Iran’s uranium enrichment remains a US red line, White House says

An Iranian newspaper affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Monday that recent comments by US envoy Steven Witkoff could push nuclear negotiations toward a deadlock.

Javan daily described Witkoff’s rhetoric as “more aggressive than ever” and criticized his recent warning that Washington would not accept even 1% uranium enrichment by Tehran.

“This approach is not only unconstructive, but shifts the talks from logical engagement to confrontation and impasse,” the paper wrote in an editorial.

"The UK Government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions," the FCDO spokesperson said in a statement.

"The summons follows this weekend’s announcement which stated that three Iranian nationals had been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service," the statement added.

In two separate operations on May 3, eight men including seven Iranians were arrested by the British counter-terrorism police.

On Saturday, British counter-terrorism police charged three Iranian nationals with offences under the National Security Act, alleging they acted on behalf of Iran’s intelligence service and carried out surveillance targeting Iran International journalists.

The men — Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 56 — were arrested at their homes in London on May 3 and charged on Friday.

All three are accused of engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024 and February 16, 2025, in breach of Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.

In response, Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday summoned the UK chargé d'affaires in Tehran in protest over what it called the "unlawful and baseless" arrest of several Iranian nationals in the United Kingdom in two separate anti-terror operations.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said all signs of arbitrary detention were evident in the UK’s handling of the case.

“In the UK, as in other European countries, there is a pattern of imitation. All elements of arbitrary detention are present in the arrest of Iranian nationals in the UK. It is still unclear what charges they were arrested on,” he said.

Baghaei added that three individuals remain in custody while others have been released without clear explanation of the accusations. “The very notion of ‘connection with the Iranian government’ is vague, because a citizen must have contact with their own government for consular matters,” he said.

he European Union and the United Kingdom on Monday expressed deep concern over Iran’s expanding nuclear program and its destabilizing activities both in the Middle East and on European soil, according to a joint statement released after high-level talks.

“We continue to be deeply concerned by the dangerous expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, alongside its behavior in the region and on European soil,” the statement read.

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“The country’s air defense readiness—especially in detection, identification, and elimination of aerial threats—has advanced significantly compared to last year,” Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was quoted as saying on Monday by IRGC-Tasnim News Agency.

Bagheri said radar and surveillance systems monitoring foreign movements have increased fivefold, while systems for intercepting and destroying enemy aircraft have improved by two to three times.

He added that Iran’s command-and-control systems are functioning efficiently and that the country’s airspace is under constant surveillance.

“Our air defense forces control the skies 24/7 and regularly conduct drills to prepare for any possible scenario,” he said.

Bagheri warned Iran’s adversaries that any violation of its airspace would have serious consequences. “Enemies of the Iranian nation should know that any intrusion will result in extensive damage and costs far greater than they expect,” he said.

Last October, Israel carried out a major strike on Iranian targets, destroying large sections of the country’s air defense infrastructure.

The attack followed two massive airstrikes from Tehran against the Jewish state while Israel was also fighting Iran's allies across its borders amid the Gaza war.

Reports in Fox News and the Wall Street Journal said all of Iran’s S-300s were taken out of action.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time: “We severely damaged Iran’s defense systems and its ability to export missiles."

At the time, the Institute For The Study of War said the Israeli military had conducted precision strikes targeting around 20 locations across Iran, including facilities tied to the Iranian drone and missile programs and air defense network.

"Even though the strikes caused relatively little visible destruction, they will likely have significant and long-lasting consequences by disrupting Iran’s ability to produce certain kinds of ballistic missiles for itself and its partners as well as by severely degrading Iran’s ability to defend against future air attacks," the analysis said at the time.

“We continue to be deeply concerned by the dangerous expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, alongside its behavior in the region and on European soil,” the statement read.

The EU and UK also condemned what they described as Iran’s use of “hostage diplomacy,” calling for an immediate end to the detention of foreign nationals under politically motivated charges.

"We condemn Iran’s unjust detention of foreign nationals and call on Iran to halt its practice of hostage diplomacy," read the statement.

In January the European Parliament adopted a motion for a resolution condemning Iran’s detention of European Union citizens, labelling the practice as “hostage diplomacy" accusing Iran of using the prisoners for political ends.

Despite mounting tensions, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to securing a negotiated resolution to Iran’s nuclear issue and maintaining regional stability.

The joint statement also expressed support for political progress in Syria and Lebanon, backing efforts toward peace, stability, and reform in both countries.

The remarks come amid stalled nuclear diplomacy and rising concern among Western powers about Iran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium and regional influence through proxy groups.