Strikes unlikely to destroy Iran’s nuclear capacity, former MI6 chief says
Military strikes on Iran likely failed to eliminate the country’s nuclear expertise or uranium stockpiles, former British intelligence chief Sir John Sawers said on Wednesday, warning that without renewed diplomacy, further military escalation may be inevitable.
“You can't destroy the know-how, we almost certainly haven't destroyed the partially enriched uranium,” the former MI6 head told Bloomberg in an interview.
Sawers called on the Trump administration and European governments to re-engage politically with Tehran to avoid a cycle of repeated military confrontations.
“Engaging with Iran to reach a political agreement is important if they want to prevent the need for strikes over and over again,” he said.
Iran has restored internet, mobile, and landline services to pre-conflict levels following disruptions imposed during its recent war with Israel, Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi said on Wednesday.
The blackout, which affected millions across the country, was described by Hashemi as a “forced situation” driven by national security concerns. Iranian officials had accused Israel of exploiting digital networks for military operations during the 12-day conflict.
“I apologize to the people for the disruption,” Hashemi said in a televised statement, acknowledging the difficulties caused by the communication restrictions.
Some Iranian users regained access to previously banned platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp without VPNs or IP-masking tools on Wednesday, according to the reformist Shargh newspaper. The paper cited changes in internet protocol settings as part of the ongoing restoration process.
Sources told Shargh the apparent unblocking is temporary and technical in nature, not a shift in policy on foreign platforms.
A view of the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a building last week, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 25, 2025. A view of the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a building last week, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 25, 2025.A view of the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a building last week, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 25, 2025. A woman works in her house after an Israeli strike on a building last week, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 25, 2025.
Russia criticized recent US and Israeli military action against Iran on Wednesday, saying the situation is deeply concerning and has seriously damaged the credibility of the UN nuclear watchdog.
The Kremlin said the Iranian parliament’s decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was a direct result of what it called an “unprovoked attack” on Iran.
Responding to US President Donald Trump’s remarks that the strikes had set Iran’s nuclear program back by decades, the Kremlin said it does not believe anyone has realistic data yet, calling such assessments premature.
Moscow also said it is aware that the US maintains certain contacts with Iranian officials through indirect channels, but provided no further details.
Iranian authorities said they have executed three men accused of smuggling equipment allegedly used in the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a senior figure in Iran's nuclear program who was assassinated in 2020.
The judiciary’s official news outlet, Mizan, reported on Wednesday that Edris Aali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad were put to death at Urmia Central Prison in northwest Iran.
The three were charged with "corruption on earth" and "enmity against God," accusations often levied in cases involving alleged collaboration with foreign governments.
Authorities said the men had worked to smuggle components hidden in shipments of alcoholic beverages, which they claim were ultimately used in the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian official.
While Iranian state media did not name Fakhrizadeh directly in its recent coverage, the allegations correspond with earlier reports linking the men to his killing.
Fakhrizadeh, a senior officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and a prominent figure in its nuclear development efforts, was shot dead in an attack east of Tehran in November 2020. Iran has blamed Israel for orchestrating the assassination.
Edris Aali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad Mohammad
Contested confessions and accusations of torture
Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the case. According to an exclusive report by Iran International, all three men—reportedly Kurdish cross-border porters known as kolbars—were convicted based on confessions obtained under severe duress.
Aali and Shojaei were reportedly detained for months in Ministry of Intelligence facilities before being transferred to Urmia Prison.
Family members told media outlets the men denied involvement and said their televised confessions were extracted under torture. Ahmad Mohammad, an Iraqi national from the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, was arrested two years after the killing, allegedly after his phone number was found in Aali’s contact list.
Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the assassination, though officials have not denied involvement. In the years following the incident, Israeli media and intelligence sources have described it as a remote-controlled, AI-assisted operation using a weapon smuggled into Iran in parts and reassembled inside the country.
An Israeli intelligence officer told Channel 12 in 2022 that the operation relied on facial recognition to avoid harming Fakhrizadeh’s wife, who was in the car with him, and took less than three minutes to carry out.
Iran’s former Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said in 2022 that efforts to apprehend the main perpetrators had failed, with several suspects fleeing the country shortly after the attack.
Fakhrizadeh, long described by Western intelligence agencies as the architect of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, was sanctioned by the United Nations and had survived previous assassination attempts.
Inspectors must return to Iran’s nuclear facilities as soon as possible, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday, calling renewed access the agency’s top priority following recent military strikes.
Speaking to reporters at an Austrian cabinet meeting, Grossi said the focus should not be on how many months Iran’s nuclear program was set back, but on finding a lasting diplomatic solution.
“I don’t like this hourglass approach — it’s in the eye of the beholder,” he said. “In any case, the technological knowledge is there, the industrial capacity is there — that no one can deny,” Grossi added.
He said there is a real opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy and warned against missing it.
“There’s a chance for a diplomatic solution, an opening — we shouldn’t miss that opportunity.” Grossi dismissed debates over whether Iran’s program was delayed by two or three months as irrelevant. “We need a solution that will stand the test of time,” he said.
