Iran summons UK envoy over arrest of Iranian nationals on terror charges

President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East on Sunday said Washington will not accept any level of uranium enrichment in a potential agreement with Tehran.

“We cannot allow even one percent of an enrichment capability,” he told ABC News.

“Everything begins from our standpoint with a deal that does not include enrichment.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi swiftly rejected Witkoff’s remarks, calling them unrealistic and disconnected from the state of negotiations. “I think he is completely at a distance from the reality of the negotiations,” Araghchi told IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

In a post on X, Araghchi stressed that uranium enrichment in Iran will not be halted under any scenario.

“If the US is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome,” Araghchi posted on X. “Enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal.”

He also accused the United States of inconsistency in its messaging. “Iran can only control what we Iranians do, and that is to avoid negotiating in public—particularly given the current dissonance we are seeing between what our US interlocutors say in public and in private, and from one week to the other."

Next round of US-Iran talks

Araghchi on Sunday said that a date for the next round of talks has been set and will be announced soon by Oman, which is acting as a mediator, but denied that Tehran had received any formal written proposal from the US.

Witkoff, for his part, said the US had already conveyed its position at the highest level. “(Trump) has directly sent letters to the supreme leader. I have been dispatched to deliver that message as well, and I've delivered it,” he said.

Witkoff said that the next round of negotiations may take place in Europe in the coming days.

“We think that we will be meeting sometime this week in Europe. And we hope that it will lead to some real positivity,” he said.

Iran and the United States have already held four rounds of talks in Muscat and Rome.

Trump said Thursday that the US was “very close” to securing a deal with Iran but warned on Friday that Tehran must act quickly. “They have a proposal. More importantly, they know they have to move quickly or something bad—something bad’s going to happen,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

At the opening of Tehran Dialogue Forum on Sunday, Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to its peaceful nuclear program while rejecting accusations of weaponization.

“We have the right, under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as health, agriculture, and industry,” he said.

The president pointed out Iran’s long-standing position that it does not seek nuclear weapons, citing religious prohibitions and ethical opposition to weapons of mass destruction.

“Our religious belief does not permit the production of nuclear weapons — tools that can destroy humanity and have no future on this Earth besides savagery,” Pezeshkian said. “Even the US president said, ‘We must make sure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.’ Fine — let them come and check. We have nothing to hide.”

The Tehran Dialogue Forum, organized by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to promote unofficial diplomacy, according to the ministry. The two-day event includes participation from foreign ministers, senior policy officials, and UN representatives, with panel sessions livestreamed to audiences worldwide.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi — who has facilitated four rounds of indirect talks between Iran and the United States — attended the forum and may be carrying a new American proposal Trump alluded to Friday.

Trump said Iran has the US proposal, but hours later Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has received no written offer, directly or indirectly.

Call for a ‘fair and balanced’ nuclear deal

In a keynote speech at the same forum, the Iranian foreign minister described US sanctions as “unjust and unilateral,” directly targeting Iranian civilians, and urged their genuine and verifiable removal.

He added that Tehran remains committed to diplomacy and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. “We are seeking a fair and balanced agreement that fully respects Iran’s nuclear rights under the NPT and leads to the tangible and verifiable removal of sanctions,” Araghchi said.

“Sanctions that directly target our people must be lifted in a real and measurable way,” he added. “Such an agreement can serve the interests of both sides and promote peace, stability, and security in the region.”

Araghchi said again that Iran has never pursued nuclear weapons and expressed Tehran’s willingness to resolve international concerns through transparency and dialogue.

“We have always worked to address logical international concerns about our nuclear program through interaction and transparency,” he said.

Last month, UN's nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said in an interview with Le Monde that Iran was “not far” from being able to produce an atomic bomb, describing the country’s progress as “pieces of a puzzle” that could potentially come together.

Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium has risen to 275 kg, up from 182 kg last quarter, the the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief told the agency’s board in March, warning that Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to such a level.

The IAEA says 60% enrichment has no credible civilian use and is close to weapons-grade. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and remains under IAEA monitoring and has no secret nuclear site.

Iran outlines foreign policy strategy, offers reset with Europe

In his address, Araghchi outlined Iran’s evolving foreign policy under President Pezeshkian, structured around three pillars: expanding ties with neighbors, strengthening cooperation with emerging powers and the Global South, and balancing relations with both Eastern and Western blocs.

“Iran seeks to play an active role in shaping a multipolar, just global order,” he said, pointing to Iran’s membership in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Iran views its participation in organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a sign of its growing alignment with multipolar global structures.

Araghchi also said Tehran is ready to begin a “new chapter” with Europe if European states adopt an independent and constructive approach.

He added that Tehran is open to improving ties with Europe if there is a “genuine will” and an “independent approach” from European partners. “If Europe is ready to move past a fixation on disputes, we are ready to open a new chapter.”

Earlier in the day, conservative daily Farhikhtegan reported that European powers pressed for a formal seat at the table and new enforcement mechanisms during Friday’s meeting in Iran’s consulate in Istanbul.

Rejecting ‘external domination’ for regional agency

Addressing the broader geopolitical context, both Pezeshkian and Araghchi denounced what they called foreign interference in West Asia.

“The fate of our region should not remain in the hands of extra-regional powers... it must not remain tied to decisions made in think tanks outside of it,” Araghchi said, citing the Gaza crisis as further evidence of the failure of international systems.

“West Asia needs a fundamental rethinking of its self-image,” Iran’s top diplomat said at the forum, titled “Regional Agency in a Disordered World: Unity or Division?”

He called for a rethinking of the region’s self-image, moving away from narratives imposed by outside actors and instead building an indigenous order. “It is time we dismantle the fabricated and imposed quasi-realities, and establish a local, desirable, and sustainable order,” he said.

Forum as a platform for unofficial diplomacy

The two-day Tehran Dialogue Forum, hosted by Iran’s Foreign Ministry think tank — the Center for Political and International Studies — brings together 200 foreign delegates, including ministers and decision-makers from Persian Gulf and Asian states, according to state media.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, head of the Center, described the forum as “a platform for unofficial diplomatic conversation” that consolidates prior regional conferences on the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and Afghanistan into a single event aimed at strengthening regional diplomacy.

This year’s forum marks a return after a one-year hiatus due to the death of Iran’s former President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash

Khatibzadeh said the forum’s revival under the new administration signals a renewed commitment to diplomacy “rooted in regional priorities, not foreign agendas.”

“Diplomacy, like all other fields, has diverse methods — sometimes a single individual can advance diplomacy as much as an institution,” he said.

He said that all Persian Gulf states sent high-ranking delegations, and that the conference includes 40 panel discussions broadcast live. Around 50 foreign media outlets are covering the event, he said.

The message of Iran’s leadership at the Forum was clear: while Tehran is open to renewed engagement with the US and Europe, it will not accept coercion or compromise on what it views as sovereign rights.

“As a free human being, I reject all forms of coercion,” said President Pezeshkian. “So does every free person in this country and this region. Free nations will never bow to pressure.”

A cross-party group of more than 550 MPs and peers have signed a letter calling on the government to label the IRGC a terrorist organization. The signatories include prominent figures such as former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock, ex-Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and former home secretary Suella Braverman.

The appeal comes shortly after British counter-terrorism police charged three Iranian nationals with offences under the National Security Act, alleging they acted on behalf of Iran’s intelligence service and carried out surveillance targeting Iran International journalists.

The men — Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 56 — were arrested at their homes in London on May 3 and charged on Friday.

All three are accused of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024 and February 16, 2025, in breach of Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. The foreign state involved is Iran, police said.

Tory MP Bob Blackman who coordinated the letter, said "Iranian terrorism has reached our soil. A serious terror plot, involving several Iranians, was recently thwarted in the UK."

“Our ally, the US, rightly designated the IRGC as a terrorist entity several years ago. While the regime has never been weaker, we must set aside all wrong-headed political and diplomatic calculations and proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist entity — an action long overdue.”

The lawmakers argue that allowing the IRGC to operate without restriction sends the wrong message to authoritarian governments. “Appeasing this faltering regime betrays democratic values, emboldens its repressive policies, and undermines global security as Tehran continues its nuclear ambitions and terrorism,” the letter said.

The letter called for firm action against the Revolutionary Guards, saying “the IRGC should be designated as a terrorist organization.”

The UK government has not formally banned the IRGC, but it has imposed sanctions on its members and entities.

The men — Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 56 — were arrested at their homes in London on May 3 and charged on Friday.

All three are accused of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024 and February 16, 2025, in breach of Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.

The foreign state involved is Iran, police said.

Surveillance linked to Iran International journalists

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the men carried out surveillance and reconnaissance targeting journalists associated with Iran International.

"Examination of their phones revealed that from the 14th August 2024 they had been engaged in carrying out surveillance with a view to locating journalists associated with Iran International," read the statement by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Iran International is a Persian-language TV news network that broadcasts 24/7 and has a strong following in Iran, despite government efforts to restrict access to the internet and satellite signals. Tehan has labelled it a terrorist organisation.

Phones seized during the arrests allegedly contained satellite images and mobile phone videos of buildings and streets in London.

Sepahvand faces an additional charge of conducting reconnaissance with the intention of committing acts of serious violence in the UK. Javadi Manesh and Noori are charged with similar conduct intended to facilitate serious violence by others.

“These are extremely serious charges under the National Security Act,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command. “Detectives have been working around the clock and we have worked closely with colleagues in the CPS to reach this point.”

All three men have been remanded in custody and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Iran International has previously been the subject of threats and attacks. In 2023, a man was convicted under terrorism laws after filming outside its premises, and in 2024, Pouria Zeraati, the television host of the "Last Word" program on Iran International was stabbed in London.

UK Minister: Iran must be held to account for its actions

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Saturday confirmed Iran was the foreign state referred to in the charges.

“I want to thank the police and security services for their continuing work on this very serious investigation, and for their immense dedication to protecting our national security and the safety of our communities,” she said in a statement.

“The charges that have been laid must now take their course through the criminal justice system… But we will also take separate action to address the very serious wider issues raised by this case. Iran must be held to account for its actions.”

Cooper said the government would publish next week the findings of a review by Jonathan Hall KC -- the Home Secretary's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation -- into whether existing counter-terrorism frameworks can be adapted to address modern state-based threats, including the design of a proscription mechanism for state-linked entities.

UK raises alarm over Iranian state threats

UK security agencies have warned of increasing threats linked to Tehran. In October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said at least 20 plots linked to Iranian state actors had been disrupted since early 2022, including efforts to kidnap or kill individuals seen as dissidents.

A fourth man, aged 31, arrested as part of the investigation was released without charge on May 15.

All three defendants arrived in the UK by irregular means, including via small boats, between 2016 and 2022. Sepahvand claimed asylum in 2016, Javadi Manesh in 2019 on religious grounds, and Noori's asylum application was rejected in 2024. He is currently appealing that decision.

Iran’s government has previously denied involvement in alleged plots on British soil. In earlier comments, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran “categorically rejects” claims of targeting foreign sites and called for due process to be afforded to Iranian nationals abroad.

Senior diplomats from Iran and the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal met in Istanbul on Friday in what appears to be Tehran’s attempt to prevent a "snapback" of the UN sanctions that were suspended for ten years as part of that deal.

But the initiative is being questioned—somewhat surprisingly—by voices long known for advocating diplomacy, such as former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh.

“There is no point in holding talks with Europeans. Iran’s only solution is to continue negotiations with the United States,” he told the conservative Nameh News on Friday

“Europe’s influence will remain insignificant as long as Trump is the President of the United States.”

Missed chances

A former head of parliament’s foreign policy committee, Falahatpisheh argued that Iran’s recent diplomatic overtures to the signatories of the 2015 deal are little more than a symbolic attempt to break out of the political impasse created by Washington.

“Iran should have negotiated with (US President) Trump during his first term,” Falahatpisheh said. “Unfortunately, Iranian officials are known for their costly and untimely decisions.”

This critique of past decisions may be shared by many in Tehran’s commentariat, but the way forward is certainly not.

“Even if talks with the Americans are paused or entangled in new complexities, we should not stop our negotiations with the Europeans,” political analyst Ali Bigdeli told the moderate outlet Fararu.

“The truth is that the Europeans are holding a hostage called the ‘trigger mechanism,’ which they can use to pressure us. If they don’t agree to postpone its activation by a year, they can use it as leverage against us,” he added.

Fearing the trigger

The trigger clause in the 2015 nuclear deal allows any signatory to reimpose lifted UN sanctions on Iran. The United States effectively forfeited that prerogative when the first Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018.

It remains unclear whether the so-called snapback of sanctions was discussed in the Istanbul roundtable on Friday.

European officials described the event as a broad discussion about Tehran’s relationship with the West. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that it had “nothing to do with negotiations with Washington.”

It did, as far as the media inside Iran are concerned. Whatever their view on the significance of the Istanbul meeting, most editorials linked it to the talks with the US.

“The position of the United States, which has initiated bilateral negotiations with Tehran, has somewhat sidelined Europe’s role,”Khabar Online wrote in an editorial on Friday.

“The nuclear negotiations are not merely a diplomatic engagement between Iran and Europe, but will more broadly affect the balance of power in the region,” it concluded.