The White House has issued a directive to pause all new sanctions activity toward Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing a source close to the administration.
According to the report, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued the order last week, halting measures that had been part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing "maximum pressure" campaign.
The directive was passed to senior officials at the National Security Council, the Treasury Department, and the State Department, the report said.
While the White House did not deny the sanctions pause, deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to the Journal: “Any new decisions with regard to sanctions will be announced by the White House or relevant agencies within the administration.”
The report said that Trump officials view the move as a temporary slowdown aimed at reviewing potential sanctions more carefully amid sensitive nuclear negotiations, and that it was overinterpreted somewhere along the chain.
Others expressed concern that key policymakers have been out of the loop and surprised by the sweeping pause.
In a public statement issued to Iranian media, Nikzad said, "With humility, I offer my sincere apology to the people.
"This servant of the people considers compliance with the law as obligatory and bows before it. I believe everyone must be equal before the law, and no one is exempt from this important principle."
He said the incident, which took place last week near Tehran’s Vanak Square, was unintentional and emphasized his family's full cooperation with authorities.
The incident drew significant media attention after reports emerged that Nikzad’s son had driven through a restricted bus lane and struck Colonel Khisheh, the head of Tehran Police District 3, while the officer was attempting to stop the vehicle. Rumors circulated on social media alleging attempts to cover up the incident or influence legal proceedings.
Colonel Khisheh, who spoke to multiple Iranian news outlets, confirmed the basic details but denied any attempt at evasion or cover-up.
“On Sunday, May 25, a vehicle entered the one-way lane leading to Vanak Square and was stopped by me,” he said. “In the process, the vehicle unintentionally struck me, causing minor injury. The driver stopped immediately, and the vehicle was impounded. A legal case was opened, and the driver was referred to the local police station.”
Khisheh added that he was taken to hospital and received a visit from both the driver’s family and Ali Nikzad himself. “They came quickly, expressed regret, and emphasized that all legal procedures must be followed.”
Iran’s national police chief, Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Radan, also contacted Khisheh and his family following the incident and instructed senior police officials to oversee the case until its resolution, according to state media.
Nikzad acknowledged public frustration and concern surrounding the incident and rejected suggestions his son had acted with impunity. “My son did not flee the scene or behave arrogantly. The process of transferring the injured officer to the hospital was done immediately, and both the driver and the car were subjected to legal procedures,” he said.
Domestic commentators, including analysts from local news outlet Asr-e Iran, have called for the release of CCTV footage to ensure full transparency.
Nikzad addressed the broader implications of the incident, saying: “The dignity of the police, the law, and our country is not only obligatory for me, as someone entrusted with upholding the law — it is sacred. Any deviation from this principle is forbidden for me and my family.”
Iranian authorities have yet to disclose whether Nikzad’s son remains in custody.
Pattern of public backlash against lawmaker misconduct
The incident has revived public memory of a similarly controversial episode in 2021, when MP Ali Asghar Anabestani was accused of slapping a traffic police officer in Tehran.
That altercation—allegedly sparked when the officer tried to stop the MP’s car from entering a restricted bus lane—triggered widespread outrage, especially after a video of the officer’s account went viral.
In that case, police launched a formal complaint and submitted evidence to the judiciary, while media headlines described the act as “a slap in the face of a nation.”
Reformist outlets used the incident to challenge the legitimacy and behavior of the hardline-dominated parliament.
Anabestani denied the physical altercation, but his rejection only intensified public anger. Critics accused him of “slapping the law” and called for his disqualification from parliament.
The case showed mounting public frustration with perceived legal double standards for officials and their families.
The 2021 controversy also placed pressure on parliament’s leadership to demonstrate accountability, with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pledging zero tolerance for misconduct.
Nikzad’s swift public apology and emphasis on legal equality appear aimed at preventing a similar eruption of public anger.
Public criticism rekindles debate over privilege
The latest incident has reignited public criticism over perceived privilege and legal immunity afforded to officials and their families in the Islamic Republic. On social media, many users drew comparisons between the treatment of Nikzad’s son and that of protesters who have faced severe punishment.
One widely shared comment read: “Someone else’s child set fire to a trash bin and was executed in twenty days after being labeled a ‘mohareb’ [enemy of God]. Your reckless son ran over a law enforcement officer and not only wasn’t charged with moharebeh, he wasn’t even detained for an hour.”
The user was referring to the case of Mohsen Shekari, a protester who was executed on in December 2022
Another user posted: “If you’re part of the inner circle, even murder is handled with ‘compassion.’ If you’re not, setting a trash bin on fire equals the death penalty.”
In a pointed response to Nikzad’s apology, one user wrote: “Your humble apology insults the intelligence of a nation. Arrogantly, you’re trying to whitewash this with talk of unintended escape and unintended leniency from the police and judiciary.”
Economist Abdollah Rahimlou questioned Nikzad’s use of state resources, commenting on unverified allegations that the vehicle driven by Nikzad’s son was equipped with emergency lights.
“Why should an official government vehicle with a rotating light be available to your son? Can this misuse of public assets be resolved with a simple apology?", he said.
Well-known journalist Vahid Ashtari also asked why the MP has a special lane access card, writing, "Is a member of parliament the same as an ambulance or a fire truck?”
