Israel alleges Iran-backed plot to abduct citizen in UAE

"The US has announced that it does not need rescue teams to contain the fire and has only requested financial aid, which demonstrates their weakness and humiliation," Pirhossein Kolivand told local reporters on Tuesday.

Iran's government on Saturday expressed its preparedness to help the authorities in the United States contain the ongoing fires in California, according to the spokeswoman for the Pezeshkian administration.

Kolivand did not specify how the alleged request for financial assistance was communicated, given that the two countries have no formal diplomatic relations.

According to traders cited by Bloomberg, companies such as Cnooc, Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Co, and Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Co are urgently seeking crude, focusing on multiple grades from the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. February cargoes are particularly in demand as refiners prepare for potential supply disruptions.

Smaller private refiners, known as "teapots", primarily based in Shandong province, are especially reliant on discounted crude from Iran and Russia. These refiners, already struggling with declining margins, may be forced to cut processing rates and fuel output if they lose access to these supplies.

Last Friday, the US Treasury sanctioned several vessels involved in transporting Iranian oil as part of a broader crackdown on Russia's network of ships used to evade US-led energy sanctions.

"Currently, 5,000 people are involved in the construction of the two new units," Mohammad Eslami said during a visit to the site, adding, "Their efforts are ensuring the project progresses with good discipline and speed."

Eslami claimed that lessons learned from work on the second unit have helped accelerate progress on the third.

Located in Bushehr province, Iran's first commercial nuclear energy facility sits along the Persian Gulf.

The official also asserted that the project had recently achieved a record by pouring an enormous amount of concrete in one day, specifically 22,000 cubic meters. "Next year, we aim to ramp up our daily concrete pouring to 65,000 cubic meters to keep the project's momentum going," Eslami added.

Eslami was previously sanctioned by the United Nations in 2008 while he was the head of Iran's Defense Industries Training and Research Institute, for his involvement in "Iran's proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities or for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems."

In February last year, Ahmad Mohammadizadeh, the governor of Bushehr, disclosed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was undertaking a new expansion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. This revelation followed a day after Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, commented that Iran was "not entirely transparent" regarding its nuclear activities.

Speaking about the the work to expand the nuclear plant, Eslami pointed to the use of domestically manufactured equipment and detailed the technical challenges of stabilizing the reactors' foundations. "We have completed 34,000 rod injections to reinforce the foundation beneath the reactor buildings," he said.

In addition to the reactors, Eslami said work is ongoing on supporting infrastructure, including power transmission systems and water intake facilities.

The recommendation by the hawkish privately funded group founded by former diplomats was one of several broad policy proposals for the incoming administration to confront and weaken Washington's main adversary in the Middle East.

"President-elect Trump should use (a) policy speech to publicly outline in unambiguous terms that the U.S. will not hesitate to utilize military force to destroy Iran’s nuclear program if it takes steps to further advance its capabilities," UANI said in its report.

The UN nuclear watchdog said in December that Iran is accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% level needed for a weapon.

Tehran has denied pursuing nuclear weapons, saying its program is peaceful.

UANI also recommended Trump empower Israel to be able to hit Iran's nuclear sites.

"Begin discussions with the Israeli government to transfer the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator to Israel to enable it strike hardened nuclear targets like the Fordow Enrichment Plant, as well as lease it a B-2 bomber as a delivery vehicle."

Israel knocked out much of Iran's air defenses in an Oct. 26 series of air strikes as retaliation against an Iranian ballistic missile salvo, but its ability to neutralize Iran's nuclear activity in deep underground facilities is in doubt.

Citing Trump's 2020 decision to assassinate in Baghdad Qassem Soleimani, the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's (IRGC) foreign arm the Quds force, UANI said Trump should target commanders inside Iran if Tehran harms US nationals.

"Strike IRGC commanders, Quds Force, and Intelligence Ministry assets inside Iran if the Islamic Republic harms US persons," it wrote.

The group sketched out further recommendations including encouraging defections from Iran's security forces, tightening sanctions including on Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, carry out cyber-attacks and encourage allies to shutter Iranian banks.

Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated Maduro on his third term as Venezuela's president and wished him success.

"Iran supports legitimate government of Venezuela and is ready to strengthen mutual relations. We believe, any foreign interference and attempts to threaten and sanction Venezuela are doomed to failure," he said in a post on his X account.

Maduro, who has led Venezuela for nearly 12 years amidst severe economic and social turmoil, was sworn in for a third term on Friday.

His inauguration followed a contentious six-month-long electoral dispute, international pressure urging him to step down and an increased US bounty for his capture to $25 million for alleged narco-terrorism.

In office since 2013, Maduro was proclaimed the victor of July's election by Venezuela's electoral authority and supreme court, though no comprehensive vote counts validating his win have been released.

Venezuela's opposition says ballot-level results demonstrate a decisive victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who has been recognized as the president-elect by several nations, including the United States.

International election observers have criticized the election, saying it did not meet democratic standards.