Iran to host Russia, China for nuclear talks to counter snapback threat

“Russia prioritizes its own interests and its relationships with other countries over its relationship with us,” Izadi said in an interview with the Iranian outlet Jamaran. “If Russia were to choose between supporting us or Israel, it would undoubtedly choose Israel.”

Izadi’s comments come as several Iranian officials express frustration with Moscow’s silence during recent Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, despite Tehran’s military cooperation with Russia.

“I don’t believe our military cooperation with Russia or our support in the Ukraine war was ever conditional on reciprocal support during times of crisis,” Izadi said. “Russia would never accept such terms. From their perspective, Iran is an unpredictable country, and naturally they would not commit to risking their own interests for us.”

The former diplomat also criticized Moscow’s lack of diplomatic engagement during the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, comparing it with Russia’s past mediation efforts in Iraq during the US-led invasion.

“Even for the sake of preserving its international image or influencing the course of the conflict, Russia did not attempt any mediation between us and the Zionist regime,” Izadi added. “This is in stark contrast to the early 2000s, when Russia sent special envoys to Iraq via Iran multiple times. No such initiative was taken for Iran this time.”

"Over the 46 years since the Islamic Republic was established, our relationship with the United States has been effectively hostile, our ties with Europe have fluctuated, and our relations with regional and neighboring countries have been far from stable. These dynamics have gradually pushed us toward isolation," Izadi said.

Predatory Sparrow, the group believed to be aligned with Israeli intelligence, demonstrated “surgical precision and total freedom of access,” erasing data and destroying wallets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to a report published Sunday.

By targeting Bank Sepah—the Guards’ central financial institution—hackers rendered Iran’s military payroll inoperative and triggered cascading disruptions. “Automated teller machines went dark, and online and in-branch services shut down,” the report said. “Salary and pension payments halted.”

The hackers also penetrated Nobitex, Iran’s dominant cryptocurrency exchange, extracting and burning stablecoins tied to IRGC operational funds.

Nearly 90 percent of the country’s crypto transactions pass through Nobitex, and the group extracted approximately $90 million in stablecoins linked to IRGC funds. These were then burned by transferring them to inaccessible blockchain addresses, permanently removing them from circulation.

“Predatory Sparrow reportedly extracted $90 million from wallets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, then burned the assets by transferring the funds to addresses where they could not be retrieved, thereby permanently removing them from circulation,” the article said.

The strike ignited a broader panic. Though not directly attacked, Iran’s largest commercial bank, Bank Melli, couldn’t meet demand for cash. The Central Bank of Iran attempted to contain the collapse by injecting liquidity, but confidence evaporated. The rial fell more than 12 percent, and authorities suspended trading on the Tehran Stock Exchange.

The attack denied officials and security personnel access to their own money, directly challenging the government’s ability to sustain loyalty through financial means.

The report also said that the success of the cyber campaign has reframed US strategy. While President Trump said at the NATO summit, “We want [Iranians] to be prosperous, we want them to do well, but they can’t have nuclear weapons," it was a message to Iran's Supreme Leader that he must relinquish the nuclear program or face economic collapse.

The report said that sanctions that drive the Islamic Republic finances into vulnerable channels such as crypto and informal banking will likely be part of that strategy, in addition to shifting US cyber policy from passive backing to active involvement in offensive operations alongside Israel.

“Cyber warfare also rewards live-fire experience," the article said. "The more Washington and Jerusalem operate together in combat, the stronger their alliance grows. And when the next big test comes—as it surely will—the nations that have trained together under fire will dominate the field."

Brig. Gen. Alireza Sabahifard, who leads the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said Iran’s air defense forces are operating with “open eyes and full strength” and will, in his words, “rub the nose of aggressors into the dirt” backed by military capabilities and “trust in God.”

The Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, Iran’s highest operational military command, oversees planning, coordination, and operational supervision of all armed forces. Its air defense base is responsible for coordinating and operating air defense activities across both the Army and the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

On Sunday, Mahmoud Mousavi, the army’s deputy for operations, said Iran has replaced air defense systems damaged during last month's conflict with Israel.

"Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure," Mousavi added.

During the June conflict, Israel's air force took control of Iranian airspace, delivering a significant blow to the country's air defenses, while Iran's armed forces responded with successive waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory.

Israeli military officials say that 120 air defense systems were destroyed or disabled since the first wave of attacks—around a third of Iran’s pre-war total. Long-range systems, including Russian-supplied S-300s and Iran’s Bavar-373 batteries, were among those targeted.

“Following the continued extreme heat and the necessity of conserving water and electricity, Wednesday, 23 July, has been declared a public holiday in Tehran Province,” government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani wrote on X.

“It is an opportunity for rest, a short trip, or being with family, of course while observing safety guidelines and conserving energy,” she added.

The announcement came as temperatures in parts of Iran soared above seasonal averages, with Tehran reaching around 104°F (40°C) on Sunday, putting further strain on the country’s aging power grid and water supply systems.

In a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Pezeshkian cited a report from the energy ministry and warned that the crisis was more severe than acknowledged.

“The water crisis is more serious than what is being discussed today, and if we do not take urgent action now, we will face a situation in the future for which no remedy can be found,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media.

“In the water sector, beyond management and planning, we also need to address excessive consumption,” he added.

In response to the country's water crisis, water shutoffs have spread across Iran, especially Tehran, amid growing reports of silent rationing—claims denied by officials who attribute the issue to a mere drop in pressure.

Last week, Iran's Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi warned that the country's critical reservoirs could run dry within weeks. Aliabadi added that Iran is negotiating with neighboring countries to import water

“The E3 have relinquished their role as ‘Participants’ in the JCPOA, making any attempt to reinstate terminated UNSC resolutions null and void,” Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on Sunday.

He said the three European countries "lack any legal, political, and moral standing to invoke the mechanisms of the JCPOA and UN Resolution 2231" after what he called their support for the Israeli-American war on Iran and their violation of their commitments under the deal and the resolution.

The remarks were part of a letter he wrote to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the president of United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

New round of talks

Iran and the European troika will hold nuclear talks on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey, Iran's state TV announced on Sunday, citing the foreign ministry spokesman.

Deputy foreign ministers Kazem Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi will represent Iran in the nuclear talks with Britain, France and Germany, Esmaeil Baghaei said.

The talks are being held upon the E3's request, he added.

“We are in a strong position and are pursuing our rights more firmly than before,” the state broadcaster reported citing foreign minister Araghchi.

Tehran's diplomatic efforts come ahead of the E3's late August deadline to trigger the so-called "snapback" mechanism.

On Thursday, the E3 told Iran that they would restore the UN sanctions unless it reopened talks on its nuclear program immediately and produced concrete results by the end of August.

The snapback mechanism is part of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. It allows any participant in the nuclear agreement -- the E3, Russia and China -- to reimpose sanctions if Iran is deemed non-compliant. If no resolution to maintain sanctions relief is passed within 30 days, all previous UN measures return automatically.

In a phone call with Araghchi on Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Kallas offered the extension of the snapback deadline under the nuclear deal, the Wall Street Journal reported citing sources, provided Iran resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and place specific limits on its enriched uranium stockpile.

Germany’s foreign minister,. vowed to trigger the snapback mechanism if no deal is reached by the end of summer.

"We are firmly determined, firstly, to do everything possible to achieve a negotiated diplomatic solution (on Iran nuclear program), but secondly, we are equally determined, if that fails, to activate the snapback mechanism," Johann Wadephul said on Friday.