UK calls on Iran to stop attacks, warns of regional instability

Iranian authorities have arrested 50 people in the northern Mazandaran province for allegedly sending information about military and security sites to the Persian-language broadcasters Iran International and Manoto, IRGC- affiliated Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.

The arrests were made by the police intelligence organization in the province since the start of the war.

The report said the suspects were identified through surveillance and technical intelligence measures.

It also said arrests were being carried out across the country, including in villages and remote areas, and warned that those detained would face severe punishment.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it had received no information from Iran about a reported US 15-point plan and could not assess the reliability of such reports.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no details from Tehran on the proposal.

Two Pakistani officials said separately that Iran had received a 15-point US ceasefire proposal covering issues including sanctions relief, nuclear limits and access through the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported, though Iran has denied holding negotiations with Washington.

The situation at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant is developing along a “worst-case scenario” after a strike near the facility, the head of Russia’s Rosatom said on Wednesday.

Alexei Likhachev said a projectile hit an area near an operational unit on Tuesday, without causing casualties.

He said Rosatom had begun a third phase of staff evacuation and was reducing personnel at the site to a minimum.

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the decision came after Iran executed an Iranian-Swedish citizen accused of spying for Israel, a charge Stockholm and European officials have rejected.

“This is just the beginning,” she said, adding that Sweden was considering additional measures.

Under the new policy, no new short-term visas will be granted to Iranian diplomatic staff and existing permits will not be extended, affecting at least two embassy employees whose residency will expire in May.

The execution has triggered a broader diplomatic response across Europe. The European Union condemned the killing as “brutal and unjustifiable” and expressed concern over what it called a worsening human rights situation and rising use of capital punishment in Iran.

Sweden is also pushing within the EU for sanctions against individuals involved in the judicial process that led to the execution, including potential travel bans across the bloc.

The move comes amid widening diplomatic strains linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, which has reshaped international engagement with Tehran.

In recent days, Lebanon expelled Iran’s ambassador from Beirut, while Australia said it would temporarily restrict some Iranian visitor visa holders from entering the country.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the United States on Wednesday over troop movements in the region.

“We are closely monitoring all US movements … Do not test our resolve to defend our land,” he said on X.

He added that US forces could “fall victim” to what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions.

The warning comes as the United States deploys thousands of Marines and additional warships to the region, even as officials pursue possible talks to end the war with Iran.