Russia says Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant staff could be evacuated if needed

Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the former prime minister and opposition figure under house arrest since 2011, issued a sharply worded statement from confinement on Thursday, saying that the ruling system has lost legitimacy and urging Iran’s security forces to step aside amid what he described as an unprecedented national tragedy.

“The people have said it in every language: they do not want this system and they do not believe your lies. Enough. The game is over. Lay down your guns and step away from power so the nation itself can lead this land toward freedom and prosperity,” Mousavi said.

He said Iran has entered a dark chapter marked by mass bloodshed and collective mourning, arguing that the scale of violence and repression would be remembered for decades.

He accused the authorities of committing what he called a historic betrayal against the people, saying the killings had created a “river of blood” that would not subside unless it altered the course of history.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany strongly supports listing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under EU terrorism sanctions and expressed confidence the bloc would reach a decision on Thursday.

“The federal government has strongly advocated for the Revolutionary Guard Corps to be listed,” Wadephul told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. “I am very confident that we will reach a joint conclusion on this matter today.”

He said the move was needed in response to Iran’s treatment of its citizens. “The way people have been beaten, tortured, thrown into prison and even shot or hanged is so dramatic that there must be a clear response from the European Union,” he said.

Wadephul also said Germany wanted an agreement with Iran on its missile program and nuclear activities. “Nobody needs another conflict,” he said, adding that Tehran must understand it could not continue as before and urging use of what he called a remaining window for a deal.

Finland said it supports adding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said.

“Iran’s authorities are responsible for killing thousands of their own citizens and brutally repressing society,” Valtonen wrote in a post on X. “They do not deserve sympathy, but must be held accountable for their actions.”

Valtonen said Finland would inform EU partners of its position at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday, adding that Iranians had shown courage and determination in demanding a free and prosperous future.

Senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia are visiting Washington this week for talks on Iran as US President Donald Trump weighed possible military strikes, Axios reported.

Axios said Israel’s military intelligence chief held meetings with senior officials at the Pentagon, the CIA and the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday to share intelligence on possible targets inside Iran.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman was expected to hold meetings focused on Iran at the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House on Thursday and Friday, Axios reported, adding that Saudi Arabia was concerned about a wider regional war and was trying to help push diplomacy.

European Union foreign ministers approved new sanctions on Iran on Thursday, targeting individuals and entities linked to a violent crackdown on protesters and Tehran’s support for Russia, Reuters reported.

The ministers are also expected to reach a political agreement to add Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the EU list of terrorist organizations, a move that would mark a symbolic shift in the bloc’s approach to Iran’s leadership.