Trump moots possible Israeli strike on Iran, regional conflagration

"The first set of documents obtained from the Israeli regime shows that Grossi, the Secretary General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had full cooperation and close coordination with this regime and fully implemented its orders," the Tasneem news agency wrote on X.

The outlet, which is affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, included images of email exchanges in Hebrew and and what appeared to be a printed letter from Meirav Zafary-Odiz, Israel's ambassador to the IAEA, to its now chief Raphael Grossi.

Dated 2016, the alleged letter requests a meeting.

Other documents appeared to be email exchanges between Zafary-Odiz and an Israeli academic using an University of Washington email address and focused on panel discussions on nuclear topics.

Iran's intelligence ministry said last week it had obtained a trove of sensitive material from Israel, including documents it says are related to the Jewish state's nuclear and strategic facilities.

Israeli security experts cast doubt on the assertion, saying it was likely part of a state attempt to sway opinion as US-Iran nuclear talks enter a critical phase.

Amir Rashidi, director of cyber security and digital rights of the Iran-focused human rights NGO the Miaan Group, said the documents released on Thursday appeared dubious.

"There are several red flags that raise questions about the authenticity and origin of these materials," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

Their presentation as screenshots impairs verification through metadata and timestamps, pages are numbered in Persian-Arabic script and Iranian hackers' past compromising of academic accounts makes the university email address suspect, Rashidi said.

"Today, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany passed a resolution against Iran. I truly do not understand how we are supposed to cooperate with a world that keeps provoking us and refuses to let the people of this nation stand on their own and live independently," Pezeshkian said during a meeting with teachers, academics, and cultural figures in the western province of Ilam.

The remarks came a few hours after the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board adopted a non-compliance resolution criticizing Iran for lack of cooperation with inspectors and its ongoing expansion of nuclear activities, which Western powers say could pose proliferation risks.

Reaffirming Tehran’s nuclear posture, Pezeshkian said, “We will continue on our path. We will carry on with enrichment and we will not back down from the current course. This is a national right, and we will not compromise.”

"We will build this country with our youth. Even if they destroy our facilities with bombs, the knowledge and capability remain in our minds, and we will rebuild everything no matter what they do.”

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, but its rapid expansion of enrichment activities and restrictions on international oversight have raised alarms in Washington and European capitals.

The resolution by the IAEA’s policy-making 35-nation board declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations marked the first in almost 20 years, raising the prospect of reporting it to the UN Security Council.

The decision follows years of escalating tensions between Iran and the Vienna-based agency, particularly after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump, prompting the gradual collapse of the accord.

In response to the censure, an IAEA official said Iran had notified the agency of its intention of countermeasures such as establishing a new uranium enrichment facility.

Following the announcement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned Iran’s move, accusing Tehran of undermining the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and posing a serious threat to regional and international security.

Iran remains a signatory to the NPT, while Israel is not. Israel is widely believed to possess the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal.

Withdrawal from the NPT is now under consideration at the Iranian parliament, the spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said after the resolution was passed.

Earlier in the day, a senior Israeli told Iran International that Israel is ready to launch a military strike on Iran if the next round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, set for Sunday in Oman, fails to yield results.

The official, speaking to Iran International, said Israel is closely monitoring developments and could act unilaterally if necessary.

“The United States would require approximately three days to evacuate non-essential diplomatic personnel and their families from the region,” the source said. “That evacuation process reportedly began on Wednesday and is expected to be completed by Sunday, aligning with the timeline for the talks.”

According to multiple sources, the United States has already begun evacuating non-essential diplomatic personnel and their families from the region.

Israeli media reported Thursday that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad Director David Barnea are set to meet US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of the talks in Oman.

Witkoff, speaking at an event for the Israeli medical charity United Hatzalah in New York on Wednesday, stressed that Iran must be permanently denied the ability to develop nuclear or missile capabilities.

“We must stand resolute and united against this danger and ensure that Iran never obtains the means to achieve its deadly ambitions no matter what the cost,” he said.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that a regional ally had informed Tehran of the potential for an Israeli strike. "The tensions are intended to influence Tehran to change its position about its nuclear rights," the official said, but emphasized that Iran would not compromise on its right to uranium enrichment.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that American personnel were being withdrawn due to increasing threats in what he described as a “dangerous place.” He added that Washington remains committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a warning Thursday. “If our hands are untied, we will win victories that will make the enemy regret its actions,” IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami said, signaling Iran’s readiness for any military confrontation.

An IRGC-affiliated outlet, Javan, warned that Tehran was prepared to walk away from negotiations if its national demands were not met, saying that Iran was negotiating “from a position of strength” and possessed sufficient nuclear expertise to act as a deterrent.

The New York Times, citing a senior Iranian official, reported Wednesday that Iranian military and government leaders had already held high-level meetings to discuss their response to any possible Israeli military strike.

Attacking Iran without US help

NBC News reported Thursday that while Israel would prefer to coordinate with the US, including intelligence or logistical support for strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, it is prepared to act alone.

“While Israel would most likely prefer US military and intelligence support... it showed in October that it can do a lot alone,” the report said.

The same report cited five sources saying that Israel’s considerations of unilateral military action have intensified as the US inches closer to a preliminary deal with Tehran—one that reportedly includes provisions on uranium enrichment that Israel finds unacceptable.

US evacuating Baghdad embassy

Tensions have also led to regional security measures with the US embassy in Baghdad set to be evacuated partially.

Iraq’s state news agency also reported that steps to evacuate US personnel were underway not only in Iraq but across several Middle Eastern countries.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a security advisory on Wednesday, warning that increased regional tensions could impact maritime safety.

“UKMTO has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners,” the alert read.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the nuclear talks might not proceed as planned, citing two US officials who described the diplomatic environment as rapidly deteriorating.

Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh warned on Wednesday that Tehran would target American bases in the region if negotiations collapse and hostilities break out. “If a conflict is imposed on us... all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries,” he said.

Despite the rising tensions, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed Thursday that the sixth round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations will proceed as scheduled on June 15.

Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said the newly authorized site will be designed with “very high security standards” and become Iran’s third enrichment complex.

He said that first-generation centrifuges at the Fordow enrichment plant will be completely replaced with IR-6 machines, a move expected to “significantly increase Iran’s enriched uranium production capacity.”

“These steps carry both technical and strategic weight and send a clear message: the more pressure is applied, the stronger Iran’s response will be,” Kamalvandi said during a visit to the Tehran Research Reactor.

He described the IAEA's non-compliance resolution—backed by the US, UK, France, and Germany—as “coercive and unjust,” and warned Western powers against repeating failed pressure tactics.

Kamalvandi also noted that Iran’s 60% enrichment capacity has already increased sevenfold compared to previous cycles and that more capacity is now being added.

Separately, Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami said that the location for the third enrichment facility has already been built and prepared, describing it as “a secure site from a security standpoint.” He added that with a formal letter sent to the IAEA on Thursday, “the operation to equip and install machines has now begun.”

“The enrichment industry is part of the Iranian people’s spirit and will not disappear,” Eslami said.

First resolution against Iran in 20 years

The announcement came after the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board passed a resolution declaring Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)—the first such move in nearly two decades.

The resolution text, seen by Reuters, cited “many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019” and Tehran’s lack of cooperation “regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations.”

The resolution was adopted with 19 votes in favor, 3 against, from Iran's allies in Russia, China and Burkina Faso, and 11 abstentions.

Iran rejects allegations, cites safeguards compliance

In a joint statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization condemned the resolution, calling it a “politically motivated” move lacking legal and technical basis.

The statement added that Iran had consistently honored its safeguards obligations and that no evidence of diversion had been found in IAEA reports.

“This action is a repeated instrumental use of the Board, based on political motives and lacking technical and legal foundation,” the statement said.

It added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always remained committed to its safeguards obligations, and so far none of the Agency’s reports have referred to non-compliance or diversion in Iran’s nuclear materials or activities.”

Later Thursday, a senior IAEA official told Reuters that Iran has informed the agency of its intention to establish a new enrichment site but has not yet provided further technical details.

The resolution cited Iran’s failure to cooperate with the investigations into undeclared nuclear material and activities, saying that Iran has not provided “technically credible explanations” for uranium traces found at several undeclared sites, despite multiple resolutions and years of outreach by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"(The board) finds that Iran's many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the Agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran ... constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with the Agency," said the IAEA board resolution text seen by Reuters.

“The Board deeply regrets that, despite repeated calls from the Board and many opportunities offered, Iran has failed to cooperate fully with the Agency, as required by its Safeguards Agreement,” the four-page resolution added.

In its board-mandated comprehensive report published on May 31, the IAEA concluded that three of the four locations in question had been part of a previously undeclared, structured nuclear program conducted by Iran up until the early 2000s, and that some activities had involved the use of undeclared nuclear material.

Both US intelligence and the IAEA have long assessed that Iran operated a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons program that was halted in 2003, although limited activities are believed to have continued for several years after.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said this week that the agency’s findings were broadly consistent with those assessments.

Iran continues to deny that it has ever pursued nuclear weapons.

Potential actionat UN Security Council

While the resolution does not immediately refer Iran to the UN Security Council, it opens the door for such a step, saying the matter is “within the competence” of the Council and that the Board will “address the timing and content” of a potential report to the UN.

The diplomats told Reuters that a second resolution would be required to make such a referral—similar to the process that followed the 2005 non-compliance declaration which led to a referral in February 2006.

Iran’s pattern of non-compliance

The text outlines a years-long pattern of obstruction and non-cooperation by Tehran. The IAEA added that Iran had repeatedly “sanitized locations” and “provided inaccurate explanations,” which the agency said appeared consistent with concealment efforts.

Specifically, the IAEA concluded that Iran had failed to declare nuclear material and related activities at three locations: Lavisan-Shian (Lavizan), Varamin, and Turquzabad. According to the agency, these sites were part of “an undeclared, structured program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s,” with some activities involving undeclared nuclear material.

“The Agency is not in a position to determine whether the nuclear material at these undeclared locations has been consumed, mixed with other declared material, or is still outside of safeguards,” the resolution said.

In a particularly stark passage, the resolution says Iran “retained unknown nuclear material and/or heavily contaminated equipment” at Turquzabad between 2009 and 2018, adding that these items were later removed and the whereabouts of which remain unknown.

IAEA warns against escalation

The resolution lays out urgent actions Tehran must take to avoid further escalation, including providing credible explanations for uranium particles found at undeclared sites, informing the IAEA of the current location of nuclear material and contaminated equipment, and allowing full access to relevant locations for sampling and inspection.

“The Board reaffirms its decision that it is essential and urgent… that Iran act to fulfil its legal obligations and clarify all outstanding Safeguards issues without delay,” it said.

The resolution stressed support for diplomacy: “The Board stresses its support for a diplomatic solution… including the talks between the United States and Iran,” and calls on all parties to constructively engage in diplomacy.

The resolution comes at a time of heightened tensions, with the US evacuating staff based in the Middle East, and Trump warning the region could become dangerous as Washington will not let Iran have nuclear weapons.

The report comes as US-Iran indirect talks appear to stall. The sixth round will be held on Sunday in Muscat, the Omani foreign minister said on Thursday.