Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, arrived in Moscow on Monday for negotiations, Russian media reported, without specifying whom he would meet.
The visit comes after the UN Security Council decided not to permanently lift sanctions against Tehran. The decision followed a move last month by France, Germany and Britain to launch a 30-day process to reimpose measures, accusing Iran of failing to uphold the 2015 nuclear deal.
Tehran denies the charge, while Moscow has declared support for Iran’s right to pursue “peaceful nuclear energy.”
Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, November 14, 2024.
Tehran’s possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is not a mere threat but a prepared plan under review at different levels of government, an Iranian parliamentarian said on Monday.
The proposal is ready to be presented in the open session, Hosseinali Haji-Deligani, a member of the parliament’s Article 90 committee, said.
“Fortunately there is consensus among the country’s officials, and all decision-making bodies consider withdrawal from the NPT the best option to counter the European countries’ move,” he added.
The decision by France, Germany and Britain to trigger the snapback mechanism is unlawful and will have consequences, an Iranian foreign ministry official said on Monday.
“The activation of the snapback mechanism by France, Germany and Britain is “illegal and provocative and will carry consequences,” Hossein Noushabadi, director-general for parliamentary affairs at Iran’s foreign ministry, said.
“The international community must reject this illegal act by the three countries and avoid granting it any legitimacy.”
Europe and the United States have judged Iran to be vulnerable and intend to exploit every available measure to increase pressure on Tehran, the daily Farhikhtegan wrote Monday.
“Europe and the United States, influenced by Israeli claims and the Iranian opposition, have concluded that Iran is weak, and for that reason they do not want to overlook even the smallest tool for pressuring Iran.”
The paper also referred to proposals for a meeting between President Masoud Pezeshkian and US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, invoking a proverb.
“The eagerness of these people for talks with America is like the ruckus in the bride’s house, while in the groom’s house nothing special is happening,” the paper added.
Fresh UN sanctions triggered by the snapback mechanism will fuel inflationary pressure and deepen economic strain, Alireza Kiani, head of the money and capital market committee of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce, said Monday.
“If snapback is activated, the government must seriously reconsider its currency policies. With continued suppression of the exchange rate, more traders and producers will exit the market and capital flight will increase,” Kiani added.
The latest crisis is marked by worsening disruption in the circulation of money and capital, Kiani said.
“The private sector lacks access to resources and shows little incentive for reinvestment.”
Iran’s armed forces warned on Monday they are prepared to respond to any threat with overwhelming force, saying recent clashes showed the country could turn aggression into an opportunity to display regional and international power.
Major General Mousavi, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, said in a message marking Defense Week that Tehran’s military and defensive capabilities blunted enemy plans during the recent 12-day conflict and that Iran would not remain passive in the face of new threats.
Sacred Defense Week, which begins on September 22, is Iran’s annual commemoration of the 1980–88 Iran-Iraq war, marked by military parades and other war-themed events.
Major General Mousavi, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran
State news outlets quoted Mousavi as saying that “the armed forces,relying on strategic surprises, were ready to deliver a timely, decisive and beyond imagination response to any acts of aggression.”
Mousavi urged quicker development of advanced defense technologies and stronger deterrence, and called for preparations to counter so-called hybrid threats, especially cognitive and information warfare, which he said should be a priority for planners.
The comments came after a meeting between senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the regular army, where unity and coordinated action were stressed.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour (left) and Army Commander Amir Hatami during a meeting on September 22, 2025
Army Commander Amir Hatami, quoted by state media, said any smallest aggression would be met by a unified, rapid and forceful response from both services and said that national interests would not be negotiated away.
“This unity is the iron shield that protects our country against plots and conspiracies. We proved again in the 12-day war that we will not bargain over our national interests.”
“From the very beginning of the Islamic revolution in 1979, the enemies have demanded that the Iranian nation give up its rightful goals, but our people, with sacrifices and martyrs, have resisted and will continue to resist,” he said.
IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour underscored the need for “jihad-style” mobilization of public capacities across education, media and civil institutions to shape public narratives and resilience against external influence, remarks that reflect Tehran’s focus on combining military and non-military tools in its defense posture.
“The events of this imposed war were exactly reminiscent of September 1980 and the national unity forged at the start of the Sacred Defense,” he said
He added that “in the early hours, several of our senior commanders were martyred, but with the Supreme Leader’s wise leadership, successors were appointed and the battle was managed until the enemy was forced to request a ceasefire.”
