US attack on Iran was sound but talks must win peace, ex-US diplomat says

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television the process was moving forward. “Negotiations are in their final stages,” he said. “We hope the process will be completed in the coming days.”

The detainee in France is Mahdieh Esfandiari, 39, who has been held in Fresnes prison near Paris since March on charges of glorifying terrorism. Prosecutors said she posted messages on Telegram in support of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel, which they considered incitement to terrorism and insults against the Jewish community.

On Friday, outgoing French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris was demanding the “immediate and unconditional” release of its nationals. “France has always called for the immediate and unconditional release of our compatriots in Iran,” he told France Inter radio, declining to comment on Araghchi’s remarks.

Among those imprisoned are Cecile Kohler and her husband, Jacques Paris, detained in May 2022. Iranian authorities accused them of spying for Israel and trying to stir labor protests, charges their families call baseless.

They have been held for more than three years under conditions family members describe as harsh, with limited access to lawyers and relatives.

Kohler's sister Noemie told Iran International that the family had not been informed about any progress and was wary of the reports.

"Unfortunately, we have no information beside what is said in the media," she said. "We are very cautious regarding this statement."

A third detainee is 19-year-old dual national Lennart Monterlos, who disappeared in Iran in June while cycling. Araghchi confirmed his arrest in July without specifying the charges.

Araghchi said Iran’s judiciary and security agencies were involved in the process and that practical steps would follow once legal procedures were complete. Tehran rejects Western accusations that it detains foreign nationals as leverage in disputes.

Rights groups say Iran has a record of detaining foreigners for political ends. Human Rights Watch and others have described such cases as “state hostage-taking.”

“Our enriched uranium is buried under the rubble of bombed nuclear facilities,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV on Thursday.

It appeared to be the first official assertion that Iran's stockpile remained in place after the attack. Their whereabouts and UN inspectors' access to them had been an issue of pointed concern among Western powers.

He warned that if Germany, France and Britain move to activate the snapback mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions, "they will be excluded from nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic."

“If the snapback mechanism is activated against Iran, the Supreme National Security Council will decide on the response,” he added, without elaborating.

Araghchi’s comments come after the UN nuclear watchdog warned last week that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is “a matter of serious concern,” saying the agency has no visibility country’s activities since the June strikes on its nuclear facilities.

In a confidential report leaked to reporters on last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran's stock of near-weapons grade uranium increased almost eight percent before Israel attacked its nuclear facilities on June 13.

The report shows Iran had 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, marking a 7.9% increase since the UN nuclear watchdog’s previous report in May.

"During this reporting period, the Agency lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the current inventories of nuclear material in Iran ... which urgently needs to be addressed," the report said.

Reuters reported in June that most of the enriched uranium at Iran’s Fordow facility appeared to have been moved days before the attacks.

The Financial Times also reported that preliminary intelligence assessments shared with European capitals also indicated the stockpile was relocated ahead of the US strikes.

Experts have pointed to satellite imagery showing truck convoys outside Fordow.

President Donald Trump dismissed the reports in a June interview with Fox News, saying the "(the Iranians) didn’t move anything.”

Grossi had announced Tuesday that Tehran would grant inspectors access to nuclear sites. But Araghchi quickly walked it back, saying it was only “a one-time access to the Bushehr Power Plant that had been granted earlier.”

He added that any future agreement depended on halting “hostile actions against Iran, including activation of the trigger mechanism.”

The mixed signals captured Iran’s familiar pattern: apparent concessions abroad, followed by dismissive clarifications at home.

Araghchi himself has a record of burnishing his toughness after negotiations.

In 2014, he claimed he had shouted at US negotiators and thrown his pen at Wendy Sherman; the tale was later debunked, with witnesses recalling a calm exchange and even small talk about grandchildren.

Reasons for optimism

Despite Araghchi’s backtracking, many in Tehran saw Grossi’s visit as a sign Iran may be edging toward engagement.

With the snapback of international sanctions due in less than ten days, moderates urged the government to seize the moment.

Khabar Online called the Cairo deal “a first step to stop the snapback and pave the way for constructive negotiations with the United States.”

Reformist Rouydad24 and conservative Farhikhtegan alike said “Iran appears to be taking a new approach.”

That chorus grew louder on Sunday.

Prominent reformist Behzad Nabavi told Etemad that “a change in paradigms” is needed, insisting “wisdom calls for negotiations with the United States.” Former lawmaker Ali Motahari went further, urging President Masoud Pezeshkian to meet Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Missed Openings

The precedent is shaky.

In 2000, President Mohammad Khatami was moments from a handshake with Bill Clinton before hardliners stopped him; he reportedly ducked into a bathroom to avoid the encounter.

In 2013, Hassan Rouhani’s brief phone call with Barack Obama drew a public rebuke from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Both moments revealed how even modest steps toward dialogue can be reversed in Tehran.

Araghchi’s Cairo reversal echoed past retreats and left many questioning whether Tehran can commit to real engagement. Skeptics argue that optimism will always be checked by the system’s instinct for resistance.

News of the Grossi agreement briefly pushed the dollar below one million rials on Tuesday, only for it to rebound above one million and ten thousand by Wednesday. Traders complained of volatility, while regional insecurity after Israel’s strike in Doha added to the pressure.

Even the markets seem unsure which way Iran is heading.

Howard Solomon, the acting US envoy in Vienna, told the IAEA’s Board of Governors that Iran had “ceased implementing its most basic and fundamental obligations under its safeguards agreement.” He said the board should be “extremely concerned by this near-complete and prolonged loss of required information and access.”

“Iran does not get to pick and choose when and how to implement its legally binding safeguards obligations,” Solomon said. “If Iran’s failure to cooperate with the IAEA continues … this Board will need to be prepared to take further action to hold Iran accountable.”

He noted the agreement announced on Tuesday in Cairo between IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi but stressed: “Immediate and concrete action by Iran is both essential and urgent.”

EU backs Grossi but demands safeguards access

The European Union also welcomed the Cairo accord but said Iran must now deliver full cooperation. “We take positive note of the DG’s statement that this is a step in the right direction. We look forward to further details and to the immediate implementation of the agreement,” the EU said in a statement.

It warned that “the proliferation risk remains profound and urgent,” citing IAEA data that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% had exceeded 440 kg — “more than 10 significant quantities.”

“We call on Iran to immediately enable the full resumption of the Agency’s in-field verification activities, the conduct of which must be in line with the standard safeguards practice and is therefore non-negotiable,” the EU said.

E3 warn of sanctions clock

The remarks came after France, Germany and Britain told the agency they were “alarmed” by the lack of clarity on Iran’s near-bomb-grade uranium stockpile. “It is not enough for Iran to make promises for tomorrow, we need to see evidence from Iran today,” the E3 said in an open letter.

The three countries last month triggered the UN snapback mechanism, which could restore global sanctions at the end of September unless a new Security Council resolution extends relief.

Grossi described the Cairo agreement as “a step in the right direction,” saying it covered inspections at all declared facilities, including those damaged in June’s strikes. Araghchi, however, said the deal “does not currently allow inspectors into nuclear sites,” and access would be defined only in later talks.

Parliament pushes back

Hosseini-Kia’s remarks reflect a broader backlash in parliament, where lawmakers say the Cairo accord ignores legislation suspending cooperation with the agency. National Security and Foreign Policy Commission member Mohammadreza Mohseni-Sani said inspectors have “no right” to enter Iran until nuclear sites damaged in June’s US and Israeli strikes are restored. “If the 30-day snapback period ends with sanctions restored, we will pursue and approve a plan to leave the NPT,” he warned.

Calls for tougher measures

Some lawmakers have gone further, arguing Iran should no longer limit itself to peaceful nuclear work. Ahmad Bakhshayesh, also on the security commission, told state media Iran should build a bomb because it has already “paid the costs” in the 12-day conflict. “We should have built it long ago,” he said. “We should have built it without leaving the NPT.”

Parliament is already considering a bill to withdraw from the treaty, though former nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said only Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can make that decision.

Former officials urge caution

While hardliners demand confrontation, Salehi has struck a different note. The former atomic energy chief called the Cairo accord “positive and a step forward” but warned time is short. “Opportunities are like passing clouds,” he said. “The longer it takes, the more complicated the problem will become.”

‘Cursed agreement’ denounced

Even those who stop short of calling for a bomb or leaving the NPT have used sharp words. Hardline lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian described Araghchi’s Cairo accord as a “cursed agreement.” On X, he accused Grossi of being “the spy and the cursed one, who caused the martyrdom of hundreds of our commanders, scientists and compatriots.”

Pattern of hostility toward Grossi

The latest attacks on Grossi build on threats voiced earlier this summer. In July, deputy judiciary chief Ali Mozaffari said Grossi could face trial in absentia for “deceptive actions and falsified reports” that Iran claims enabled strikes on nuclear facilities. At the time, a hardline newspaper even called for his execution.

Those comments drew condemnation from Britain, France and Germany, which expressed “full support” for Grossi and the IAEA. European powers last month triggered the snapback mechanism, giving Tehran until later in September to comply or face restored UN sanctions.

Government defends Cairo deal

Despite the criticism, Araghchi insists the Cairo agreement safeguards Iran’s interests. He said it “recognizes Iran’s legitimate security concerns” but “creates no access.” Any inspections, he explained, will only be discussed after Iran submits reports in later talks