No guarantee Iran regime change in Iran would improve upon IRGC, UK says
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has warned that regime change in Iran could produce outcomes “as bad or worse,” saying there is no guarantee that any successor to the Revolutionary Guards would be an improvement.
“There are lots of people in Iran who would like regime change,” Lammy told The Guardian, in an interview published on Saturday. “But there are no guarantees that what would replace the current Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps would not be as bad or worse.”
“The US decision to bomb was not to topple Iran’s government,” he added.
Lammy emphasized that the decision over Iran’s political future “is for the Iranian people to determine,” and that his focus remains on preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Nuclear concerns remain central
Lammy also said Iran has failed to justify its production of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a level far beyond what’s needed for civilian energy.
“Its leaders cannot explain to me, and I’ve had many conversations with them, why they need 60% enriched uranium,” he said, pointing out that enrichment in UK sites like Sellafield and Urenco does not exceed 6%.
He warned of a broader risk to the region: “We would be very suddenly handing over to our children and grandchildren a world that had many more nuclear weapons in it than it has today.”
Tehran denies talks aim at a deal
Lammy’s comments come amid renewed, but limited, diplomatic contacts between Iran and the so-called E3 — Britain, France and Germany. Tehran insists these are not formal negotiations.
“There are no talks aimed at reaching a deal with Europe at the moment,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told Russia’s Sputnik news agency. “These are exchanges of opinion.”
The discussions follow last week's meeting in Istanbul, the first such engagement since Israeli and US strikes on Iranian territory in June.
NPT threat underscores tensions
Iran International earlier this week reported that Tehran has warned it may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the E3 moves to trigger snapback UN sanctions under Security Council Resolution 2231.
Tehran rejects the legal basis of such a move and accuses European states of aligning themselves with US and Israeli military actions.
Iran says diplomacy backed by Supreme Leader
A senior Iranian lawmaker said on Saturday that the recent talks have full backing from the country’s top leadership.
“What is happening now is certainly the decision of the ruling system,” said Abbas Golroo, a senior lawmaker and member of the national security and foreign policy committee. He called the decision to engage diplomatically “the right one.”
Golroo said talks could help reduce threats and stressed the need to keep close ties with Russia and China. “Our backing must allow the team to protect national interests and manage challenges in these delicate conditions,” he said.
Iran is holding talks with European powers on its nuclear program, but no negotiations aimed at reaching a new agreement are currently underway, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in an interview published on Saturday.
“What is taking place now between Iran and the three European countries is an exchange of views on the nuclear issue, which has become highly complex,” Mohajerani told Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik.
She said Iran has never opposed dialogue with Europe but stressed that the current contacts do not amount to formal negotiations. “There are no talks aimed at reaching a deal with Europe at the moment,” she said. “These are exchanges of opinion.”
Talks follow high-level Istanbul meeting
Her comments follow last week’s meeting in Istanbul between Iranian officials and representatives from Britain, France and Germany, known collectively as the E3. The closed-door session marked the first formal nuclear discussions since Israeli and US strikes on Iranian territory in June.
Iran International earlier reported that Tehran had privately warned it may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the E3 proceeds with reimposing UN sanctions under the snapback mechanism of Security Council Resolution 2231. The warning, conveyed by Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi, was described by diplomats as firm but not a declaration of intent to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran has rejected the legal basis of any E3 attempt to trigger sanctions, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei saying the three countries had “marginalized themselves” by aligning with the military action from Israel and the United States.
Lawmaker says talks approved by leadership
The current diplomatic activity was authorized by the ruling system, not initiated independently by diplomats, a senior Iranian lawmaker said on Saturday.
“What is happening now is certainly the decision of the ruling system,” Abbas Golroo, a member of the national security and foreign policy committee in parliament, told state media. “This decision to negotiate is the right one in my view.”
Golroo said recent talks could help reduce threats and widen diplomatic space for Iran, particularly as the country faces pressure over the possible reimposition of UN sanctions. He also stressed the importance of parallel diplomatic channels with China and Russia.
“Our backing must allow the team to protect national interests and manage challenges in these delicate conditions,” he said.
Iran plans to launch the second model of its Nahid-2 telecommunications satellite using the domestically developed Simorgh rocket after last week’s liftoff aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle, the head of Iran’s Space Agency said on Saturday.
“The second Nahid-2 will be launched by the Simorgh rocket after final adjustments,” Hassan Salarieh, head of the Iranian Space Agency, said. “We have the internal capacity to carry out the launch ourselves.”
The current version of Nahid-2 was launched into orbit last week from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome as part of a multi-payload mission. Iran confirmed it was one of the satellites onboard after Russian media referred only to a “foreign customer.”
Heavier launchers under development
Salarieh said the Simorgh rocket can carry satellites of up to 300 kilograms into lower orbits and that Iran is also developing heavier launch vehicles, including the Sarir and Soroush classes, which are designed for larger payloads.
The Qaem-100 launcher, also developed by Iran, can carry up to 100 kilograms and was used last year in the launch of the Soraya satellite, which drew condemnation from Western governments, who said it "uses technology essential for the development of a long-range ballistic missile system."
Chabahar launch site expansion
Salarieh said the expansion of the Chabahar space base in southeastern Iran will allow access to a broader range of orbits and reduce reliance on foreign launch facilities. “With Chabahar, we will be able to carry out more launches throughout the year, using both domestic and international options,” he said.
Tehran authorities closed public restroom services amid a deepening drought and water shortage, local media reported on Friday, depriving the capital's homeless and needy of badly needed facilities.
The decision deepens hardship as many residents including seniors, women and those with special needs keenly depend on the services, the Didban Website reported.
Iran is currently grappling with water shortages and widespread power outages amid high summer temperatures, while also dealing with recovery efforts following a 12-day war with Israel and its aftermath.
The reports highlight the urgent needs of people with kidney and prostate problems and note significant issues for parents with small children.
The government previously considered adding an extra day off during the week or introducing long weekends to reduce demand but ultimately did not pursue the plan.
Iranian officials say Tehran could run out of water within weeks, but climatologist Dr. Nasser Karami tells Eye for Iran the crisis transcends drought and is a product of government mismanagement, militarized agriculture and deliberate manipulation.
Karami calls it an “engineered drought”—a manufactured emergency that lets authorities avoid long-overdue reforms while shifting the financial burden to citizens.
“There is water,” he said. “But it costs the government more to deliver it in the summer—so they shift the burden to the public instead.”
Only 20–30% of Iran’s water shortage, Karami argues, is due to climate change. The rest is policy-driven—and reversible.
But instead of investing in infrastructure or reforming water use, the government relies on fear to suppress demand, while consumer prices remain unchanged.
“If people reduce their consumption just a little, it saves the government a lot of money,” he explained. “The price they pay for water stays the same, but the state spends less.”
The consequences are devastating.
Across the country, families are going days without water. Residents are hoarding bottles, installing rooftop tanks and depending on tanker trucks—some of which deliver polluted or undrinkable supplies.
Satellite imagery obtained by Iran International shows Tehran’s main reservoirs—Amir Kabir, Lar, and Latyan—at historic lows, holding less than 10% of their usable capacity.
Meanwhile, the capital is literally sinking. Over-pumping aquifers has caused parts of Tehran to subside by more than 10 inches a year.
The crisis is fixable, Karami says, yet the system profits from public panic as ordinary Iranians are left to suffer.
“This is not the first time they’ve said Tehran would run out of water in two weeks,” Karami said. “And yet, the water keeps flowing.”
Beyond drought
"The solution is: you have to take part of the water from agriculture and give it to the people. That is very easy," Karami said.
Agriculture, he said, consumes more than 90% of Iran’s freshwater annually, yet contributes just 9-12% of GDP and employs only about 17% of the workforce. In contrast, households use just 4-5%, and industry only 1%.
Despite its relatively small economic footprint, agriculture’s massive water consumption places unsustainable pressure on Iran’s finite freshwater supplies.
But Karami says this isn’t conventional agriculture but in large part state-guided enterprise aimed at provisioning Iran's sprawling military.
"They’re using all water resources for agriculture to make enough food for the soldiers," he said.
Wells proliferation
The numbers tell the story: Iran’s cultivated land has more than doubled since 1979. Deep wells have exploded from 40,000 to over one million. Roughly 40% of agricultural water is wasted in transport or lost to outdated irrigation methods.
Karami says just a 5% cut in agricultural water use would free up enough water—4 to 5 billion cubic meters—to supply Iran’s entire urban population.
He believes efficiency is possible: through irrigation upgrades, reduced waste, and mechanizing half of Iran’s farmland. But he doubts the political will exists to pursue it.
“We’re the first in the world for soil erosion. First in desertification,” Karami warned.
"The main legacy of the Islamic Republic won’t just be executions or war. It will be this: environmental collapse."
Despite the scale of the suffering, Karami doubts the current crisis will trigger mass protests. He believes the authorities will likely resolve the immediate shortages in the coming weeks—just enough to defuse tension and avoid unrest.
A video shared on social media by the supporters of the Islamic Republic purportedly depicts Iranian military forces bundling figures resembling Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu onto the back of a pickup truck labeled Trash Bin of History.
A figure in the video wearing a yellow wig likely portraying Trump was shown being thrown to the ground before the mock abduction.
The display features a parade of motorcyclists and individuals in military attire carrying weapons and the vehicle's license plate and surroundings suggest it was filmed in Mazandaran province, north of Tehran.
“The clip was part of a spontaneous public theater performance held last week as a prelude to a memorial ceremony for martyrs," IRGC affiliated Fars News reported on Friday, "without any affiliation to official institutions or organizations."
A rare note of official caution from the hardline outlet, the remarks appeared aimed at distancing Tehran from any threat to the US President.