Criminals botched attacks directed by Iran – Australian daily

Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran's Expediency Council appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, suggested that Russia may have provided Israel with Iranian air-defense intelligence from prior conflicts, including a limited Israeli strike in November 2024.

According to Sadr, this could have enabled Israel to precisely target Iranian defense sites during a 12-day war in June. He was speaking in an interview published on Sunday by online outlet Seenergy — a lesser-known podcast channel dedicated to foreign policy and energy issues.

“I’m telling you, analytically, that the Russians had given the specifications to Israel,” Sadr said, but suggesting he was also in possession of information on the matter.

Iran's judiciary announced on Wednesday that the Tehran Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against him for "making false statements," in a possible sign of officialdom's keenness not to upset one of Iran's few strong foreign relationships.

Sadr, a former senior deputy foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, is one of the very few reformists Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ever appointed as a member of the Expediency Council.

He also criticized Russia's sale of the S-400 system to Turkey, a NATO member, and a delay in delivering the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Iran.

According to Sadr, these developments prove that the so-called Iran-Russia 20-year strategic partnership is “hollow and empty.”

He argued that Russia’s willingness to prioritize other international partnerships, including its defense deals with India and cautious approach toward Israel, highlights the limits of Moscow’s commitment to Tehran.

While he stressed that relations with Moscow should not be severed, he warned against placing too much trust in it. Sadr emphasized that Iran must maintain strategic autonomy, diversify its defense and diplomatic relationships, and be wary of over-reliance on a partner whose interests may not align with its own.

Hardliner furor

The controversial remarks were widely covered by domestic media and drew immediate reactions, including a denial by the Foreign Ministry and criticism from the ultra-hardline Kayhan daily and conservative Farhikhtegan.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei emphasized that Sadr’s views were personal opinions and did not necessarily reflect official policy.

Kayhan, funded by the Supreme Leader’s office, dismissed Sadr’s remarks, writing: “If Russia had not called the snapback mechanism illegal, and if it were not confronting the United States in Ukraine, and if it had not defended Iran at the United Nations, and so on, the reformists would not be spouting this nonsense. Many of these reformists oppose any current that stands against America.”

The article was referring to the so-called snapback of international sanctions which European powers are due to trigger soon which could seriously hurt Iran's already ailing economy.

Mashregh News, reportedly linked to the Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Organization (SAS), also criticized Sadr, saying he portrayed the situation as a gain for Israel while voicing anti-Russian rhetoric without offering supporting evidence.

“Making such statements—even if they contained a grain of truth, which Sadr’s unsubstantiated approach clearly undermines—serves no purpose other than fueling tensions in international relations,” Mashregh wrote.

Growing scrutiny over Russia’s commitment

While long considered a staunch ally by Iranian hardliners, Russia came under scrutiny from Iranian media figures, former diplomats and politicians who argued that Moscow’s support for Iran during the 12-day war fell short of meaningful military backing.

Earlier in August, hardline Expediency Council member Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi claimed that Russia had knowledge of Israel’s plans to topple the Islamic Republic before Israel’s strikes in June but did not inform Iran, highlighting concerns over Moscow’s commitment.

Such an explicit accusation of Russian cooperation or intelligence-sharing with Israel against Iran, however, had never been publicly raised by any official. This made Sadr’s remarks, as the first public statement of its kind by a leader-appointed member of the Expediency Council, unusually rare and sensitive.

Iranian-designed attack drones have been increasingly deployed by Moscow in Ukraine, but Russian military help has been elusive as Iran has suffered harsh blows from Israel and the United States.

The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of Russia’s broader foreign policy priorities, including its expanding defense ties with other countries.

The contrast between Russia’s limited support for Iran and its robust defense cooperation with other countries is stark.

Following the 12-day conflict with Israel, Moscow finalized a deal to provide India with 117 Su-35 fighter jets and joint production of the Su-57 stealth aircraft, including full technology transfer—capabilities Tehran has long sought but has yet to secure.

Critics argue that Moscow’s military entanglement in Ukraine coupled with its cautious approach toward Israel, reflects limits to its commitment to Iran—raising questions about how dependable Russia is as a strategic partner.

The trio dubbed the E3 is due to initiate the sanctions as early as Thursday, four diplomats cited by Reuters said, but hopes Iran will make diplomatic concessions within the next 30 days.

The snapback mechanism, part of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 — which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — allows any party to the accord to file a complaint accusing Iran of non-compliance.

If no resolution is reached within 30 days, all previous UN sanctions would automatically resume and would include arms embargoes, cargo inspections and missile restrictions.

A round of nuclear talks involving Iran and France, Germany and the United Kingdom concluded in Geneva on Tuesday, with tangible progress announced.

Deputy foreign ministers from the four countries took part in the meetings which followed a previous round held in Istanbul in July.

The European powers have pressed Iran to resume talks with the United States and cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.

Both were put on hold amid a 12-day war launched by Israel on Iran which was capped off with US strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but Israel and Western powers doubt its intentions.

Triggering the UN sanctions is likely to lead to complex, fast-paced diplomacy.

“There will be intense negotiation, diplomats say, over the form of that resolution. Among the questions are: will 2231 be extended and for how long, and will snapback clearly be allowed at a later date,” Wall Street Journal reporter Laurence Norman said on X Wednesday.

“The fundamental point is if there’s snapback tomorrow (Thursday), it’s not the end of diplomacy. It’s just going to proceed for a short period under new rules of the game,” he added.

Tehran on Wednesday warned of unspecified consequences if the countries triggered the sanctions mechanism and asserted they had no right to do so.

"In Geneva, we explained to the Europeans that, for legal reasons, they have no right to use the snapback mechanism, and that if such a thing happens, it will have consequences for them," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

"It was agreed that contacts between Iran and the European side would continue in the coming days," he added.

According to the statement, 13 militants were killed and others arrested in three separate operations across the cities of Iranshahr, Khash, and Saravan — areas that have seen a surge in violence in recent weeks.

According to the rights group Haalvsh, the Iranshahr operation began around 5 a.m. in the Chah-Jamal area and continued for several hours, with residents reporting the sound of sustained gunfire and visible plumes of smoke. Images sent to Haalvsh showed two destroyed vehicles being towed away by a crane.

In Saravan, local sources reported that IRGC forces surrounded a house in the village of Houshak and struck it with heavy weapons and drones, resulting in a large explosion and fire.

The Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, designated a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States, issued a statement acknowledging it had suffered casualties in the confrontations but said details were still being verified.

The operations come less than a week after gunmen killed five Iranian police officers in an ambush near Iranshahr, which authorities blamed on militant groups. Jaish al-Adl previously claimed responsibility for that attack, as well as earlier assaults in Saravan and Zahedan.

In response to that violence, the IRGC said it had destroyed two militant cells in the province, seizing explosives and communications equipment. The Guards said the militants were planning sabotage and bombings with the help of safe houses identified by local informants.

Sistan-Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been a center of insurgency by Sunni militant groups and is considered one of Iran’s most restive regions.

"They're just using cut-outs, including people who are criminals and members of organized crime gangs to do their bidding or direct their bidding," Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) Mike Burgess told reporters on Tuesday.

Younes Ali Younes, 20, appeared in Melbourne’s Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with stealing a car and setting fire to the Adass Israel synagogue on December 6.

He did not seek bail or enter a plea. Another man, Giovanni Laulu, 21, was charged last month on the same counts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that investigators uncovered a “supply chain” of payments leading from local criminals to Tehran.

“Security forces have done extraordinary work to trace the source of the funding of these criminal elements who’ve been used as tools of the Iranian regime,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

A tip-off from Israeli intelligence assisted ASIO during the inquiry, Sky News reported on Wednesday, with confidential sources confirming Israel provided a lead in relation to one of the firebombings.

Most of the work, however — including mapping networks of suspects and breaking through encrypted messaging — was conducted by ASIO investigators.

The attack was captured on CCTV showing three hooded figures unloading jerry cans of fuel from a stolen car before igniting the synagogue’s entrance and fleeing. Police said lives were endangered as people were inside at the time, though no injuries occurred.

Albanese on Tuesday expelled Iran’s ambassador after receiving a briefing from the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, joining other Western governments accusing Tehran of covert operations abroad.

Security agencies in Britain and Sweden have previously warned of Iran’s use of criminal proxies, while London has reported foiling 20 Iran-linked plots since 2022.

Iran’s foreign ministry rejected the accusations.

Victoria state’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team described the arson as politically motivated and involving offshore direction, while Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said local perpetrators likely had no knowledge of who ultimately ordered the attack.

Araghchi stressed that no agreement had yet been finalized with the UN nuclear watchdog regarding a broader framework for cooperation.

He also said the law passed by parliament after the June Israeli and US strikes — requiring all IAEA inspections to be approved by the Supreme National Security Council — had been observed. “All IAEA requests go to the Supreme National Security Council, which makes decisions in accordance with the law,” he said.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also defended the move, saying on Wednesday that the inspectors’ return was lawful and complied with the terms of the new legislation. “The law passed by parliament in this regard has been observed,” he said.

Hardline lawmakers push back

Despite these assurances, several lawmakers sharply criticized the decision. MP Amirhossein Sabeti said a document claiming to outline the terms of a new deal between Iran and the IAEA had reached parliament and called it “a disaster.”

“If it’s false, deny it — we’ll be glad,” he said. “But if it’s true, this agreement guarantees the next war,” warning that the document required Iran to hand over pre- and post-attack data that could guide future Israeli strikes.

Kamran Ghazanfari also objected, saying the return of inspectors violated the parliament’s legislation. “This is a clear breach of the law,” he said, warning that legal action could be taken against the head of the SNSC if cooperation continued without meeting parliamentary conditions.

No finalized text with IAEA, Araghchi says

Addressing these concerns, Araghchi emphasized that no finalized agreement—referred to by some as a new “modality” framework—had been reached with the IAEA. “Some texts have been exchanged and positions presented, but no draft has been finalized,” he told Khaneye Mellat, parliament’s official outlet.

“I don’t know where the text referenced by the lawmaker came from, but it is not a negotiated or agreed document,” Araghchi added.

IAEA inspections resume amid international pressure

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed on Tuesday that the agency’s inspectors had returned to Iran for the first time since their expulsion during the June conflict. “Now the first team of IAEA inspectors is back in Iran, and we are about to restart,” he said.

France, Germany, and the UK are tying Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA to their decision on whether to trigger the UN snapback sanctions mechanism by the end of August. Tehran has rejected the legality of such a move.