MP says interim deal possible if US shows flexibility

A conservative Iranian daily warned Sunday that any military strike or use of the JCPOA snapback mechanism by the West would alter Iran’s defense posture.

The Khorasan paper wrote Iran “can produce 10 atomic bombs” and possesses intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“If the snapback mechanism is activated, it means all of Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA has yielded nothing,” the editorial added. “And if the US or Israel attacks, conventional weapons will no longer suffice for the survival and security of the Islamic Republic.”

The paper urged Western powers to approach Iran “with respect and on equal footing.”

Iran will take action against any "improper initiative" by European states, said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Saturday.

The call followed the agency’s latest report on Iran and came ahead of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting.

Araghchi said all of Iran’s nuclear activities remain under IAEA monitoring with no deviation, and urged Grossi to “reflect the realities in a way that prevents certain parties from misusing the Agency to advance their political aims.” He warned that responsibility for consequences will lie with those parties.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, on Saturday condemned the IAEA’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear program.

He said it was “based on a series of fabricated data provided by the Zionist regime.” He accused the agency of acting under pressure from Western states to reopen issues that were previously settled.

“The IAEA’s current actions are, therefore, in explicit contradiction with the provisions of the resolution in question and constitute a political attempt to resurrect unproven and misleading allegations,” Gharibabadi said in a statement.

“Nowhere in the report is there any ambiguity concerning Iran’s current nuclear activities or any deviation in its nuclear materials or operations.”

He said the November 2024 resolution cited as the basis for the report was adopted “in a political move by the three European states and the United States in the Board of Governors without consensus and with total disregard for the outcomes of the Director General’s visit to Iran.”

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had a phone conversation with the UN nuclear watchdog's director general Rafael Grossi to discuss the latest IAEA report on Iran, Iran's Foreign Ministry said.

"During the phone call, Araghchi highlighted Iran’s ongoing cooperation with the Agency, saying all of the country’s nuclear activities are conducted under the Agency’s supervision and within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement, with no diversion of nuclear materials or activities."

"He called on the Agency’s Director General to reflect the realities in a way that prevents certain parties from misusing this international body to advance their political agendas against the Iranian nation," according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's readout of the call.

Iran's foreign minister also called on the IAEA director general "to clarify Tehran’s cooperation with the Agency during next week’s Board of Governors meeting and to warn of the consequences of any political action."

Araghchi stressed that "Iran will respond appropriately to any improper moves by European parties. The responsibility for any fallout will lie with those who use the Agency and its mechanisms as tools to advance their political agenda against Iran," the readout said.

"Nine of the injured were promptly transferred to hospitals in Shiraz and Zarqan with the help of emergency response teams," said Hojjatollah Rezaei, the deputy governor of Fars for political and security affairs.

He said the injured workers are fortunately in stable condition.

“The two victims suffered severe inhalation of hazardous substances, which led to suffocation and ultimately cost them their lives,” Rezaei confirmed.

The Shiraz refinery is operating without interruption, the official said, adding that an investigation into the cause of the incident is currently underway.

The Shiraz Refinery (also known as SORC) is a crude oil refinery located on the Shiraz-Isfahan road. It is designed to process 40,000 barrels of crude oil per day, equivalent to 2 million tons per year.

The required crude oil feed is supplied via a 230-kilometer, 10-inch pipeline from the Gachsaran oil fields.