Iranian-American FAA contractor sentenced for acting as Tehran agent

Satellite images analyzed by the Institute for Science and International Security show damaged buildings being cleared at the Mojdeh site, also known as Lavisan 2, over a period of several weeks this summer.

“The rapid work by Iran to quickly demolish and clear the rubble of these important buildings appears to be an effort to sanitize the site,” the institute said.

The group added that the clean-up “will likely remove evidence of undeclared nuclear and nuclear-weapons related research and development activities.”

Site linked to earlier weapons program

The Mojdeh site has been linked by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Iran’s Amad Plan, a covert nuclear weapons program that US and IAEA assessments say ended in 2003. The agency has said it found a direct connection between the Mojdeh site and that effort, though it was never allowed to inspect the area or question key personnel.

The institute, a Washington-based research group led by former UN inspector David Albright, cited high-resolution satellite imagery from MAXAR Technologies showing clean-up operations underway between early July and mid-August. By mid-August, buildings at the Mojdeh site associated with the Institute for Applied Physics and the Shahid Karimi Group, both struck in Israeli airstrikes during the June conflict, had been razed and cleared, the report said.

Pattern of site sanitization

Iran has previously conducted clean-up operations at other sites believed to have hosted undeclared nuclear-related activities. “Iran has previously sanitized sites to stonewall IAEA inspectors and hide its past nuclear weapons development work,” the institute said.

The Shahid Karimi Group has been sanctioned by the US Treasury for involvement in explosives and missile work under Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), viewed by Western governments as the successor to the Amad Plan.

Tehran has not commented on the Mojdeh site or the recent imagery. Iranian officials deny seeking nuclear weapons and maintain that the country's nuclear program is peaceful.

Reuters previously reported that the E3 were likely to begin the process this week, citing four diplomats familiar with the discussions.

The mechanism could lead to the reimposition of all United Nations Security Council sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, depending on whether a diplomatic solution is reached in the coming weeks.

Diplomats cite Iran's failure to act

European officials told Axios the decision follows months of unproductive talks. The European powers, known as the E3, had warned Iran they would act by the end of August unless Tehran resumed nuclear negotiations with the US, restored access for UN inspectors and addressed concerns over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

A senior European diplomat said Iran had taken no clear steps to meet these demands and failed to offer detailed proposals during a meeting in Geneva this week. The diplomat said Iran was in "clear violation" of the nuclear agreement and left no room to extend the deadline.

Iran threatens to end inspector cooperation

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday that if the Europeans activate snapback, Iran will retaliate, including by halting cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Gharibabadi also argued the E3 no longer have the legal standing to invoke the snapback since, in Iran's view, they have not upheld their side of the 2015 deal. He warned that activating the mechanism would halt progress with UN inspectors, who recently re-entered Iran after months of restricted access.

UN sanctions to return unless deal is reached

Under Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 agreement, any party can trigger snapback by filing a complaint of non-compliance. If the Security Council does not resolve the issue within 30 days, all prior UN sanctions could automatically return. These include arms embargoes, missile restrictions and inspections of Iranian cargo.

European officials said they hope to finalize the process before Russia assumes the rotating presidency of the Security Council in October. One diplomat told Axios that diplomacy remains possible in the next few weeks, despite the activation of snapback.

Nuclear program still monitored at Bushehr

Gharibabadi said IAEA inspectors were recently allowed to monitor Iran’s Bushehr power plant. He said their presence is necessary to avoid a shutdown, as the Russian-supplied reactor must be refueled in the presence of inspectors.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that Iran will continue cooperation with the IAEA at Bushehr, though broader access could be restricted.

Diplomacy stalls

Since June, Iran and the European parties have held two rounds of talks — in Istanbul in July and Geneva on Tuesday — without announcing progress. Iran said the latest US sanctions on its shipping and aviation sectors prove Washington and Europe have failed to honor the deal.

Iran has also warned it could withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty if snapback proceeds. The process now moves into a 30-day window before sanctions could be restored.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will stand alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping during the September 3 event, which marks the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will also attend, the ministry said.

China said 26 heads of state and government will participate in the parade, including leaders from Belarus, Serbia, Indonesia, and Slovakia. The only EU leader attending will be Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, according to the ministry.

The parade will feature tens of thousands of Chinese troops and advanced weapons systems on display at Tiananmen Square, including hypersonic missiles, fighter jets and air defense platforms.

UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua will represent the United Nations at the event, which Beijing has framed as a show of international solidarity with the Global South.

Iran’s attendance comes months after President Pezeshkian was notably absent from Russia’s Victory Day parade in May, despite Tehran’s deepening military and diplomatic ties with Moscow.

The lack of visible representation led to domestic debate in Iran over the optics of its relationship with Russia.

Hardline propagandist Mohammad Hassan Rajabi Davani, in a state TV appearance that subsequently went viral, likened former President Hassan Rouhani and former top nuclear negotiator Mohammad-Javad Zarif to two historical figures who betrayed early leaders of imams of the Shi'ite community.

The anchor in the televised segmented added his own criticisms. Deemed by some observers as potentially life-threatening, the incendiary remarks were met with swift criticism.

Reformist groups issued a manifesto last week calling for direct talks with Washington and suspension of uranium enrichment to defuse a nuclear standoff, while Rouhani and Zarif have also publicly urged diplomacy.

"Radicalism is contagious and can spread from one political front to another," Conservative commentator Nasser Imani said.

Two conservative dailies harshly criticized state television for the segement.

"While Israel believes its war against Iran is ongoing and seeks to exploit internal discord to bring Iranians into the streets and facilitate societal collapse, leveling accusations against political figures is tantamount to playing into Israel’s hands," the Farhikhtegan newspaper wrote.

“Not only do the accusations against the two politicians fail to reduce radicalism in Iran, but they are like pouring gasoline on fire,” it added. "Polarization will not remain confined to the political sphere. It will deal blows to society and undermine the spontaneous solidarity that emerged following Israeli attacks."

Meanwhile, Massih Mohajeri, managing editor of the conservative daily Jomhouri Eslami, wrote in an editorial: "Suspicious individuals have infiltrated state television. They sow new discord daily and seek to destroy the nation’s sense of sympathy and solidarity."

"Purging state television is more essential than ever," Mohajeri, a long-standing critic of the state broadcaster, said. "Willingly or otherwise, the broadcaster’s programming and approach are likely to bring Iran’s social foundations to the verge of collapse by leveling accusations against various individuals and the government.”

According to Khabar Online, Davani appeared keen to turn the page on the controversy by moving onto a new one in his latest appearance on state TV.

“It is currently being said among the people that Iran should move toward making a nuclear bomb, Davani said. "There is a demand among the people for making a nuclear bomb, and people in the world say Iran has a right to make it.”

Kazem Gharibabadi added that France, Germany and the United Kingdom are not authorized to invoke provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 nuclear deal, since they are no longer active participants in the agreement.

“"If the snapback mechanism is activated, the current path with the IAEA will be affected and halted,” Gharibabadi told official Iranian media on Wednesday.

Iran said this week that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency had re-entered the country after being barred amid a 12-day war with Israel in June. No agreement has yet been reached on the resumption of their work, however.

The European troika dubbed the E3 are likely to begin a process to trigger the so-called snapback of international sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program after talks on Tuesday with Tehran yielded little progress, Reuters reported citing sources.

The move could come as early as Thursday, four diplomats cited by Reuters said, but the countries hope Iran will make diplomatic concessions within the next 30 days.

“We told them, if you’re truly implementing the JCPOA, provide a report showing how. The indicators and information we have contradict their claim," Gharibabadi added. "Not only has Europe failed to implement the JCPOA, but new sanctions have been imposed over the years, the latest being only a few months ago against Iran’s shipping and aviation industries.”

The snapback mechanism, part of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 which endorsed the deal, allows any party to the accord to file a complaint accusing Iran of non-compliance.

If no resolution is reached within 30 days, all previous UN sanctions would automatically be reimposed, including arms embargoes, cargo inspections and missile restrictions.

The three European countries have warned Iran they will restore UN measures unless talks resume and produce results by the end of August.

Agency inspectors at Bushehr

Gharibabadi also responded to domestic criticism over the presence of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors in Iran, saying their access was necessary in the case of a nuclear power plant.

“Without IAEA inspectors in Iran, the Bushehr power plant’s operations would be disrupted. Do some really want our Bushehr plant shut down? The return of IAEA inspectors to facilities is a specific case, conducted with necessary coordination and approvals,” Gharibabadi said.

The Bushehr facility, which uses nuclear fuel supplied by Russia’s Rosatom, requires IAEA monitoring for re-fueling with low-enriched uranium.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi indicated there is no way for Iran to cut off all relations with the IAEA.

“In about a month, it’s time to replace the fuel at the Bushehr power plant, and this must be done in the presence of Agency inspectors,” Araghchi said last week.

In response to the United States’ June 22 attacks against three nuclear sites in Iran, parliament passed a law restricting cooperation with the IAEA.

Since then, Iran and the three European countries have held two rounds of negotiations, one in Istanbul in July and another in Geneva on August 26, but no concrete progress was announced.