Iranian telecom with IRGC links sought Irish network deals - Irish Times

“I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in his first interview with an American news outlet since the June airstrikes, when asked about President Donald Trump’s suggestion that talks could resume as soon as this week. “We will have to first ensure that America will not revert to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations.”

However, he added, “The doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”

Iran not backing down from enrichment, Araghchi says

Asked whether Iran would continue uranium enrichment, Araghchi said, “Our peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory. We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war; therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment.”

US June strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. While US officials said the sites were “completely and totally obliterated,” Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), offered a more measured assessment. He told CBS News the facilities had sustained “significant destruction,” but Iran retained enough capacity to resume enrichment within months.

"One cannot obliterate the technology and science for enrichment through bombings," Araghchi said. "If there is this will on our part, and the will exists in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time."

US warns against renewed enrichment

US President Donald Trump has said further enrichment activity could trigger additional strikes. Asked about the possibility, Araghchi said Iran was prepared for more attacks. “We showed and proved during this 12-day imposed war that we have the ability to defend ourselves, and we will continue to do so should any aggression be launched against us.”

Still, the White House said no new talks are officially scheduled. According to CBS, Araghchi did not offer a timeline for when diplomacy might resume. He said Iran still needed to evaluate the security situation and was not ready to return to negotiations “as quickly as that.”

“We must quickly show that we have the ability to reconstruct in all postwar sectors,” Aref said during a meeting with managers from the National Development Group Investment Company. He called postwar reconstruction and renewal the country’s top national priority.

Aref said the government had prepared a war economy plan early in its term, anticipating reduced oil revenues. He said the economic front had held strong during the conflict, adding, “There was not a single flaw in the performance of our economic front during the 12-day war.”

Aref warned against trusting Israel or the United States in the aftermath of the ceasefire. “There is no guarantee of their promises,” he said.

The article said that while the UK Treasury is investigating nine suspected violations of sanctions in 2024, “these sanctions violations are of course concerning, but only constitute a small part of Iran’s clandestine political influence and illicit finance operations in Britain.” The campaign, it said, reflects a longer-standing effort by Tehran to undermine the United Kingdom in response to decades of hostility between the two governments.

Historical context and anti-UK messaging

Tensions between the two countries go back decades, and The Telegraph noted that Iran has consistently framed the United Kingdom as a hostile power.

According to the report, this messaging forms part of a larger strategy aimed at undermining states perceived as adversaries, particularly those aligned with the United States.

Iran-linked media and advocacy in Britain

Press TV, Iran’s state-backed English-language broadcaster, previously held a broadcast license to operate in the UK. The Telegraph said that although the license was revoked in 2012, the channel continues to publish content online that promotes Iranian state positions.

The report also referenced UK-based organizations, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, which has faced scrutiny for its messaging and continues to organize Quds Day demonstrations in central London. The Telegraph said some of these events included visible support for Hezbollah before the group was designated a terrorist organization in the UK.

Concerns over Iranian banks in London

Iranian financial institutions with past sanctions histories, including Melli Bank and Bank Saderat, still maintain offices in London, The Telegraph said. It noted that these banks operate near the Bank of England and have been raised as a concern by Members of Parliament.

According to the report, both institutions have previously been linked by international authorities to financial activities involving armed groups in the Middle East.

Online disinformation tied to Iran

Iranian influence efforts have also extended to social media, according to The Times. The paper reported that OpenAI identified a network called Storm-2035, which it said was likely linked to Tehran. The network used Persian-language prompts to generate English and Spanish posts on wedge issues, such as austerity, independence movements, and foreign policy.

OpenAI said the content was posted on X by accounts posing as local users. These accounts often used stock images and followed far more users than they had followers.

Scottish independence messaging monitored

The Telegraph also referenced Iranian involvement in online messaging around Scottish independence, citing researchers who linked the activity to broader attempts to exploit domestic divisions in the UK.

According to The Times and Scottish Daily Express, several pro-independence X accounts with apparent Iranian ties went silent after Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure on June 12. The Scottish Daily Express cited research from Clemson University suggesting the network may have been tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Government response limited, Telegraph says

While UK authorities have taken some action, The Telegraph said responses have so far not matched the scale of the challenge. The paper described Iran’s operations as “enabled by years of dereliction from policymakers” and said more sustained coordination would be needed to counter foreign influence campaigns effectively.

Esmail Baghaei said it is “entirely unrealistic” to expect Iran to have normal cooperation with the IAEA, and that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s insistence on continuing cooperation at this time is “not understandable.”

Speaking in a weekly press conference, the spokesman also condemned US President Donald Trump’s remarks against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, saying, “It is completely clear that such vulgar, insulting, and provocative remarks are wholly rejected and condemned."

"These words have hurt the sentiments of millions of Iranians and Muslims inside and outside Iran and will only increase hatred and resentment toward US policies in the region and against Muslims.”

Talks with Europe

Baghaei said Tehran maintains diplomatic relations and regular communication with Britain, France, and Germany, and Iran’s president recently spoke with his French counterpart.

However, he said no date has been set for the next round of negotiations, which will be announced once finalized.

French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart called for Tehran's return to the negotiating table to address ballistic and nuclear issues, and for the resumption of the IAEA's work in Iran, his X account said on Sunday.

The French president also called on Tehran to respect the ceasefire with Israel and to help restore peace in the region, the post on his X said.

Iran warns neighbors

Baghaei also warned neighboring countries against allowing their territories or airspace to be used for hostile actions by Israel, saying that's prohibited by the international law.

“Without exception, all neighboring countries have assured us that they will under no circumstances permit Israel to misuse their airspace or territory for aggressive actions against Iran.”

Criticism of international responses

Iran is compiling evidence of Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites to present to international bodies, Baghaei said, accusing Israel of “war crimes” and describing it as “an apartheid regime” subject to prosecution by the International Criminal Court.

He said the recent IAEA report provides a pretext for Israeli and US strikes. “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has clear technical duties and its director general must avoid political influence.”

The Iranian diplomat also slammed Germany and France’s positions on Israel’s attacks as unacceptable and warned that recent German officials’ remarks will leave a “historic and eternal shame” on Berlin.

Baghaei urged the German public and international community to hold their leaders accountable, saying, “I never imagined that the German chancellor would use the same language that was used to justify the racist actions of Hitler. This is something that the people of Germany and the world must demand from their officials.”

The legislation classifies any collaboration with Israel and the United States as “corruption on earth”, which is punishable by death.

“Any intelligence, espionage, or operational activity for Israel, the US, or other hostile regimes and groups or their agents against the country’s security or national interests is considered corruption on earth and punishable by death,” the law says.

It further criminalizes “any security, military, economic, financial, technological action or any direct or indirect assistance knowingly done to approve, strengthen, consolidate, or legitimize Israel,” also punishable by death.

The third article specifies that manufacturing, transferring, or importing drones with military or sabotage uses against critical infrastructure qualifies for the death penalty. It also includes cyberattacks, disruption of communication networks, and sabotage of public or private facilities.

The law penalizes receiving funds from intelligence agents knowingly, regardless of active involvement.

Political, cultural, media, or propaganda activities causing public fear, division, or damage to national security carry 10 to 15 years imprisonment.

Sharing content with "hostile foreign networks" that weakens morale or creates division results in two to five years in prison.

Illegal wartime protests carry five to ten years imprisonment.

The use or import of unauthorized internet communication tools like Starlink is punishable by six months to two years in prison, according to the law.

Importing more than ten Starlink devices “with intent to oppose the Islamic Republic” results in five to ten years’ imprisonment.

The law applies retroactively to offenses committed before its enactment, violating Iran’s constitution and penal code provisions prohibiting retroactive laws, according to experts.