Iran Air receives two used Airbus A330s in oil-for-planes deal with China

According to information obtained by Iran International, a formal directive was issued to the delegation ahead of the fifth round of indirect negotiations with the United States in Rome.

The order said any discussion of ending enrichment is off-limits, and negotiators are required to reject such proposals outright.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s televised interview, aired the night before the talks began, was part of this coordinated approach.

The appearance, organized in consultation with the Supreme National Security Council and the sanctions negotiations committee, aimed to publicly reinforce Tehran’s red lines and manage expectations over a possible failure of the Rome talks.

The messaging also sought to frame the US as responsible should the talks collapse, by emphasizing Iran’s refusal to abandon what it views as its core nuclear rights.

The statement, read aloud by parliamentary presidium member Ahmad Naderi during an open session, described the UK’s move as “reckless and hostile”.

“The UK’s potential designation of the IRGC violates fundamental principles of international relations and will provoke lawful, reciprocal action by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Naderi said.

The parliament’s response came amid rising tensions between Tehran and London following the arrest and charging of three Iranian nationals in the UK under its National Security Act.

British authorities allege the men acted on behalf of Iranian intelligence and conducted surveillance targeting journalists from Iran International, a London-based Persian-language broadcaster critical of the Islamic Republic.

The charges follow counter-terrorism raids earlier this month in which eight people, including seven Iranian nationals, were detained.

UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that the Islamic Republic poses an “unacceptable threat” to Britain’s domestic security.

“We will not tolerate growing state-backed threats in the UK,” Cooper told parliament.

Amid pressure from lawmakers, UK officials are reviewing options to strengthen legal measures against IRGC affiliates.

A government terrorism advisor on Monday proposed new powers to sanction individuals and entities linked to the IRGC, calling for measures to criminalize public displays of support, including insignia, and expand arrest and deportation capabilities under what he termed a "Statutory Alert and Liability Threat (SALT)" notice.

The Iranian parliament’s statement listed a long history of grievances against the UK, including the 1953 CIA- and MI6-backed coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, the occupation of Iran during World War II, the 1917 famine, and British support for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war.

“These black marks in British history against the Iranian people are undeniable and shameful,” the statement said.

It also warned that if the UK proceeds with the designation, Iran would respond under Article 7 of a 2020 domestic law mandating reciprocal measures.

According to the law, British military forces and bases in West Asia and the Persian Gulf could be labeled as hostile entities and subjected to retaliatory measures.

“The Revolutionary Guards are a constitutional and sovereign force charged with defending Iran’s territorial integrity,” the statement read. “Labeling them as terrorists amounts to aggression against Iran’s national sovereignty and a breach of the UN Charter.”

Lawmakers in Tehran ended the session with chants of “Death to England,” and Parliament Deputy Speaker Hamidreza Haji Babai said: “The British have never stood with the Iranian people. They have always been our enemy.”

The UK has not formally designated the IRGC a terrorist organization, though it has imposed sanctions on many of its commanders and affiliated institutions. The United States added the IRGC to its list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) in 2019.

The Istanbul meeting, held at Iran’s consulate and attended by political directors from the UK, France, and Germany, saw the Europeans propose language that would give them standing power to reimpose UN sanctions, irrespective of US participation in any agreement.

According to the report published on Sunday, the European side demanded the right to activate sanctions unilaterally under a "snapback-plus" cause in any deal reached between Iran and the US.

The Iranian delegation firmly rejected the proposal, Farhikhtegan wrote, warning that any such move could provoke Tehran to reconsider its membership in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

One unnamed Iranian official was quoted as saying: “Iran has no objection to Europe’s presence in negotiations, but this cannot mean granting them enforcement privileges that exceed the original terms.”

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was asked on Sunday if the Istanbul talks signaled a renewed European willingness to engage. He replied, "The issue is that the Europeans have always had such a will, but their capabilities are limited."

"At the moment, the Europeans are not involved in our talks with the Americans, which is not something we welcome. It seems they haven't reached an internal consensus on this issue," he told IRNA on the sidelines of the Tehran Dialogue Forum.

"We will continue our talks with Europe and believe that the more mutual understanding exists between us, the better. We want Europe to play its role, though they themselves have diminished that role."

Snapback mechanism

The Farhikhtegan report said that European envoys threatened to trigger the so-called snapback mechanism and raised the prospect of broader sanctions should their demands be sidelined—remarks that further escalated tensions during the Istanbul meeting.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi confirmed on Sunday that the snapback issue was raised in recent discussions with the Europeans.

“The Europeans are aware of our position on this matter,” he said. “If any misuse occurs in this regard, we will not remain passive and will take measures within the framework of the NPT.”

The snapback mechanism is a provision within the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) that allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran if it is found to be in “significant non-performance” of its commitments. This process is outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the JCPOA.

Under the mechanism, any JCPOA participant—France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and arguably the US—can file a complaint to the UN Security Council. If the Council does not pass a resolution to continue sanctions relief within 30 days, all previously lifted UN sanctions are automatically reinstated.

Crucially, this reimposition cannot be blocked by a veto from any permanent member of the Security Council. Although the US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, it could still influence other participants to trigger snapback.

“There’s not plenty of time,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier. “We’re going to have a solution one way or the other. It’s either going to be violent or non-violent. And I far prefer non-violent.”

“I don’t want it to be a violent thing, but they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon,” he added. “I know so many Iranians from New York, from Washington, from a different place. These are great people. You know, they have to view them as people.”

Trump said Iran appears interested in engaging. “Iran wants to trade with us, okay, if you can believe that. And I’m okay with it. I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” he said. “I’ve told Iran, we make a deal, you're going to be really... you’re going to be very happy.”

He also questioned why Iran would pursue nuclear energy given its vast oil reserves. “When you have unlimited amounts of oil and gas, why are you putting up nuclear civil?” he said. “If you’re sitting on one of the largest piles of oil in the world, why?”

Trump says Iran got US proposal

Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters that Iran had received a formal US proposal for a nuclear agreement and warned Tehran not to delay. “They have a proposal. More importantly, they know they have to move quickly or something bad—something bad's going to happen,” he said.

Axios reported Thursday that the written proposal was delivered during the fourth round of indirect talks between US and Iranian officials last Sunday in Muscat, Oman. The document, carried by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly outlines terms for a monitored civilian nuclear program.

According to the report, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took the proposal back to Tehran for review by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials. U.S. and diplomatic sources described the offer as the first formal one from the Trump administration since talks began in April.

Iran, however, denied receiving any proposal. Araghchi wrote on X that no such document had been delivered and reaffirmed Iran’s position on uranium enrichment.

“The messaging we—and the world—continue to receive is confusing and contradictory,” Araghchi said. “Mark my words: there is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to enrichment for peaceful purposes.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking Thursday from Turkey, said diplomacy remains on the table but emphasized that the decision ultimately lies with Iran’s Supreme Leader.

“I hope he chooses the path of peace and prosperity, not a destructive path,” Rubio said.

Gharibabadi said he and fellow Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi hosted the political directors of the UK, France, and Germany for discussions aimed at advancing diplomatic efforts.

“Iran and the E3 are determined to sustain and make best use of diplomacy,” he wrote on X. “We will meet again, as appropriate, to continue our dialogue.”

A German diplomatic source told Iran International ahead of the meeting that discussions would focus on Iran’s nuclear program, but stressed, “These are not negotiations.” The source said Germany was represented by Dominik Mutter, Political Director at the Federal Foreign Office.

Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran remained open to talks with Europe, “even if their own policies have led to some isolation in these negotiations.”

Few details have emerged from the meeting, and no major breakthroughs have been announced.

Under the UN resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal, the three European signatories – Britain, France, and Germany – have the authority to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran through a mechanism known as the "snapback," if they determine that Tehran is not complying with the agreement.

Diplomats told Reuters that the E3 could move to trigger the snapback mechanism as early as August if no significant progress is made in negotiations. The deadline to do so under the resolution is October 18.

Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Friday in Istanbul with the national security advisors of the UK, France, and Germany to discuss both Iran and the war in Ukraine, according to a US official and a Reuters witness.

The United States and Iran have held four rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman since April. Both sides have described the talks as “constructive,” though no formal agreement has been reached.

Meanwhile, during his visit to Persian Gulf states this week, US President Donald Trump said Iran had “sort of agreed” to American terms and declared, “We’re getting very close to a deal.” Trump reiterated that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon and warned Tehran faces either “a very, very nice step” or “a violent step — the violence like people haven’t seen before.”

On Friday, Trump added that Iran has received a formal US proposal and must act quickly. Axios reported that the written proposal was handed to Iranian negotiators during the fourth round of talks in Oman and taken back to Tehran for consultation with senior officials.