Iran UN mission says ready for dialogue with US, will defend itself if pushed

Iran’s deputy foreign minister said negotiations with the United States are not Tehran’s priority at present, while confirming that messages are being exchanged between the two sides.

Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran’s priority is “200 percent readiness to defend” the country and warned that any limited US attack would be met with “an appropriate response.”

He said no talks are currently underway, adding that even if Tehran and Washington were to sit at the negotiating table, Iran would not reduce its readiness for a possible war.

“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial on Wednesday, saying the fleet, led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, was “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”

He added that the force was larger than one previously sent to Venezuela and said he hoped Iran would “quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties.”

Trump referenced the June military action “Operation Midnight Hammer,” saying it had inflicted “major destruction of Iran” and warning that “the next attack will be far worse” if Tehran did not reach an agreement.

The cell carried out reconnaissance around the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey and used commercial activity as cover, the paper said.

Investigators said the network was directed by Iranian intelligence officers Najaf Rostami, known as “Haji,” and Mahdi Yekeh Dehghan, referred to as “Doctor,” according to Daily Sabah.

The investigation found that one of the suspects, Iranian national Ashkan Jalali, based in Ankara, planned the transfer of armed unmanned aerial vehicles from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration through companies he owned, Bulaq Robotics and Arete Industries, it said.

Jalali and another suspect, Alican Koç, attended specialized drone training sessions in Iran in August and September 2025, according to the report.

Police detained defense industry company owners Erhan Ergelen and Taner Özcan, textile businessperson Cemal Beyaz, Remzi Beyaz, Koç and Jalali in Istanbul-centered raids. An Istanbul court later arrested all six on charges of “obtaining confidential state information for political or military espionage,” Daily Sabah said.

The paper said Ergelen and Özcan traveled to Iran in October 2025 and played roles in drone shipment plans to Greek Cyprus. In testimony, Remzi Beyaz said he was offered money to take part in assassination plots targeting Iranian dissidents.

The network used encrypted messaging under the code name “Güvercin” and financed its activities by disguising operations as commercial drone trade, the paper added.

Iran’s internet shutdown has cut online business sales by as much as 80%, the head of the union of virtual businesses said on Wednesday, warning of serious damage to the digital economy.

“Many online businesses have seen their sales fall by up to 80%,” Reza Olfatnasab said.

About one million people earn a living directly through sales on social media platforms and are now in limbo, he said.

“If this situation continues, it can really push the digital economy toward destruction,” Olfatnasab added.

Dutch airline KLM said on Wednesday it canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, backtracking on plans to resume services due to security concerns.

“Based on the current security situation and operational feasibility, it has been decided at this stage not to resume flights to Tel Aviv,” KLM said in a statement.

The airline had suspended flights last weekend amid fears of renewed conflict involving Iran and had planned a limited restart on Wednesday.

“KLM’s highest priority is the safety of passengers and crews,” it said, adding it would resume flights once it was “safe and responsible” to do so.

KLM said it has restarted flights to other regional destinations, including Riyadh and Dammam, and is studying a possible return to Dubai later this week.