iranintl – A former senior Iranian diplomat has warned that certain actors are actively working to prevent improved relations between Iran and the West, emphasizing the need for Tehran to maintain a balanced foreign policy with all global powers. Jalal Sadatian, who previously served as Iran’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, told the ILNA news website in Tehran: “It is …

iranintl – US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff reacted “great” on Wednesday to a spirited statement by Iran’s foreign minister on X before swiftly deleting the post. It was not immediately clear if the expunged monosyllable, which marks the first public interaction between Tehran and the Trump administration, was meant in earnest, irony or error. Witkoff’s office did …

iranintl – The Iranian police intelligence agency has issued thousands of gun permits to senior state officials in what a hacktivist group described as an unprecedented response to fear of internal reprisals. Edalaat-e Ali, a group that has previously leaked surveillance footage and official documents, said the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic authorized the distribution of over 3,000 …

Iranwire – French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned on Wednesday that military confrontation with Iran appears “almost inevitable” if diplomatic efforts to limit Tehran’s nuclear program fail. “The window of opportunity is narrow. We only have a few months until the expiration of this accord,” Barrot told Parliament following a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. He added, “In the event …

RFL/RE – US lawmakers and experts at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing underscored a rare bipartisan consensus — preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as a top priority. However, divisions remain over how far Washington should go in applying pressure versus pursuing diplomacy. Republican lawmakers strongly supported the Donald Trump administration’s decision to reinstate the “maximum pressure” campaign that …