New strikes on Iran being discussed in practical terms, Lavrov says
"The threat of new strikes on Iran remains and as informed sources say, is even being discussed in practical terms," Russia's foreign minister said Saturday, calling it "quite indicative."
He said the military threat is synchronized with what he called a Western plan to economically "strangulate" Iran, citing their rejection of a Russian-Chinese bid to delay the snapback of sanctions.
"This is a deliberate operation aimed at starting the next stage of strangling the Islamic Republic of Iran economically, financially and so on," Sergei Lavrov told reporters in New York, according to Interfax.
Israel may launch a new attack on Iran within three months if the current trends continue, defense and security analyst Farzin Nadimi told Iran International.
“I think that within a maximum of three months, if such a decision is made, it will be carried out. If things continue on this path,” said Nadimi, a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute.
Both sides had drawn lessons from the 12-day conflict in June and neither sought a prolonged or costly war, he added.
Any Israeli decision, he said, would rest on advance planning and readiness of defenses. “If Israel makes such a decision, it must prepare a set of assumptions, and its defensive capabilities must be more ready.”
Nadimi pointed to recent US military deployments as evidence of enhanced preparation.
“Reports have indicated that the THAAD battery, which the United States had deployed in Israel, has now been increased. In other words, four launchers have been added to the existing six,” he said.
The Iranian parliament will debate withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on Sunday and decide on it, a senior lawmaker said.
"The issue of building a nuclear bomb will be considered separately at a later stage, and we can place it on the agenda," the IRGC general-turned-lawmaker Esmail Kowsari told the state-run YJC.
Iran has imposed new limits on stablecoin transactions, capping annual purchases at $5,000 per person and total holdings at $10,000, authorities announced on Saturday, as the rial plunged to a record low on the eve of the return of UN sanctions.
The decision, adopted during the Central Bank’s High Council session this week, applies to all traders and users on licensed digital platforms and must be implemented within a one-month transition period, according to Asghar Abolhasani, secretary of the High Council.
“From now on, the ceiling for purchasing stablecoins is set at $5,000 per user annually, and holdings cannot exceed $10,000,” Abolhasani told Iran's state TV.
He said those already holding stablecoins will have only a brief period to comply.
“The important point is that in regard to stablecoins currently in possession, a maximum one-month transition period has been set, during which the authorized ceiling for holdings must be observed.”
Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to traditional currencies, with Tether (US dollar) being the most widely used.
In Iran, Tether has become a lifeline for households and traders seeking to protect savings from inflation or to move money abroad, offering the stability of the US dollar without the barriers of the formal banking system.
The new restrictions come as the rial continues to collapse, hitting an all-time low of 1,136,500 per US dollar on Saturday. The national currency is likely to lose further value amid the looming renewal of UN sanctions and worsening public confidence in government controls.
Stablecoins such as Tether have surged in popularity among Iranians since the war with Israel and US earlier this year. For many, converting rials into digital dollars has been the only way to preserve value.
The new cap is expected to affect thousands of small traders who have been making a living in crypto and could now face penalties for exceeding the legal ceiling.
The Central Bank’s move mirrors past efforts to curb demand for foreign currency during sharp market downturns. In earlier crises, authorities restricted access to dollars and gold in hopes of stabilizing the rial, but the measures had little long-term impact and often pushed transactions into black markets.
"The three European countries and the United States expected Iran to give up all its nuclear material or hand it over to them, in exchange for delaying the activation of the snapback mechanism by three or six months, Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday.
"This is the height of a “brazen” approach toward us, and we will not submit to such humiliation," Abbas Araghchi told Iran's state TV.
"Iran will not accept the humiliating pressure over snapback. The European countries and the United States tried to extort concessions from Iran by creating fear of activating the snapback mechanism," he said.
"We have no doubt about the peaceful nature of our nuclear program, and we are ready to build trust, provided that the Iranian people’s inalienable right to enrich uranium is respected," the Iranian foreign minister said.
Legal battle at Security Council
Iran's foreign minister said Tehran will start a legal battle at the UN Security Council next month as it believes the snapback mechanism has not been activated and once Resolution 2231 expires on Oct. 18, all sanctions will be terminated.
"China and Russia also believe that the activation of the snapback is illegal, and on October 18 all sanctions on Iran will end as per UNSC Resolution 2231," Araghchi said.
"Since Iran clearly does not comply with its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed to in 2015, we had no choice but to trigger the snapback of sanctions," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Saturday.
"Following a clear vote by the Security Council yesterday, sanctions will be effective later today," he told the UN General Assembly.
"But let me emphasize that we remain open to negotiations on a new agreement. Diplomacy can and should continue."
