US doubles down on Iran sanctions and pressure

Iran sent a formal letter to the United Nations on Thursday, condemning threats from the United States under President Donald Trump and warning of potential retaliation against American assets.

"The United States would bear full and direct responsibility for any unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences," the letter said.

Denmark’s maritime authority has detained and inspected an Iran-flagged container vessel anchored in the country’s waters on the grounds that it was not properly registered, Reuters reported.

The ship, operating under the name “Nora” according to LSEG data, had initially been sailing under a Comoros flag, but Comoros informed Denmark that the vessel was not found in its registry, the report said, citing the authority’s email to Reuters.

“The ship is detained until a flag state can demonstrate to the Danish maritime authority that it is registered and fully certified,” the authority said, according to Reuters, adding that a port state inspection would be carried out before any release.

The authority later said the inspection had been completed and found no significant safety deficiencies.

LSEG data shows that “Nora” is now sailing under the Iranian flag, the report said.

Danish broadcaster TV2, which first reported the detention, said the vessel changed its flag from Comoros to Iran on Wednesday, though Reuters said it was unable to independently verify when the change took place.

US President Donald Trump is weighing an initial limited military strike on Iran to pressure Tehran into meeting his demands for a nuclear agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The opening assault, which if authorized could come within days, would target a few military or government sites and be designed to pressure Iran into an agreement while falling short of a full-scale attack that could inspire major retaliation, the report said.

If Iran still refused to comply with Trump’s directive to end its nuclear enrichment, the US would respond with a broad campaign against government facilities — potentially aimed at toppling the government.

The limited-strike option, which hasn’t been previously reported, signals Trump might be open to using military force not only as a reprimand for Iran’s failure to make a deal, but also to pave the way for a US-friendly accord.

Trump could ratchet up his attacks, starting small before ordering larger strikes until the Islamic Republic either dismantles its nuclear work or falls, one of the people said.

Discussions of late have focused more on larger-scale campaigns, the report cited unnamed officials as saying.

US President Donald Trump has grown frustrated with Iran’s approach to renewed nuclear talks, The Washington Post reported on Thursday citing European diplomats.

After the most recent talks held in Geneva, diplomats cited by The Washington Post believe Iran is not prepared to budge from its “core positions,” including uranium enrichment.

According to the report, Iranian negotiators have sought to delay substantive discussions by focusing on technical details.

“The Iranians were planning to drown them in technicalities and delay substance,” a European diplomat briefed on the talks said. “While a more traditional approach would have built on the dialogue, Trump does not have the patience.”

Security forces have used threats against players’ families and relatives, contract deductions and exclusion from team training to silence top-league players, sources said.

Authorities have also sought to pressure athletes by offering inducements to some individuals to monitor their teammates, while female players have been threatened with judicial action and long prison sentences if they express support for the protests, the sources added.

Football federation officials have meanwhile warned players that reacting publicly to the killings could result in multi-year bans from professional football activity, according to the sources.

The measures are aimed at preventing women footballers from expressing solidarity with the protests or participating in related commemorations, the sources said.

The pressure campaign follows the resignations of two players from Iran’s women’s national football team — Zahra Alizadeh and Kosar Kamali — in protest at the crackdown on nationwide protests in early January which left at least 36,500 dead.

Alizadeh, a national team player who competes for top-flight club Gol Gohar Sirjan, was the first athlete to step down from the squad. Kamali, a player for Ista, later announced her withdrawal from the national team in a social media post.

Niloufar Mirkarimi, a futsal referee operating under Iran’s football federation, also resigned from officiating, widening the protest beyond players to officials within the sport.

Posts announcing the resignations of Alizadeh and Kamali were removed from their Instagram pages hours after publication, according to people familiar with the matter.

Any protest-related posts or social media stories published by players have faced immediate security repercussions, the sources added.