Iran's president to chair Defense Council revived decades after Iraq war

“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.

“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.

“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.

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.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that the water crisis in Tehran may become increasingly dire, and the capital's reservoirs might run out of water by the end of summer.

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.

“From late March to early August, Tehran had only six clean-air days,” the agency said. Other days ranged from moderate to very unhealthy, with at least three classified as hazardous.

The report comes as concerns grow over the government’s energy strategy and its environmental impact. In recent weeks, Iranian officials have confirmed that fuel oil, which is one of the most polluting fuels available, is once again being widely used to generate electricity amid power shortages.

“All power plants across the country used fuel oil at full capacity last year,” Saeed Tavakoli, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company, said this week. He said the practice continued despite public claims that the administration prioritized environmental protection.

Tejarat News, an economic daily, criticized the government for quietly resuming the use of mazut, a low-grade fuel, after ordering a temporary halt in several cities last winter. “Fuel oil burning is no longer an emergency fix. It has become a systemic policy reflecting the collapse of energy planning,” it wrote in an editorial this week.

Pollution tied to tens of thousands of deaths nationwide

In May, Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi said Iran sees an estimated 50,000 deaths annually linked to air pollution. “Some countries have solved this issue, but we still have a long way to go,” he said.

Experts say the crisis is worsened by fragmented authority and limited enforcement. Though 23 government bodies have mandates to reduce pollution, analysts say most lack the power or resources to implement meaningful change.

“Laws stay on paper, and there is neither enough funding nor executive power to carry them out,” Mohammadreza Tavakkolian, an urban planning expert, told state media on Friday.

Calls to ban old vehicles, invest in cleaner energy, and empower a central environmental authority have so far gone unanswered. Critics warn that without systemic change, Tehran and other major cities will continue to suffer both in air quality and human lives.