Attack Iran and pay the price, top Iranian military official warns

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned Britain, France and Germany against triggering United Nations sanctions over Tehran's nuclear activities, saying such a move could spark what he called an irreversible escalation of tensions.

"Iran has made its position clear. We have officially warned all JCPOA signatories that abuse of the snapback mechanism will lead to consequences — not only the end of Europe's role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible," Araghchi wrote in the French magazine Le Point.

Araghchi was referring to a 2015 nuclear deal to which the countries were signatories, enabling any of them to trigger the so-called snapback of sanctions should they deem Iran non-compliant.

According to regional sources cited by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, the Lebanese armed group, closely aligned with Tehran, is monitoring ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman.

Hezbollah apparently fears that any Israeli strike targeting IRGC personnel could derail the talks and put Iran in a difficult diplomatic position, according to the report.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use every possible means to pressure Tehran and obstruct its nuclear progress,” the sources said, suggesting that any high-profile Iranian casualty in Lebanon could serve as a pretext for escalation.

IRGC officers are believed to reside in discreet locations in Beirut’s southern suburbs and in the Bekaa Valley, and typically move under strict security protocols.

Israeli intelligence has previously succeeded in targeting IRGC-linked figures and Hezbollah commanders during recent conflicts in Lebanon.

Neither Hezbollah nor Iranian officials have publicly confirmed the reported withdrawal request.

Last year, seven senior IRGC commanders and officials were killed in an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate complex in Damascus, triggering Iran's first ever direct airstrike on the Jewish state.

A senior Iranian international relations expert has outlined three possible scenarios for the outcome of ongoing diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States, warning that talks remain clouded by mutual distrust and external interference.

In an op-ed published by Farhikhtegan newspaper, Alireza Mousapour, a professor at Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University, said the negotiations could end in either failure, a temporary agreement, or an amended version of the 2015 nuclear deal.

The first scenario involves a collapse of talks, which Mousapour said could stem from excessive demands by the US, such as calls for dismantling Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle or pressure from Israel. Such a breakdown, he warned, could significantly increase the risk of military confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

The second scenario, deemed the most likely, envisions a short-term agreement similar to the 2015 framework. This interim deal could lay the groundwork for a broader accord, possibly involving what the writer called a “less for less” approach where Iran seeks reciprocal, verifiable steps from the US

The third scenario involves an amended Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with new provisions attached via a United Nations Security Council resolution. This would preserve the original deal's structure while integrating updated commitments.

Iran and the United States have not reached any agreement in recent talks, a senior Iranian lawmaker said on Monday.

“There is currently no agreement with the United States for us to evaluate,” said Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

He added that while the discussions have been conducted respectfully and in a generally positive atmosphere, no concrete deal has emerged.

Iran has never opposed American investment, the spokesperson for President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration said on Monday, adding that it is the United States that has chosen to isolate itself from Iran’s economic potential.

“We have never had a problem with US investment,” Fatemeh Mohajerani told local media. “It is they who have deprived themselves of Iran’s vast opportunities.”

She added that if an agreement were reached, the US could fully benefit from Iran’s economic capacity.

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