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Iran is entering nuclear negotiations from a position of strength and talks are progressing well, an Iranian member of parliament said on Wednesday, while cautioning those profiting from sanctions against undermining the discussions.
Mohammad Sadat Ebrahimi told parliament that Israel should understand Iran is negotiating from a position of power, adding that the talks have so far proceeded positively.
He warned those benefiting from the continuation of sanctions not to disparage the ongoing negotiations.
Iran has told the UN Security Council that France's assertion that Tehran is "on the verge" of developing nuclear weapons is entirely unfounded and that its defense doctrine has not changed, according to a letter released on Wednesday.
In a letter to the Security Council, Iran's Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, described French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot's claims as "completely baseless and politically irresponsible," emphasizing that the Islamic Republic has never sought nuclear weapons.
The letter, also addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that if France and its partners genuinely seek a diplomatic solution, they should cease threats and respect the sovereign rights of nations under international law.
Iravani emphasized that Iran, as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), remains committed to its obligations and that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) consistently verifies the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, confirming no diversion of nuclear materials for non-peaceful purposes.
The IAEA says it has lost continuity of knowledge regarding Iran's nuclear program, particularly concerning the production and inventory of key components like centrifuges and heavy water.
The Iranian envoy also criticized France's threat to reimpose sanctions via the so-called snapback mechanism, calling it a clear example of political and economic coercion and a violation of the UN Charter.
Iran’s Etemad newspaper reported that roughly 90% of those killed in the deadly explosion at Rajaei port in Bandar Abbas were workers, most of them earning minimum wages and working long hours under difficult economic conditions.
“This tragedy is not the first and will not be the last,” the editorial said, criticizing employer negligence and systemic safety failures. It added that in such cases, “employers are rarely held accountable,” while victims’ families are left with grief and minimal compensation — if any.
The blast on April 26 killed at least 70 people and injured over 1,200. An investigation is ongoing.
A senior Iranian judicial official said Wednesday that the investigation into the deadly explosion at Shahid Rajaei port is in its early stages, and stressed that anyone found responsible will face consequences, regardless of their position.
“The case is in the preliminary investigation phase,” said Mehdi Amiri Esfahani, deputy political and security prosecutor general. “If anyone is found to have acted illegally or negligently, they will be held accountable without exception.”
He said the judiciary is awaiting expert and intelligence reports to finalize its assessment and promised the findings would be announced to the public. At least 70 people were killed in the April 26 explosion, which officials have linked to misdeclared chemical cargo.
Amiri Esfahani added that oversight committees and technical teams are meeting regularly and that the judiciary has asked the interior ministry and security agencies to assist in establishing the full facts.
Iranian authorities have refused to register a newborn named Guntay, denying him a birth certificate and healthcare access over what they called the name's non-compliance with Iranian and Islamic cultural norms.
The child, born on April 22, remains without official identification over a week later.
The parents from Parsabad, a city in Iran’s northwestern Ardabil province, were informed that the name Guntay was deemed unsuitable by the national registry on the grounds that it did not align with what authorities classify as “Iranian and Islamic naming conventions," according to HRANA, a US-based news outlet focused on human rights in Iran.
“This is not the first time the government has interfered in our choice of names,” a source told HRANA. The source said the parents have filed a formal complaint and are pursuing the matter through legal channels.
Without a birth certificate, the child is unable to access basic services including healthcare and legal identity, HRANA reported.
The outlet added that the experience has imposed psychological and administrative strain on the family.
Iran's civil registry system has a documented pattern of rejecting names perceived to originate from non-Persian ethnic traditions. A similar case last year in Tabriz saw authorities block issuance of birth certificates for triplets named Elshen, Elnur, and Sevgi, all Turkish names.
Although a court later ruled in favor of the parents, the registry appealed the decision, sending the case to a higher court.
Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed, every child must be registered immediately after birth and has the right to a name and nationality. Article 7 of the convention specifically affirms these entitlements, while Article 2 prohibits discrimination based on language or ethnicity.
Iran’s civil registry defends its policies by citing cultural preservation. "The selection of names that insult Islamic sanctities, as well as titles, epithets, and obscene or gender-inappropriate names, is prohibited. Individuals bearing such names must take action to change them," it says on its website.
The agency maintains a name selection database and offers a name interaction system designed to guide parents toward what it calls Iranian and Islamic options.
Critics, including human rights groups and legal scholars, say the law reinforces state control over cultural expression and disproportionately affects the country's wide array of ethnic minorities in provinces with higher populations of them such as Kordestan, Khuzestan, and Sistan and Baluchestan.
