Only state holds arms, no meddling: Lebanon’s president to Iran’s security chief

In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, the foreign ministers of the three European nations — known as the E3 — said they were ready to trigger the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal if Tehran did not agree to talks before the end of August, or accept an extension to the deadline.

“We have made it 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 ministers wrote.

The letter was first reported by the Financial Times and France's Le Monde newspaper.

The letter was signed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, and Britain’s David Lammy, and comes two months after US and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. The Iranian mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the nuclear accord, any signatory can trigger the reimposition of sanctions if Iran is deemed in breach. The sanctions — including arms embargoes, cargo inspections and restrictions on missile development — are set to expire on Oct. 18 unless renewed.

Extension for discussion

The Financial Times said the E3 told Iranian negotiators at talks in Turkey last month they would extend the August deadline if Tehran resumed discussions with Washington and restored cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency before September. One Western diplomat described those talks as “difficult.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the newspaper in July that the European powers had no “legal or moral grounds” for a snapback and warned they would be excluded from future nuclear talks if they went ahead.

Iran bracing for snapback

Separately, Iran International reported earlier this week that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has issued confidential guidance to ministries and major companies to prepare for the possible return of punitive UN measures.

The leaked document said renewed sanctions would target arms sales, freeze overseas assets, and reimpose restrictions on industries such as oil, petrochemicals, banking, shipping, insurance and sensitive technologies.

The ministry warned of “severe currency fluctuations, reduced purchasing power, increased unemployment, layoffs and heightened social discontent” if sanctions return, and urged companies to seek alternative suppliers in countries including China, Russia and Iraq. It also cautioned about heightened cyber threats to economic infrastructure.

Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA in June following a brief war with Israel. A senior from the nuclear watchdog met with Iranian counterparts in Tehran on Monday.

'Iran has hand on trigger for NPT exit'

A senior Iranian lawmaker warned on Wednesday that parliament could move to withdraw Iran from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Western powers reimpose the UN sanctions.

“If the other side takes steps toward operationalizing the snapback mechanism and using it, the Iranian parliament will definitely respond,” Manouchehr Mottaki, a member of parliament’s economic committee, was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

He said lawmakers were “ready to pull the trigger” on an NPT exit, adding that the West had no legal grounds to restore sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal and was using the threat only as leverage.

“If they make their threat a reality, in line with the guidance of the Supreme Leader, we will also make our threat a reality,” Mottaki said.

“The water crisis in Iran has gone far beyond the point of urgency and requires absolute full attention,” said Issa Bozorgzadeh, Iran's water industry spokesman.

“Subsidence is a direct consequence of excessive groundwater extraction, driven by poor management and lack of coordination,” Bozorgzadeh told the news website Payam-e Ma.

In May, a member of parliament warned that over-extraction of groundwater had caused land subsidence in 30 provinces, and that 66 percent of the country’s wetlands had turned into dust storm sources.

Environmental activists have long cautioned that Iran’s sprawling capital — home to nearly 10 million people — is highly vulnerable to water shortages due to inefficient infrastructure, leaky pipes and limited investment in modern conservation technologies.

Bozorgzadeh said Tehran’s municipality controls about 50 drinkable wells that should be connected to the city’s potable water network, while the rest should be sealed to help balance the aquifer.

Soudabeh Najafi, head of Tehran City Council’s Health Committee, said in May that subsidence in Tehran is estimated at 24 to 25 centimeters annually.

Tehran water authorities will cut supplies for 12 hours to households deemed heavy consumers who ignore three official warnings, a senior utility official said on Tuesday, as the capital faces its worst drought in more than a century.

Iran’s meteorological organization says the country has faced an almost continuous drought for more than two decades, with rainfall sharply reduced this year and snowpack levels at historic lows.

“A fabricated and fake dossier created by Israel fuels accusations and pretexts — nothing but an attempt to stop our peaceful nuclear program,” Mohammad Eslami said on Tuesday.

Eslami also included the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in his criticism, saying the agency must condemn the killing of individuals involved in Iran's nuclear program in Israeli attacks, Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News reported.

"The assassination of Iran's nuclear scientists, who had no military affiliations, is among their crimes, and such actions by the regime must be strongly condemned by the IAEA,” Eslami said.

Israel launched a surprise military campaign on June 13 targeting military and nuclear sites, assassinating senior Iranian commanders and killing hundreds of civilians.

The war, which lasted for 12 days, saw Israel kill more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists.

According to an Iranian government spokesperson, 1,062 Iranians were killed during the conflict, including 786 military personnel and 276 civilians. Iran retaliated with missile strikes that killed 32 people, including 31 civilians and one off-duty soldier.

On June 22, the United States carried out airstrikes on Iran’s key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

"During the 12-day war, several registered facilities under continuous IAEA monitoring, with 130 inspectors, were repeatedly attacked with missiles and other projectiles,” Eslami added.

Iran also criticized the IAEA on Monday for what it called a failure to act over Israeli and US attacks in June, after talks in Tehran with the UN nuclear watchdog’s deputy director general earlier in the day.

“The Islamic Republic expressed its objection to the failure of the agency to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the Israeli and US attack, and raised its demands for correcting the agency’s improper processes,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.

The Supreme Leader-affiliated newspaper Kayhan accused the IAEA in July of acting as a tool for Western intelligence.

The unanimous Ontario Court of Appeal decision leaves intact a 2024 ruling that found the airline negligent for allowing the flight to depart despite escalating military tensions in the region.

Just minutes after takeoff, two Iranian surface-to-air missiles struck the Boeing 737, killing all 176 people on board, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. Many others had deep ties to Canada.

The case hinged on the Montreal Convention, an international treaty governing air travel. The convention caps airline liability at US$180,000 per passenger unless the carrier is found negligent, in which case full damages may be awarded.

Last year, an Ontario judge concluded that UIA failed to conduct a proper risk assessment before the flight left Tehran, falling short of the “standard of care” required under international law. That finding meant the airline could not rely on the treaty’s liability limit.

Families: Ruling doesn’t diminish Iran’s responsibility

The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims welcomed the decision but stressed that it does not absolve Iran or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which fired the missiles.

The group noted the ruling addresses only the airline’s responsibility for assessing conflict-zone risks, not Iran’s culpability in the attack.

• 

  'Lies Are Spreading' About PS752 Court Ruling - Victim Family Member

They also highlighted that the lower court dismissed Iran’s official explanation — blaming “human error” — as implausible, calling its report flawed and contradictory.

Lawyers Paul Miller and Jamie Thornback, who represent some of the families, called the decision “a landmark.” In a joint statement, they said, “At a time of heightened conflicts around the world, the judgment sends a clear message to international airlines that open airspace cannot be assumed to be safe airspace. Airlines must exercise extreme caution and diligence when operating in or near a conflict zone.”

Accountability efforts continue in international courts
Separate legal proceedings against Iran remain underway at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court.

Canada, along with the UK, Sweden and Ukraine, has pledged to continue pressing for accountability under international law, though those cases are expected to take years.

The ruling follows the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2024 decision not to hear an appeal from families seeking to enforce a $107 million default judgment against Iran. That effort was blocked after an Ontario court ruled Iranian assets in Canada were protected by diplomatic immunity.

The families said in a statement that they hope the ruling will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Netanyahu promised that if Iran “breaks free” from its leadership, Israel would send top water experts to help recycle and desalinate water, restoring rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

“The thirst for water in Iran is only matched by the thirst for freedom,” he said, speaking with a full jug of water on the table as a prop to underscore his point.

“I urge you to be bold and brave … take risks for freedom, for your future, for your families … Take to the streets. Demand justice. Demand accountability. Protest tyranny. Build a better future for your families and for all Iranians,” he added.

In recent weeks, several cities have faced water shutoffs lasting up to 48 hours, while rolling blackouts have compounded the strain in peak summer heat. Key reservoirs are at critically low levels, with some including the Karaj, Lar, and Taleghan dams dramatically depleted compared to last year.

• 

  Tehran reservoirs hit historic lows, satellite images show

President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that without immediate cuts to consumption, some dams could run dry by early autumn, deepening what is already a nationwide environmental emergency.

• 

  Iran’s water crisis is real but man-made, climatologist argues

The address comes as Israel faces its own accusations of restricting access to clean water in Gaza — charges Netanyahu denies — and as he remains wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.

Hint of unfinished business

In a separate sit-down with Israel’s i24 News, Netanyahu described the June strikes that destroyed key elements of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs as historic and vowed to stop Tehran from rebuilding.

When an i24 reporter asked, “Don’t you sometimes feel like wishing to finish work there?” Netanyahu replied, “Yes, but I won’t go into the details of this. We are following this … with seven eyes … together with our American friends.”

Netanyahu also acknowledged that Iran still retains 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity but said Tehran is not currently in a position to advance its nuclear program.

"They have 400 kilograms left. We knew in advance that it wouldn't be damaged. But it's a necessary condition but not sufficient to produce nuclear bombs."

That assessment stands in contrast to the view of former IAEA deputy chief Olli Heinonen, who told Eye for Iran in a recent interview that this amount of material—if further enriched to weapons-grade—could be enough for about ten nuclear bombs

It could be converted within days in a small, concealed facility if the expertise and equipment remain available, he added.

• 

  Where are Iran's 900 pounds of enriched uranium?

Netanyahu's predecessor, Naftali Bennett also shared a video message to Iranian people on Tuesday, saying, "Iran has a choice: it can choose to continue war or it can choose peace, the way of working together.