Turkey opposes any attack on Iran, foreign minister says

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in an interview with Le Figaro, expressed skepticism about the prospects of a new nuclear deal with Iran, citing significant differences in vision between Washington and Tehran.

Saar indicated that while conditions have changed since the 2015 agreement, he remains doubtful that the current diplomatic efforts will lead to a successful outcome.

"The gaps between the American vision and the Iranian vision remain very important," Saar said.

He highlighted what he called a tougher president in the US, a new Iranian administration, and a heightened European awareness of Iran's destabilizing activities as key factors in the current dynamic.

"We have a tougher president in the White House now. Iran also has a new leader. And the Europeans have become aware – especially with the war in Ukraine highlighting Tehran's support for Russia. Plus, they've seen Iran's direct attacks against us in April and October 2024, and they understand what its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, have been capable of since October 7th. We no longer need to explain Iran's aggression.”

He also pointed out that the actions of Iran and its armed allies, especially since the October 7th attacks, have brought to the forefront the risks of Iran gaining a nuclear weapon. "Today everyone is asking the same question: if they did that without nuclear, what will they do the day they have a nuclear umbrella?" he said.

The Kremlin on Friday urged all parties involved in the issue of Iran's nuclear program to exercise restraint and seek a political and diplomatic resolution.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that dialogue and negotiation are the appropriate means to address concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"We believe that the problem of the Iranian nuclear dossier should be discussed and resolved only by political and diplomatic means. Exclusively," he told reporters. "And, of course, we believe that all parties should maintain absolute restraint here and focus specifically on diplomatic efforts when discussing all issues.”

Peskov added that while Russia is in the process of restoring bilateral relations with the United States, Iran remains an ally of Moscow. "You know that we are currently working on restoring our relations with the United States, but Iran is also our partner, our ally, with whom we have very developed and multifaceted relations."

Russia has previously offered to mediate discussions between Tehran and Washington.

A former commander in Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has said that the time has come to discuss the possibility of the Islamic Republic building an atomic bomb, referencing recent remarks by a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader on the issue.

Mansour Haghighatpour, a former member of parliament and a past commander in the IRGC, made the comments following recent statements by Ali Larijani, an advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, suggesting that US threats could push Iran towards acquiring nuclear weapons.

“The Supreme Leader once declared that building nuclear weapons was religiously forbidden, but he didn't prohibit the knowledge of how to produce them. Currently, we don't have nuclear weapons. However, if we face the threat of an atomic bomb, should we defend ourselves, or simply sit by and be torn apart like Hiroshima and Nagasaki?”

Speaking to Iranian media, Haghighatpour indicated that Iran's specific circumstances necessitate such discussions.

An Iranian member of parliament has reacted sharply to Trump's deal or war rhetoric, warning that any conflict would inflict heavy losses on the United States, Israel, and their allies in the Persian Gulf.

Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of the National Security Committee of the parliament, told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) on Friday that Iran would fight if necessary, and the consequences for its adversaries would be severe.

"How does Trump allow himself to come and say either agreement or war?" Zohrevand questioned. "Certainly, if necessary, we will fight, and in a war with the US, we will not suffer losses. Rather, it will be the US, the Zionist regime, and their allies in the Persian Gulf who will suffer and will have to go and pitch tents in the Egyptian desert. Therefore, I want to say that they must understand this and must prevent this impudence."

Zohrevand said Trump's strategy involves using threats to pressure Iran into accepting his demands rather than engaging in genuine negotiations. He likened this approach to the idea promoted during the Rouhani administration that "any agreement is better than no agreement," which he characterized as surrender.

The lawmaker predicted that no major conflict would occur, suggesting that the US is engaged in psychological operations to see if it can force Iran into a "surrender agreement" at the last minute. He asserted that this would not happen.

The resolution, submitted by Iceland, Germany, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, and the United Kingdom, passed with 24 votes in favor, 8 against, and 15 abstentions at the end of the council's 58th annual session in Geneva.

The council said in the resolution that it is alarmed by the widespread violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in Iran, particularly the severe repression of women, ethnic and religious minorities, and the continuing increase in executions.

The resolution condemned Iran’s use of the death penalty to spread fear and silence political dissent. It warned that handing down death sentences for offenses that don’t meet the international standard of “most serious crimes” is a clear violation of global legal norms. Under international law, the death penalty should be reserved only for crimes involving intentional killing.

The council also highlighted the systematic suppression of freedom of expression and assembly, the harassment of journalists, the restrictions on human rights defenders and civil activists, and what it called "the multifaceted violence and discrimination against minorities" as key examples of ongoing human rights violations in Iran.

The resolution extends the mandate of the special rapporteur on human rights in Iran for another year, tasking the role with continuously monitoring the human rights situation, gathering credible documentation of violations, and assessing Iran's progress in implementing previous recommendations.

The special rapporteur is required to present two periodic reports, one to the Human Rights Council and another to the UN General Assembly. The resolution urged Iranian authorities to provide the necessary cooperation and full access for on-site investigations within Iran.

Additionally, the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, initially established following the nationwide protests in 2022-2023, was also extended for a year.

The mission is mandated to collect and systematically preserve documentation, evidence, and reports related to the suppression of protests, including gender and ethnicity-based discrimination, excessive use of force, and widespread violations of protesters' rights. The goal is to prepare evidence for any future independent legal proceedings to ensure accountability for responsible individuals and entities.

The resolution urged Iran to end systemic impunity by reforming its constitution, criminal laws, and its Judiciary to break the cycle of violence and repression. It called for the repeal or overhaul of compulsory hijab laws and the elimination of discrimination against women and minorities.

The council also demanded fair trials, ensuring that courts operate independently under qualified judges.

It further called for lifting restrictions on civil society, journalists, human rights defenders, and labor activists, safeguarding internet access and peaceful assembly, and releasing all individuals jailed for peaceful activities.

Lastly, the resolution pressed Iran to grant entry and access to the UN special rapporteur and the international fact-finding mission, in line with Iran’s formal invitation to UN human rights bodies.

The Iranian government, which dismisses all accusations regarding human rights violations, has not permitted UN special rapporteurs on human rights to visit the country and conduct investigations.

Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, strongly criticized the adoption of the resolution, labeling it a discriminatory act that undermines the council's credibility.

He argued that the resolution wastes the council's resources and diminishes trust in its work, urging a focus on the situation in Gaza instead.

Amnesty International welcomed the extension and broadening of the Fact-Finding Mission's mandate as a "critical, long-awaited response to the persistent demands for justice from survivors, victims' families and human rights defenders in Iran and in exile."

The organization said that by no longer being limited to the 2022 "Woman Life Freedom" protests, the mission can now investigate other recent or ongoing serious human rights violations and crimes under international law.

The UN's decision follows reports by the fact-finding mission documenting widespread human rights violations, including torture and sexual violence in prisons, which they said constitute crimes against humanity.