Israeli army reservist indicted on Iran spying charges

“Iran must never come into possession of a nuclear weapon,” Wadephul said. He added that while recent US and Israeli military strikes had set back Tehran’s program, “ultimately this is of course to be feared. That is why we are pushing for a negotiated solution to resolve this issue permanently.”

Wadephul said Tehran had shown a lack of credibility and transparency in past talks and that the return of sanctions was unavoidable. He said the decision by Iran’s rulers was a “serious mistake” that hit the Iranian people most.

He said Germany, along with Britain and France, had tried in recent months to prevent the sanctions by urging Iran back to negotiations. “I did not want to be accused of not having tried everything,” he said.

Western powers say Iran left no choice

France, Germany and the United Kingdom said the reimposition of UN sanctions was unavoidable after what they described as Iran’s persistent breaches of the 2015 nuclear deal.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said the snapback mechanism under Resolution 2231 had been triggered on August 28 and completed on September 27, restoring six previous sanctions resolutions. They said Iran had “exceeded all limits on its nuclear program” and was holding enriched uranium “48 times” the deal’s limit, with stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that “cannot exclude the possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive device.”

The European Union this week reinstated sweeping sanctions on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs, restoring restrictions on oil, banking, transport and trade that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. The EU said Iran had exceeded uranium enrichment limits “48 times” and that the snapback was the only option left.

Iran has rejected the return of sanctions as illegal and without effect. The foreign ministry said any attempt to revive resolutions that ended in 2015 was “null and void.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote this week to Sri Lanka and the Maldives urging them to oppose the sanctions and warning that international law had become “a plaything for the United States.”

Tehran says all nuclear restrictions under Resolution 2231 must expire on October 18, 2025, and that it will not recognize any effort to extend or enforce them after that date.

Fathi said the accident happened around 8 a.m. near the Dehkadeh Sibland complex. He said rescue teams were immediately sent to the site and that the number of victims could rise.

The road links Tehran to Mazandaran province through mountain passes and is one of the busiest intercity routes in northern Iran.

Police road chief Ahmad Karami Asad said the Scania bus, carrying 33 passengers from Qazvin to Mazandaran, overturned in the Aminabad area. He said preliminary checks suggested the driver had been tired and drowsy.

Emergency officials said two of the injured were taken to Imam Khomeini hospital in Firouzkouh, three to Som’e Shaban hospital in Damavand and three were flown by helicopter to Tehran. Other passengers were treated on site. Several of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition.

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency said some passengers were trapped inside the bus before being freed by rescuers.

Road crashes have become a major public concern in Iran. The Legal Medicine Organization said in May that nearly 19,500 people died in traffic accidents in the last Iranian year, most of them on intercity highways. Official data show more than 20,000 deaths were recorded the year before, the highest toll in 12 years.

At least 26 students have died in 13 accidents involving university buses across Iran over the past decade, the daily Ham-Mihan reported this week, reviving concerns about road safety and vehicle standards.

Ambassador Alireza Delkhosh quoted Araghchi as saying, “We must support international law. This is not only about Iran, it is about the dignity of international law.” He said the minister warned, “Today Iran is the target, tomorrow it may be South Asian countries and the day after African states.”

Delkhosh said the message urged governments to resist pressure from Western powers. “International law has become a plaything for the United States. This decision, taken with Western countries, is very dangerous for international law,” he said.

Araghchi told the two South Asian countries that the latest sanctions showed the fragility of global rules. “This moment is a critical test for the credibility of international law,” the minister wrote, according to the envoy.

The letters came after the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran last month through the snapback mechanism. Britain, France and Germany triggered the process, saying Tehran had failed to meet commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

The European Union on Monday reinstated sweeping sanctions on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs, restoring bans on oil exports, banking, transport and energy trade that had been lifted under the nuclear deal. The EU said Iran had breached its obligations and noted that its enriched uranium stockpile was far above agreed limits.

US tightens pressure

The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions on 38 individuals and companies from Iran and China accused of supplying Iran’s military procurement network. The Treasury Department said the network provided missile technology and helicopter parts to Iran’s defense ministry. It said the move was part of efforts to enforce renewed UN sanctions and deny Tehran access to advanced technologies.

Iran has rejected the return of UN sanctions as illegal and without effect. The foreign ministry said any attempt to revive resolutions that ended in 2015 was “null and void” and created no obligation for member states.

“The Chinese absolutely do not want to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons. That would be very problematic for them. For the same reason, the Chinese do not want to see Iran violate the NPT,” added Pollack, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington DC.

“I would say the same, at least in theory, for the Russians,” he added, referring to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran and Western powers are at an impasse on how to revive dialogue and nuclear inspections after a 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States in June.

Stung over the weekend by resumed international sanctions triggered by European powers over its nuclear program, Iran likely sees China and Russia as key bulwarks against further isolation, Pollack said. "That’s too dangerous for them."

While Iranian-designed drones have been key to Russia's war effort against Ukraine, Moscow provided little support during the brief summer war.

The two countries have signed a long-term security framework, but Russia’s restraint underscores the limits of its backing.

China and Iran inked a 25-year cooperation agreement in 2021 which envisioned Chinese investment in Iran’s energy and infrastructure sectors in exchange for long-term energy supply commitments.

But implementation has lagged under sanctions, with Chinese investments limited and its exact terms kept secret.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian did not play a prominent role during a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, was notably absent from the customary group photo and filed out near the back of invited world leaders at a subsequent Chinese military parade.

China and Russia at the United Nations Security Council last week tried to win Iran a reprieve from the renewed sanctions but failed to muster enough votes.

Maximum pressure return

Pollack said oil sales remain Tehran’s economic lifeline, noting that Iran currently exports—largely through illicit channels—about 1.5 to 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, consistent with independent tracking estimates.

More could be done by the administration of US President Donald Trump to ramp up so-called Maximum Pressure sanctions to deprive Tehran of its revenue.

“The US could reduce that flow to 500,000 barrels per day, or even 300,000,” Pollack added, saying measures against Iran's use of neighboring Iraq's financial system and further listing of oil-exporting networks could yield further pain on Tehran.

“That would have a massive impact on the amount of money coming back into Iran. For the average Iranian, it could be very significant,” he added, noting the hardship wrought on citizens amid the geopolitical tussle.

The maximum pressure sanctions strategy was first pursued under Trump's first term, but since its reimplementation in January has fallen far short of its goal of drive Iran’s oil exports to zero.

The UN sanctions reimposed on Iran over the weekend appear set to deepen the country’s financial crisis. The rial has fallen to record lows against the dollar, inflation remains in double digits, and the cost of food and fuel continues to rise.

Pezeshkian said the idea of relocating the capital had already been discussed with the Supreme Leader but now “is not a choice, it is a mandate.”

“Last year, rainfall was 140 millimeters, while the standard is 260 millimeters. That means rainfall has fallen by about 50 to 60 percent. This year, the situation is just as critical,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast from Hormozgan Province.

Iran announced in January it would relocate its capital to the southern coastal region of Makran, citing Tehran’s enduring overpopulation, power shortages and water scarcity.

Pezeshkian warned on Thursday that the cost of transporting water to Tehran could reach €4 per cubic meter (about $4.65), underscoring the unsustainable pressure on the city’s resources.

Tehran’s main reservoirs are nearing depletion. Government figures show that 19 major dams nationwide are operating at below 20 percent capacity, while satellite analysis indicates Amir Kabir reservoir outside Tehran is at just 6 percent of usable volume.

Other key reservoirs, including Lar and Latyan, are also at historic lows. Officials have also reported land subsidence in parts of the capital of up to 30 centimeters per year due to groundwater depletion.

Iran has long studied moving the capital to the shores of the Persian Gulf, where access to water would be less strained.

Agriculture, which consumes about 80 percent of Iran’s water, remains highly inefficient, further straining limited supplies. Experts warn that without major reforms in consumption and water management, the country faces worsening shortages, environmental collapse and growing public unrest.

A long-debated issue

The idea of moving the capital has been raised for decades, with concerns ranging from traffic congestion and pollution to earthquake risk and water scarcity.

In 2016, parliament approved a motion to study the transfer, but high costs and political resistance stalled progress. Previous governments floated alternatives such as Semnan, Qom or Esfahan, but no decision was made.

Pezeshkian is the first Iranian president to frame relocation as unavoidable.

His warning comes after European states triggered the resumption of UN sanctions citing mistrust of Iran's nuclear intentions.

The move looks set to deepen Iran's economic pain as the Iranian currency has fallen to record lows against the dollar, inflation remains above 30 percent and food and fuel prices continue to climb.