Iran’s former president Hassan Rouhani criticized calls from top government officials for a shift toward pursuing nuclear weapons, saying they give Israel and the United States an excuse to attack.
In a meeting on Monday with his former top officials, Rouhani argued that any such moves would only empower Iran's adversaries.
“Given the sensitive regional and international conditions, we must avoid providing any excuses to our enemies. The remarks made by some individuals these days, suggesting that Iran's nuclear doctrine will change, are exactly what American and Israeli hardliners want to hear to pave the way for war,” the former president said, according to Etemad newspaper in Tehran.
Since May, top Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's adviser, Kamal Kharrazi, have warned that if Iran's nuclear installations are attacked, the Islamic Republic will shift its nuclear doctrine. So far, Tehran has been insisting that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, in spite of having exceeded international limits on uranium enrichment and accelerating its nuclear program.
In October, 39 lawmakers called for changing the nuclear doctrine without mentioning an attack on nuclear facilities, but citing tensions with Israel.
Rouhani said that those advocating change of doctrine are merely helping the US and Israel to justify an attack on Iran.
“They [enemies] aim to convince global public opinion that if military action against Iran is not taken, Iran will be just days away from a nuclear bomb. Unfortunately, uninformed individuals in the media, and even on state television, are making statements that, at this critical juncture, work against us and provide ammunition to our enemies," he said.
Rouhani also highlighted the country’s political and economic difficulties as a serious energy shortage has closed all government offices and schools for the past week. Most industries have stopped work due to long power outages.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes across Yemen on Thursday morning targeting key infrastructure in territories controlled by Iran’s Houthi allies in the wake of a missile strike overnight.
Since October 7, when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel sparking the Gaza war, Iran’s Houthis in Yemen have launched more than 200 missile and 170 drones at Israel, most of which were intercepted before reaching Israeli territory.
But the early Thursday morning attack, which badly damaged a school in Ramat Gan, north of Tel Aviv, triggered a wave of counterattacks, after almost daily firing from Yemen over recent weeks.
Israel sent 14 fighter jets that flew a distance of more than 1,700 kilometers, among the targets, the ports of Ras Issa, Hodeidah and al-Salif. A total of eight tugboats were attacked and in Sana'a, fuel tanks, oil, and a power plant were hit. Nine people were believed to have been killed in Yemen so far.
The attacks, which followed the missile strike on Israel at 2:38am, began at 3:15am, the first wave in the coastal area of Yemen, and the second wave at 4:30am in the Sana'a area.
The Houthis have been targeting Israel directly along with imposing a maritime blockade on the Red Sea region. Initially aimed at forcing a ceasefire in Gaza, and targeting Israeli-linked shipping, it has since expanded to all international shipping, with dozens of international seamen taken hostage since it began in November 2023.
A statement from the Israeli military said IAF fighter jets worked with the direction of the Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Navy.
Calling out Iran for its role in the more than one year bombardment, having funded, trained and armed the group, designated terrorists by countries including the US and UK, the military said: “The targets struck by the IDF were used by the Houthi forces for military purposes. The strikes degrade the Houthi terrorist regime, preventing it from exploiting the targets for military and terrorist purposes, including the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the region.
“Over the past year, the Houthi terrorist regime has been operating with the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel and Israeli civilians, undermine regional stability and disrupt global freedom of navigation.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the strikes represent the further collapse of Iran's network of military allies which Israel has been fighting in the wake of last year's Iran-backed Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7.
"After Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last arm of Iran's axis of evil. They are finding out, and will find out, the hard way that whoever harms Israel – will pay a very heavy price," he said, referring to a devastating campaign against Iran's largest ally, Hezbollah, in recent months, and more than a year of war against Gaza-based Hamas, which has left the group massively weakened.
In July, the US levied yet more sanctions against members of the Houthis for involvement in financing. “The Houthis in Yemen continue to receive vast revenues from the illicit shipment of Iranian commodities. This funding stream enables the Houthis’ ongoing attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways,” a statement from Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman said.
According to the Council of Foreign Relations, Iranian military support to the Houthis began as early as 2009, amid the Houthis’ first war against Yemen’s government.
“Most experts agree that the Houthis were receiving weapons from Iran by 2014, the year they captured Sanaa. In both cases, military intervention against the Houthis by Iran’s regional rival, Saudi Arabia, likely catalyzed Tehran’s increased interest in the group,” research from the think tank found.
The group, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, have become part of what is known as Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ of militia around the region, formed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as a means to bolster power and bring down Israel and the US presence in the Middle East.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday morning: ”We attacked strategic targets of the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen once again tonight … We will not accept rockets being fired at Israel, nor damage to shipping lanes. We will strike with force and will not allow the continuation of the situation of shooting and threats against the State of Israel."
In the aftermath of the attacks, Muhammad al-Bahithi from the Houthi political bureau, said that "the American-Israeli attack on civilian facilities in Yemen, power plants and ports, exposes the hypocrisy of the West”, though Israel and the US had not confirmed their involvement in the strikes overnight.
The US and UK have, however, launched a series of joint strikes against the Houthis since the blockade began last year, the US heading an international coalition to combat the action which has massively impacted global shipping.
“Our military operations in support of Gaza will continue, escalation will be met with escalation until the genocide in Gaza stops and food, medicine and fuel are brought in for the residents,” al-Bahithi said.
On Thursday, the Israeli military said that an interception had led to shrapnel damage in the wake of the attack.
"It is likely that the damage was caused by partial interception of the missile launched from Yemen and that the missile warhead was the part that exploded and damaged the school," a statement said, an investigation underway.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations urged the Iranian people to seize what he described as a historic opportunity to bring down the Islamic Republic and what he described as its "Shi'ite supremacist empire".
“People of Iran, do not miss this historic opportunity. Act now. The people of Israel stand with you,” Danny Danon, speaking in strained Persian, said during a Security Council meeting on Wednesday in remarks aimed at Iran's people.
His speech is part of Israel’s effort to spotlight the threat it says its arch-enemy the Islamic Republic poses to the Middle East and comes after Tehran's key Arab ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria was toppled this month by hardline Sunni insurgents.
“The opportunity to end Iran’s ambitions to create a Shi'ite supremacist empire is within reach,” framing the Islamic Republic as a sectarian menace to global stability.
His rhetoric closely aligns with that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been ramping up his criticism of Iran in recent weeks. Netanyahu, who has long voiced concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its regional influence, framed the Islamic Republic as the head of a broader destabilizing axis.
“A year ago, I said we'd change the face of the Mideast, and we're indeed doing so. Syria is not the same Syria. Lebanon is not the same Lebanon. Gaza is not the same Gaza. And the head of the axis, Iran, is not the same Iran," Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday. "It has also felt the might of our arms,” he added, underscoring Israel’s military role in reshaping the region.
At the same time Tehran faces mounting external pressure with historic setbacks to its armed allies in Lebanon and Syria, days-long nationwide shutdowns due to gas and electricity shortages underscore domestic woes.
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization on Wednesday criticized the director of the UN nuclear watchdog for making what he described as provocative statements regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.
Mohammad Eslami said Wednesday that in spite of Iran accepting limitations on its program in order to build trust and in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, the agency is misrepresenting Tehran.
“It is not acceptable for an international institution to address just one aspect of the issue, in a provocative manner at that, and refuse to point to the main aspect, which is the obligated parties’ non-commitment,” he said. “We expect the agency’s director-general, who is a veteran diplomat, to observe these matters.”
It comes after Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Monday that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is no longer sufficient to curb Tehran’s uranium enrichment which has exceeded international limits.
"Iran is enriching uranium close to military levels and is rapidly moving towards becoming a nuclear state," Grossi told the ANSA news agency. "The philosophy of the original accord with Iran can be used, but that agreement is no longer useful," he added.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also reacted to Grossi's remarks, saying, "The Director General of a specialized organization is expected to speak based on facts and technical reports from the Agency's inspectors. Reading intentions based on hypothetical scenarios is not part of the Director General's duties and is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Agency's statute.”
On December 6, the IAEA reported that Iran had significantly accelerated its production rate of 60% enriched uranium, which is now approximately five times higher than a month ago. Iran is now believed to possess enough 60% enriched uranium to produce four to five atomic bombs, should it choose to pursue nuclear weapons.
After the US withdrew from the JCPOA, Iran breached its nuclear commitments, increasing uranium enrichment to 60%, near weapons-grade levels. Subsequent negotiations with the US and E3, France, Germany and Great Britain, failed to revive the deal or secure a new agreement. Ten months remain until the “Termination Day” for UN resolution 2231, which sealed the deal, while the impasse on restoring the JCPOA persists.
UN Security Council meets to discuss nuclear deal
Eslami’s remarks came a day after a UNSC session on the 2015 nuclear accord, and implementation of resolution 2231 which endorsed it.
During the meeting, the European parties to the deal, as well as the US, warned that Iran is continuously deviating from its commitments under the JCPOA. They demanded that Tehran take immediate steps to curtail its activities and reverse its nuclear program and threatened that they will trigger the so-called snapback mechanism, which renews the UN sanctions lifted by the JCPOA.
UK deputy representative to the UN, James Kariuki, said, “Iran is not only failing to uphold its commitments, it is peddling dangerous and escalatory rhetoric around its nuclear capability and doctrine.”
Referring to recent reports by the UN watchdog, he said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is already more than 32 times the limits allowed in the accord.
“The UK and our E3 partners are determined to reach a diplomatic solution. We will continue to engage Iran to find a constructive way forward. But let us be clear. With UNSCR 2231 set to expire next October, we are reaching a critical juncture,” Ambassador Kariuki said during the UNSC meeting.
US envoy to the UN Robert Wood echoed similar sentiments. “Iran’s actions suggest it is not interested in demonstrating verifiably that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful," he said.
He pointed out that Iran's disregard for UN resolutions and IAEA concerns undermines global nuclear security.
“Iran has the opportunity to change course and engage in diplomacy,” he added. “Instead of expanding its program and stirring up speculation about its intentions, Iran should take actions that build international confidence and deescalate tensions.”
Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani rejected any threats of invoking the snapback, calling it unlawful and counterproductive.
“Let’s make it clear once and for all: the so-called ‘Snapback’ is not a tool in your hand to be abused for threatening Iran. Iran has made it very clear that such a provocative move will be reciprocated by a firm and proportionate response,” he said.
Iravani said that Iran engaged in good-faith negotiations to revive the deal but the unrealistic demands and lack of political will from the US and E3 led to the failure of the talks. "Blaming Iran for the failure to conclude the negotiations is both unjust and factually incorrect,” he added.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Rosemary A. DiCarlo, who chaired the UNSC meeting, stressed the need for a solution amid the growing concerns about Iran’s nuclear advances amid a simmering Middle East.
“Against this backdrop, the need for a comprehensive, long-term-solution that would restore the objectives of the [JCPOA] plan has never been greater,” she said.
Germany and the EU have joined efforts by countries including the US and UK to build relations with Syria’s new ruling Islamist group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad.
German diplomats met HTS representatives on Tuesday in Damascus to discuss the transition, according to Germany’s foreign ministry.
"The possibilities of a diplomatic presence in Damascus are also being explored there," read a statement, adding that Berlin is monitoring HTS closely given its roots in al-Qaeda ideology.
"As far as one can tell, they have acted prudently so far," the statement said.
The fall of Assad this month marked the end of 13 years of war, during which around one million refugees have moved to Germany. The country has since paused the asylum procedures as it assesses the new government.
The ministry said that Germany is liaising closely with its partners, including the US, France and Britain, as well as Arab states.
A statement Tuesday said there will be conditions for moving forward.
"The situation remains fragile – the civil war has not only destroyed the country but left deep scars in Syrian society. Millions of people are displaced, the humanitarian situation remains extremely precarious and the danger of fresh violence is omnipresent," the ministry said.
The Federal Foreign Office has drawn up an eight-point plan to support a future Syria, including a greater diplomatic presence and securing and destroying chemical weapons.
"At this time of fragility, it is crucial that Syria does not once again become an arena for international power struggles," added the statement.
On Tuesday, Ann Snow, the UK's special representative for Syria, was seen meeting the HTS leader in Damascus, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced "direct" talks were also ongoing.
Also among those keen to engage the new leadership, Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, made clear her intentions for the country to build relations moving forward.
"Italy is the only G7 country with an open embassy in Damascus and is ready to engage in dialogue with Syria's new leadership within the framework of joint assessments and actions with European and international partners," she said Wednesday.
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Ankara, said on Wednesday that while the collapse of the Assad government offers new hope to Syrians, there are still great risks.
Standing alongside Turkish President Recap Erdogan at a press conference, she said: "The situation on the ground remains extremely volatile so we are closely monitoring developments ... Europe is ready to do its part to support Syria at this critical junction."
She said their top diplomat is also returning to Damascus, adding that "direct engagement" with HTS and other factions will be next on the agenda, in addition to humanitarian aid and the early recovery of services such as electricity, water and infrastructure. Europe is Syria's biggest donor, with 33 billion euros gathered for the country since 2011, she said.
"Turkey has an essential role in stabilizing the region," she said, speaking directly to President Erdogan, along with a role in the prevention of a resurgence of terrorism.
The statements came as this week, the EU also announced it would be sending an envoy to Damascus for talks with the new interim leadership.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday that while the EU delegation, which is like an embassy, in Syria was never officially closed, there had not been an accredited ambassador in Damascus during the war.
"We want this delegation to be fully operational again," Kallas said in the European Parliament.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kallas said that part of the upcoming EU-Syria discussions will be to sway Damascus from the grip of Iran and Russia.
Directing her message to the new leaders, Kallas said: “Russia and Iran are not your friends, are not helping you if you are in trouble. They left Assad’s regime, and that is a very clear message showing that their hands are full elsewhere and they are weakened.”
As the remnants of the decades-long Assad rule are being swept away, the head of a US-based Syrian advocacy organization said on Monday that a mass grave outside of Damascus contained the bodies of at least 100,000 people killed by the former government.
Mouaz Moustafa of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, said that at al-Qutayfah, 40 km north of the Syrian capital, was one of five mass graves he had identified over the years, hundreds of thousands of Syrians estimated to have been killed since 2011 following Assad’s crackdown on the civil war.
Speaking to Reuters, he said there are fears of US and UK citizens as well as other foreigners being among them. “One hundred thousand is the most conservative estimate. It's a very, very extremely almost unfairly conservative estimate,” he said.
Iran’s nuclear chief said on Tuesday that the country’s nuclear technology will not be restricted, despite demands from the United States and European powers to halt high-level uranium enrichment.
Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, speaking in Isfahan (Esfahan), home to the Natanz nuclear facility, said: "We must continue on the path of progress with effort and perseverance, and Iran's nuclear technology will never be restricted."
The Islamic Republic began violating the enrichment limits set by the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement after the United States withdrew from the accord in 2018. Following President Joe Biden’s election, Tehran announced an increase in uranium enrichment to 20% purity, later escalating to 60%, a level widely regarded as just short of the threshold needed for producing fissile material suitable for nuclear weapons.
Subsequent negotiations with the US and the European E3 countries — the UK, France, and Germany — failed to resolve key differences, revive the JCPOA, or establish a new agreement. As a result, Iran is now believed to possess enough 60% enriched uranium to produce 4 to 5 atomic bombs, should it choose to pursue nuclear weapons.
"Science and technology are considered key factors in creating power and authority," Eslami added, in spite of Iran's pursuit of nuclear power contributing to its isolation on the world stage.
"A country can maintain its independence and progress only if it pursues its development without reliance on others, especially the dominant global powers," he said.
This strategy, mainly directed against the West, has inflicted major harm on Iran’s economy, which now suffers from 50% annual inflation and a currency that has fallen 11,000-fold in the past 45 years.
Widespread energy shortages have forced the government to close offices, factories and schools in many provinces this week, while the country holds the second largest natural gas reserves in the world.
Iran’s nuclear program has cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue and economic growth due to 15 years of international and US-imposed sanctions.
With Donald Trump set to assume the presidency in the US, Tehran faces his “maximum pressure” policy, which includes stricter enforcement of sanctions and potentially additional restrictions.