A senior Iranian lawmaker warned on Sunday that Tehran should not sign a deal similar to the 2003 Saadabad Agreement with world powers, which suspended its enrichment program and allowed snap UN inspections.
Abolfazl Zohrehvand, a member of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, said the 2003 agreement, which led to the Tehran Declaration, was a "strategic mistake" that should not be repeated.
In October 2003, Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and permit enhanced inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and avoid referral to the United Nations Security Council.
The agreement was signed by Iran's then-Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Hassan Rouhani, along with the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany at Tehran's Saadabad Palace. It temporarily averted escalation of the nuclear dispute.
However, following the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005, Iran resumed uranium conversion activities at the Isfahan facility in August 2005 and enrichment at the Natanz facility in early 2006. By April 2006, Iran announced it had successfully enriched uranium to a purity level of approximately 3.5%, marking a significant advancement in its nuclear capabilities.
Zohrehvand said in an interview with Didban Iran that Tehran agreed in 2003 to suspend enrichment, signed the Saadabad agreement, and fulfilled its commitments by sealing the Natanz enrichment facility and the yellowcake production facility in Isfahan.
However, despite several rounds of negotiations, Iran’s request for reciprocal measures from the West went unmet, he added.
He said during that period, President Mohammad Khatami had tried to formally transfer a centrifuge to Tehran University to demonstrate Iran’s mastery of centrifuge technology. However, he said, then-Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi contacted British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to coordinate the move, only to be told it was not permitted and that all centrifuges had to be dismantled.
Zohrehvand also noted that following a visit to Tehran, the German foreign minister went directly to Israel and announced, “We told the Iranians to dismantle their enrichment program entirely.”
According to Zohrehvand, today’s Western demands echo the same expectations as those of two decades ago.
“This same model is being repeated again,” he warned.
Zohrehvand said while a temporary suspension of enrichment in return for sanctions relief might now be acceptable, it would be naïve to believe that the United States would be satisfied with such a deal.
“If resolving the issue merely means suspending or halting enrichment, it could happen—there’s no problem with suspending enrichment for a few years in exchange for the suspension or lifting of sanctions,” Zohrehvand said.
“But believing that the Americans would be content with that is simplistic.”
In a public statement issued to Iranian media, Nikzad said, "With humility, I offer my sincere apology to the people.
"This servant of the people considers compliance with the law as obligatory and bows before it. I believe everyone must be equal before the law, and no one is exempt from this important principle."
He said the incident, which took place last week near Tehran’s Vanak Square, was unintentional and emphasized his family's full cooperation with authorities.
The incident drew significant media attention after reports emerged that Nikzad’s son had driven through a restricted bus lane and struck Colonel Khisheh, the head of Tehran Police District 3, while the officer was attempting to stop the vehicle. Rumors circulated on social media alleging attempts to cover up the incident or influence legal proceedings.
Colonel Khisheh, who spoke to multiple Iranian news outlets, confirmed the basic details but denied any attempt at evasion or cover-up.
“On Sunday, May 25, a vehicle entered the one-way lane leading to Vanak Square and was stopped by me,” he said. “In the process, the vehicle unintentionally struck me, causing minor injury. The driver stopped immediately, and the vehicle was impounded. A legal case was opened, and the driver was referred to the local police station.”
Khisheh added that he was taken to hospital and received a visit from both the driver’s family and Ali Nikzad himself. “They came quickly, expressed regret, and emphasized that all legal procedures must be followed.”
Iran’s national police chief, Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Radan, also contacted Khisheh and his family following the incident and instructed senior police officials to oversee the case until its resolution, according to state media.
Nikzad acknowledged public frustration and concern surrounding the incident and rejected suggestions his son had acted with impunity. “My son did not flee the scene or behave arrogantly. The process of transferring the injured officer to the hospital was done immediately, and both the driver and the car were subjected to legal procedures,” he said.
Domestic commentators, including analysts from local news outlet Asr-e Iran, have called for the release of CCTV footage to ensure full transparency.
Nikzad addressed the broader implications of the incident, saying: “The dignity of the police, the law, and our country is not only obligatory for me, as someone entrusted with upholding the law — it is sacred. Any deviation from this principle is forbidden for me and my family.”
Iranian authorities have yet to disclose whether Nikzad’s son remains in custody.
Pattern of public backlash against lawmaker misconduct
The incident has revived public memory of a similarly controversial episode in 2021, when MP Ali Asghar Anabestani was accused of slapping a traffic police officer in Tehran.
That altercation—allegedly sparked when the officer tried to stop the MP’s car from entering a restricted bus lane—triggered widespread outrage, especially after a video of the officer’s account went viral.
In that case, police launched a formal complaint and submitted evidence to the judiciary, while media headlines described the act as “a slap in the face of a nation.”
Reformist outlets used the incident to challenge the legitimacy and behavior of the hardline-dominated parliament.
Anabestani denied the physical altercation, but his rejection only intensified public anger. Critics accused him of “slapping the law” and called for his disqualification from parliament.
The case showed mounting public frustration with perceived legal double standards for officials and their families.
The 2021 controversy also placed pressure on parliament’s leadership to demonstrate accountability, with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pledging zero tolerance for misconduct.
Nikzad’s swift public apology and emphasis on legal equality appear aimed at preventing a similar eruption of public anger.
Public criticism rekindles debate over privilege
The latest incident has reignited public criticism over perceived privilege and legal immunity afforded to officials and their families in the Islamic Republic. On social media, many users drew comparisons between the treatment of Nikzad’s son and that of protesters who have faced severe punishment.
One widely shared comment read: “Someone else’s child set fire to a trash bin and was executed in twenty days after being labeled a ‘mohareb’ [enemy of God]. Your reckless son ran over a law enforcement officer and not only wasn’t charged with moharebeh, he wasn’t even detained for an hour.”
The user was referring to the case of Mohsen Shekari, a protester who was executed on in December 2022
Another user posted: “If you’re part of the inner circle, even murder is handled with ‘compassion.’ If you’re not, setting a trash bin on fire equals the death penalty.”
In a pointed response to Nikzad’s apology, one user wrote: “Your humble apology insults the intelligence of a nation. Arrogantly, you’re trying to whitewash this with talk of unintended escape and unintended leniency from the police and judiciary.”
Economist Abdollah Rahimlou questioned Nikzad’s use of state resources, commenting on unverified allegations that the vehicle driven by Nikzad’s son was equipped with emergency lights.
“Why should an official government vehicle with a rotating light be available to your son? Can this misuse of public assets be resolved with a simple apology?", he said.
Well-known journalist Vahid Ashtari also asked why the MP has a special lane access card, writing, "Is a member of parliament the same as an ambulance or a fire truck?”
Gholamreza Ebdali, director general of the Wildlife Conservation Office at Iran’s Department of Environment, said the three-month-old cub has been spotted at multiple locations within the 225-hectare park, but has not yet been captured.
“We are certain the cub is alive. We’ve seen tracks in three or four places inside the park,” Ebdalitold IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, ruling out speculation he had been stolen.
“But because it is small and the park is full of trees and undergrowth, it can easily hide.”
The bear cub, weighing around three kilograms, went missing in the early hours of Thursday, May 29, after reportedly escaping during a routine procedure involving other rescued animals recently brought to the park’s clinic.
Thermal night vision cameras and live traps have been deployed in the search, but the presence of other animals, such as stray cats, has complicated efforts. “Despite the use of night vision and heat-sensing cameras, we haven’t had success yet,” he said.
Authorities believe the cub is surviving by feeding on seasonal fruits in the park, such as mulberries and apricots. “It’s no longer dependent on milk and can feed on available fruits, so we are not worried about its nutrition,” Ebdali added.
The missing bear is one of two cubs found last month in the southern province of Fars. Their mother had been killed by a poacher and her body was discovered in the Abraj region of Marvdasht.
The orphaned cubs were transferred to the Pardisan wildlife clinic late in May for rehabilitation and eventual release back into the wild.
Following the escape, park access was temporarily restricted during early search operations, but has since reopened to the public.
Environmental officials say the search will continue until the cub is safely recovered.
