Satellite images show Iran fortifying sites amid US tensions - Reuters

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi held a phone call on Wednesday with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss the latest developments in indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, state media reported.

Araghchi thanked Grossi for attending the Geneva talks and said Iran was focused on drafting a coherent initial framework to guide future discussions.

Grossi gave a positive assessment of the latest round of talks and said the agency was ready to provide support and cooperation in shaping a negotiating framework, according to the report.

The United States will deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons “one way or the other,” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump “believes firmly we cannot have a nuclear-armed Iran,” Wright told reporters in Paris on the sidelines of meetings at the International Energy Agency.

“They’ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It’s entirely unacceptable,” Wright said. “So one way or the other, we are going to deter Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon.”

His remarks came a day after US and Iranian officials held talks in Geneva aimed at averting possible US military intervention over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran said the talks produced agreement on “guiding principles” for a deal, while US Vice President JD Vance said Tehran had not yet acknowledged all of Washington’s red lines.

A student said not attending classes during 40th-day memorials for those killed in the January protests was “the least we can do,” in comments to Iran International.

“Our absence from class is nothing compared to thousands who gave their lives for freedom. This is the least we can do,” the student said.

“As long as all this effort and blood has not led to results, none of us feels well. We pretend we are fine so life can go on, but in reality we are waiting every moment for news that lets us breathe and know our lives are not in danger,” the student added.

Referring to the arrest and execution of some doctors and medical staff, the student said: “When I see doctors being arrested or executed, how can I study with motivation to become a doctor? In today’s Iran, falling in love, studying and protesting seem to mean death.”

Iran’s teachers’ union has said a Wednesday strike to honor students and teachers killed in the protests led to school closures in several cities.

For two nights in January, Kazem says he was deployed in Tehran. He says he didn’t shoot at protesters but watched others and helped load bodies into refrigerated trucks, including a little girl whose earrings were torn off before she was thrown inside.

His account, given in an extended interview, offers a detailed insider description of how forces were assembled, armed and deployed – and how protesters were shot and bodies removed. Certain personal and operational details are not being published for security reasons.

Kazem, a 40-year-old Tehran resident, says he was present as part of the state’s repression apparatus during two nights of mass violence, January 8 and 9.

He says he had previously spent a relatively long time in detention by the IRGC Intelligence Organization and was released after promising cooperation. He maintains that he did not kill anyone and that he fired only into the air.

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US President Donald Trump is closer to a major military confrontation with Iran than many Americans realize, Axios reported, citing US and Israeli sources.

The report said a potential US operation could be a weeks-long campaign, possibly conducted jointly with Israel, and broader in scope than previous strikes on Iranian targets.

Trump has paired nuclear talks with a significant military buildup in the region, including aircraft carriers, warships, fighter jets and air defense systems. More than 150 US military cargo flights have moved weapons and ammunition to the Middle East in recent weeks, according to the report.

While US and Iranian officials described recent talks in Geneva as making progress, gaps remain wide and US officials are not optimistic about a breakthrough, Axios said.

Some Israeli officials are preparing for a possible war within days, the report added, while US officials differ on the timeline. Axios said there is no clear sign of a diplomatic breakthrough but growing indications that military action could follow if talks collapse.