Israel’s Iron Beam laser system to enter operational service within weeks

His remarks appeared to confirm reporting on the message by Iran International on Friday citing sources familiar with the matter.

“The United States and Trump through Bin Salman have set three conditions for continuing negotiations and reaching an agreement with Iran, none of which are logical,” Mojtaba Zolnouri (Zonnouri) said in an interview with state media.

The United States has long insisted that Iran must completely halt its uranium enrichment program, stop supporting its armed allies in the Middle East and accept restrictions on its ballistic missile program.

Tehran rejects the conditions as a non-starter for any talks.

“These are preliminaries for our destruction, and it is obvious we will not accept them. Whenever they enter negotiations in the true sense-give and take-and prove they are acting in good faith, we have no problem,” said Zolnouri, a former deputy parliament speaker and current national security and foreign policy committee.

“If they clip our wings in the region, they will dominate us much sooner. You stop supporting Israel, then Israel will collapse on its own, and we won’t need to support any movement called the Resistance,” he added.

“What logic is there in telling us to shut down our missile program or limit the range to only 300 kilometers (186 miles)”?

In a speech on Thursday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed reports that Tehran had sought Riyadh’s help to facilitate talks with Washington last week, saying outreach to Trump would be beneath Iran’s dignity.

‘US must regain Iran's trust’

Meanwhile Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi that the United States bears responsibility for restoring Iran’s confidence in diplomatic processes.

“It is the United States that must regain Iran’s trust in diplomacy,” Araghchi cited as saying to Motegi on Monday, according to statement from Iran’s foreign ministry.

Japan’s foreign ministry said Motegi urged early resumption of US-Iran negotiations and immediate full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The United States held five rounds of negotiations with Iran over its disputed nuclear program earlier this year, for which Trump set a 60-day deadline.

When no agreement was reached by the 61st day on June 13, Israel launched a surprise military offensive, followed by US strikes on June 22 targeting key nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.

Earlier, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli prime minister spoke with Trump but did not mention the two leaders had discussed Iran.

The statement added Trump invited Netanyahu to a meeting at the White House in the near future.

CNN's report comes as Israeli media cited Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram as saying that the country is developing more new technologies to prepare for the next potential war against Iran.

"Enemies are learning and adapting. We are at a pivotal point before a new paradigm takes place," the Jerusalem Post quoted Baram as saying at the International DefenseTech Summit in Tel Aviv on Monday.

“Iran’s rapid force buildup in air defense and ballistic missile capabilities,” driven by “its extremist ideology” means that “all fronts are still open” and the Israeli military must be ready for another conflict, Baram said according to the Jerusalem Post.

Speaking at the same conference on Thursday, Daniel Gold, head of Israel’s Defense Ministry Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), said the country’s new laser defense system will be rolled out by the end of December.

“The Iron Beam laser system is expected to fundamentally change the rules of engagement on the battlefield," Gold said.

"With development complete and a comprehensive testing program that has validated the system's capabilities, we are prepared to deliver initial operational capability to the IDF,” he added, referring to the Israeli military.

Speaking to Iran International, Farzin Nadimi, senior researcher on defense and security at the US-based Washington Institute think tank, said both Iran and Israel were seeking to shape their adversary's calculations with their public statements.

Iranian military and political leaders have vowed a punishing response to any renewed Israeli attack.

“In this war of long-range strikes, the psychological dimension and the battle of narratives are just as important as the missiles and bombs exchanged between Iran and Israel,” he said.

“They see it as an important part of the deterrence they are trying to create against the other side.”

Mostafa Nili said Panahi was sentenced in absentia and that Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court also imposed a two-year travel ban and barred him from membership in any political or social organizations.

Panahi had travelled to the United States to collect three awards, including best director, at the Gotham Awards in New York for his latest film, It Was Just an Accident.

As one of Iran’s most acclaimed directors and a winner of major international film awards, Panahi has faced repeated arrest and curbs on his work in recent years.

In May, Panahi received the Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival for his film It Was Just an Accident, a political thriller shot secretly in Iran without government authorization and in open defiance of the country’s compulsory hijab laws.

In his acceptance speech, Panahi urged unity among Iranians striving for democracy: "Let's set aside our differences. The important thing now is the freedom of our country, so that no one would dare to tell us what to wear or what film to make."

In September, France selected the film as its submission for the Academy Awards in the international feature category, giving the filmmaker a path to Hollywood that Tehran was unlikely to offer.

The 98th Academy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.

Panahi has spent much of the past 15 years under house arrest or in prison. He was arrested in July 2022 after he protested against the arrest of two fellow filmmakers who had voiced criticism of the authorities. He was sentenced to six years in prison before being released on bail in early 2023.

The rise outstrips a previous record of 1.17 million hit on September 30 after European states moved to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program, further constraining its trade opportunities.

By Monday afternoon, the dollar was trading at just over 1.19 million rials, the Euro about 1.38 million and the UK Pound near 1.57 million.

Local exchange-rate websites also showed the Emami gold coin — Iran’s most traded benchmark coin used by households and investors as a store of value — hitting a fresh record above 1.26 billion rials, extending a sharp rise that began over the weekend.

The latest slide in the rial comes amid soaring inflation, renewed volatility in Iran’s unofficial markets and continued uncertainty over stalled nuclear talks with the United States.

The US dollar, which traded at about 140,000 rials in 2018, has risen roughly eight-fold since Donald Trump restored US sanctions on Iran seven years ago.

Britain, France and Germany triggered the so-called snapback mechanism to restore UN sanction under Security Council Resolution 2231, citing Iran's failure to comply with its nuclear obligations.

The move restored UN penalties previously suspended under the resolution, tightening external constraints on Iran’s economy. Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and accuses the United States and European countries of economic warfare.

On Monday, local media reported that alongside fading hopes for reviving nuclear talks, rising gasoline prices have also contributed to turbulence in Iran’s currency and gold markets.

After months of debate, the government formally introduced a three-tier gasoline pricing system, with the third rate set to take effect at 50,000 rials on December 6.

Nasir Abedi, the former administrative and financial deputy of IIDO's Tehran office, had been convicted of rape and sexual abuse of one daughter and assault against another, according to the source who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Abedi, the source said, repeatedly assaulted one girl before she turned twelve, adding that a forensic examiner confirmed rape and the court upheld the findings.

But senior figures, the source added, intervened in the judicial process as the case progressed.

The charge relating to the second child was removed from the final verdict following internal pressure, leaving only one count of rape. The sentence of flogging “was never carried out because of outside interference,” the source told Iran International.

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The organization, according to the source, also acted to block any public disclosures once details of the case circulated internally.

Potential death sentences

Under Iranian criminal law, sexual relations with close relatives constitute one of the gravest offenses, carrying a potential death sentence if penetration is legally established.

While cases involving coercion against children can result in capital punishment or other severe penalties, proceedings within family structures are often influenced by pressure from political, clerical or security institutions.

The timing of the revelations coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, drawing renewed attention to domestic and sexual violence in Iran.

Advocacy groups and survivors have long argued that opaque judicial processes allow politically connected offenders to evade serious consequences.

Past cases echo similar pressures

The Islamic Republic has faced earlier allegations of interference in sexual-abuse cases involving figures.

A former provincial Islamic guidance official, Reza Seghati, received only a flogging sentence after a court classified his same-sex encounter in 2023 as “incomplete,” a decision critics said reflected extra-judicial pressure.

Another notable case involved Saeed Toosi, a prominent Qur’an reciter linked to the Supreme Leader’s office, whose accusers said judicial proceedings collapsed under political influence.

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Abedi previously held positions in other religious foundations, including the Ghadir International Foundation, and in public statements had described the IIDO as an institution “serving Islam” and “affiliated with the leader.”

The organization identifies the promotion of what it calls “pure Islam” as its mandate and plays a central role in enforcing the compulsory hijab and state-endorsed social norms.

Transparency concerns

Although many sexual-violence cases in Iran remain confidential, available reports suggest incidents involving women and children have risen in recent years.

Activists say survivors often lack safe reporting channels and face family pressure and social stigma, while state bodies have at times prioritized institutional reputation over accountability.

The latest allegations highlight the structural obstacles confronting survivors who seek justice and the enduring role of secrecy in shielding powerful offenders.