC Persian, Russia’s IAEA envoy Mikhail Ulyanov dismissed Western concerns about Iran’s uranium enrichment, calling US and European warnings a "political pressure tactic."

"Our Western colleagues seem to think the Middle East is too calm, and they want to add fuel to the fire," Ulyanov said.

Missile program and regional influence: a key sticking point

A major sticking point in nuclear negotiations is whether talks will include Iran’s missile program and regional influence, issues that the US insists must be addressed in any new deal, but Tehran and Moscow reject.

"Negotiations should not include Iran’s missile program or its regional influence," Ulyanov said. "Adding these topics would complicate the process and make it unmanageable."

This mirrors the original 2015 JCPOA, which focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program while excluding its missile program and regional activities, a framework Iran insists must remain unchanged.

Iran's shift away from the West

Izadi’s concerns over Russia’s mediation come amid Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s ban on negotiations with the United States, issued in early February after President Donald Trump announced plans to intensify sanctions. Trump called for an agreement that would permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Khamenei has long pushed for closer ties with Russia and China, rejecting reliance on the US and Europe, a stance that has hardened since the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and renewed sanctions.

This shift has had domestic political consequences, most notably in the forced resignation of Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former Foreign Minister who negotiated the JCPOA.