Iran Sanctions

Iran said it will respond firmly to any politically motivated or unlawful action against its nuclear program, as Western powers push for a non-compliance resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran is involved in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Iran’s average meat consumption has dropped to as little as seven kilograms per person annually from an average of 18, with some citizens eating none at all, according to Masoud Rasouli, secretary of the Meat Production and Packaging Association.

Iran uses its overseas missions to covertly surveil dissidents and fund influence operations via state-backed cultural initiatives, multiple former Iranian diplomats and embassy staff members told Iran International.

Iran has formally defended its enrichment of uranium to 60% purity in a public statement, insisting the activity is not prohibited under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The United States on Friday sanctioned over 30 people and entities it said were tied to an Iranian shadow banking network used to launder billions of dollars for sanctioned institutions affiliated with the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s crude oil shipments to China fell sharply in May as tighter US sanctions and seasonal refinery maintenance weighed on flows, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing preliminary ship-tracking data and market analysts.

Iran’s government accused the United States on Tuesday of sending mixed signals that are obstructing progress in ongoing nuclear negotiations, as tensions mount ahead of a possible sixth round of indirect talks.

Panama’s Maritime Authority said it has removed more than 650 vessels from its shipping registry since 2019, including 214 in the past year alone, as it intensifies efforts to comply with US sanctions on tankers linked to Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the United States has yet to provide clear assurances on lifting sanctions, a key condition for any nuclear agreement between Tehran and Washington.

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.

Hardliners in Iran are warning world powers of costly consequences if United Nations sanctions are revived ahead of an October deadline, as Western capitals weigh triggering the so-called snapback mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran operated a covert nuclear program using undeclared material at three sites under investigation, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential report shared with member states ahead of its board meeting in June.

Iran’s nuclear chief said on Saturday that indirect negotiations with the United States have made “some progress,” but dismissed any demand to eliminate uranium enrichment as “a disturbed dream” meant for Israeli audiences.

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister told senior Iranian officials in April that they should take President Donald Trump’s offer to negotiate a nuclear deal seriously or risk a potential Israeli military strike, four sources familiar with the meeting told Reuters.

Russia and Iran have coordinated a multi-billion-dollar project to produce Iranian-designed drones inside Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, according to report published Thursday by the Washington-based research organization C4ADS.

Widespread power outages are crippling daily life across Iran, according to voice messages sent to Iran International by residents in cities including Tehran, Shiraz, Ahvaz and others.

Iranians have expressed anguish and exhaustion and detailed their daily struggle to afford basic goods amid soaring inflation in messages submitted to Iran International.