Israeli FM doubts new nuclear deal amid stark Iran-US differences

A sustained air campaign by the United States and Israel could inflict significant damage on Iran's nuclear facilities, but such action would likely need to be repeated within nine months to a year to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its program, a former US defense official has told the Wall Street Journal.

The former official's assessment suggests that any military intervention would likely result in a temporary setback rather than a definitive end to the program.

The Kremlin on Friday urged all parties involved in the issue of Iran's nuclear program to exercise restraint and seek a political and diplomatic resolution.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that dialogue and negotiation are the appropriate means to address concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We believe that the problem of the Iranian nuclear dossier should be discussed and resolved only by political and diplomatic means. Exclusively," he told reporters. "And, of course, we believe that all parties should maintain absolute restraint here and focus specifically on diplomatic efforts when discussing all issues.”

Peskov added that while Russia is in the process of restoring bilateral relations with the United States, Iran remains an ally of Moscow. "You know that we are currently working on restoring our relations with the United States, but Iran is also our partner, our ally, with whom we have very developed and multifaceted relations."

Russia has previously offered to mediate discussions between Tehran and Washington.

A former commander in Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has said that the time has come to discuss the possibility of the Islamic Republic building an atomic bomb, referencing recent remarks by a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader on the issue.

Mansour Haghighatpour, a former member of parliament and a past commander in the IRGC, made the comments following recent statements by Ali Larijani, an advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, suggesting that US threats could push Iran towards acquiring nuclear weapons.

“The Supreme Leader once declared that building nuclear weapons was religiously forbidden, but he didn't prohibit the knowledge of how to produce them. Currently, we don't have nuclear weapons. However, if we face the threat of an atomic bomb, should we defend ourselves, or simply sit by and be torn apart like Hiroshima and Nagasaki?”

Speaking to Iranian media, Haghighatpour indicated that Iran's specific circumstances necessitate such discussions.

“It is not long before the great fury of the honorable and perceptive Iranian people, who record and remember everything, will ignite, and from that moment, they will rebuild their destiny and honor... May the world be cleansed of your vile existence," she said, holding the authorities responsible.

This latest incident follows previous reports of vandalism to Nika Shakarami's grave. Nika became a symbol of the protests after her disappearance and subsequent confirmation of her death in September 2022. Her family has maintained that she was killed by security forces, a claim disputed by Iranian authorities.

An Iranian member of parliament has reacted sharply to Trump's deal or war rhetoric, warning that any conflict would inflict heavy losses on the United States, Israel, and their allies in the Persian Gulf.

Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of the National Security Committee of the parliament, told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) on Friday that Iran would fight if necessary, and the consequences for its adversaries would be severe.

"How does Trump allow himself to come and say either agreement or war?" Zohrevand questioned. "Certainly, if necessary, we will fight, and in a war with the US, we will not suffer losses. Rather, it will be the US, the Zionist regime, and their allies in the Persian Gulf who will suffer and will have to go and pitch tents in the Egyptian desert. Therefore, I want to say that they must understand this and must prevent this impudence."

Zohrevand said Trump's strategy involves using threats to pressure Iran into accepting his demands rather than engaging in genuine negotiations. He likened this approach to the idea promoted during the Rouhani administration that "any agreement is better than no agreement," which he characterized as surrender.

The lawmaker predicted that no major conflict would occur, suggesting that the US is engaged in psychological operations to see if it can force Iran into a "surrender agreement" at the last minute. He asserted that this would not happen.