Iran says new US energy sanctions contradict ongoing talks
Iran on Wednesday said new US sanctions on its energy and nuclear sectors run counter to ongoing diplomatic talks between the two countries.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called the sanctions "bullying and illegal," and said they contradict US claims of wanting dialogue with Tehran.
"The continuation of sanctions shows a lack of goodwill and seriousness by the United States," Baghaei said in a statement. He added that the move highlights Washington's hostile policy and disregard for international law.
The US Treasury earlier announced sanctions on Iranian LPG magnate Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh, his son, and a network of companies accused of helping Iran bypass sanctions and export energy.
Former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has dismissed a potential trillion-dollar investment by the United States in Iran following a possible agreement as an "illusion."
Khandouzi's remarks, reported by Iranian media on Wednesday, appear to be a direct response to recent remarks by some Islamic Republic officials who have cited the possibility of such a massive influx of American capital.
The former minister argued that even countries without the obstacles and challenges facing Iran would be unable to attract such a level of investment.
Iran briefed China on Tehran’s negotiations with Washington and called for accelerated implementation of the 25-year strategic cooperation pact, Iranian media reported Wednesday.
“The Islamic Republic is proceeding with diplomacy seriously and in good faith, despite bitter past experiences,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a meeting with China's First Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Araghchi is to hold a third round of talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday.
The Iranian foreign minister and his Chinese hosts also discussed accelerating the implementation of the 25-year agreement, first signed in 2021, which envisions Chinese investment in Iran’s energy and infrastructure sectors in exchange for long-term energy supply commitments.
However, its implementation has lagged amid sanctions, Chinese investments in Iran so far meager, and the exact details of which remain top secret. Projects like the South Pars gas field development and the Gohardasht Steel project have encountered hurdles, with Chinese firms retracting or terminating their investments.
The comprehensive strategic partnership announced in 2016 saw the two countries plan to increase trade to $600 billion by 2026 while in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund’s Direction of Trade Statistics dataset, the volume of trade reached just $12.5 billion.
During the Wednesday meeting in Beijing, the Chinese vice premier called the relationship with Iran “a product of mutual trust and shared interests,” and said China would work to expand coordination across regional and international platforms.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on X on Tuesday, "With a shared outlook on many international issues, and by relying on mutual trust and respect, Iran and China are resolutely advancing their efforts to safeguard the mutual interests of their nations."
Upon his arrival in China, Araghchi described China and Russia as “strategic partners and close friends who have supported Tehran in difficult times.”
He said Iran would maintain close consultation with China moving forward.
“We will definitely continue our consultations with China as a member of the Security Council, a member of the IAEA Board of Governors, and a country with experience in the nuclear issue,” Araghchi added.
Earlier, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International that Iran’s Supreme Leader delivered a message through Araghchi to Chinese President Xi Jinping, reaffirming Iran’s long-term commitment to the strategic partnership regardless of the outcome of the nuclear negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed a top Chinese official about Tehran’s indirect negotiations with the US and called for quicker implementation of a long-term cooperation agreement with Beijing, Iranian news outlets reported Wednesday.
“The Islamic Republic is proceeding with diplomacy seriously and in good faith, despite bitter past experiences,” Araghchi said during a meeting with Ding Xuexiang, China’s First Vice Premier and senior Communist Party official.
According to Iranian media, both sides discussed expanding strategic ties under their 25-year partnership.
Iran's Supreme Leader has sent a direct message to his Chinese counterpart through Araghchi vowing a steady commitment to their strategic partnership no matter the outcome of ongoing nuclear talks with the US, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International on Tuesday.
The man who shot dead two Iranian Supreme Court judges in a rare assassination of top officials in January has been identified as Farshid Asadi, a 31-year-old court service aide, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International.
Asadi, originally from Razan in Iran's Western Hamedan Province, worked at the Supreme Court in Tehran providing refreshments to judges and staff, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The assailant was initially assigned to the court’s fifth floor but was later relocated to the first floor after Judge Mohammad Moghiseh moved his office there.
On January 18, veteran judges Moghiseh and Ali Razini were shot and killed inside the Supreme Court building in central Tehran. The incident shocked the judiciary and remains largely unexplained by authorities.
The two clerics were central figures in Iran's theocratic establishment who had handed down death sentences and other harsh punishments on dissidents for decades. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led their funerals.
Their deaths marked a rare attack on senior officials as discontent over political repression and economic malaise festers in Iran.
The source told Iran International that Asadi first entered the room of a security guard and injured him before proceeding to the judges’ office. There, he shot Razini once, killing him instantly. As Moghiseh attempted to flee, Asadi fired again, striking him in the hand and then fatally in the back, piercing his heart.
Asadi, the source added, also intended to target another senior judicial figure, Mahmoud Toliyat, a former Revolutionary Court judge, but changed his mind for unknown reasons. He then turned the weapon on himself and died at the scene.
The full name, age and intended third target of the attacker was not previously reported.
Initial reporting by state-affiliated media suggested the attacker may have been an outsider or “armed infiltrator.” However, conflicting accounts followed, with judiciary-linked outlets later confirming the assailant was employed inside the court complex.
Following the shooting, several of Asadi’s relatives—including his father, uncle, maternal uncle, and two female cousins—were detained at different times by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, the source told Iran International.
It remains unclear how many are still in custody.
Separately, former political prisoner Bijan Kazemi has been held incommunicado for over 100 days in connection with the case. Authorities are reportedly attempting to extract a confession linking Kazemi to the firearm used in the attack. Asadi’s father is under pressure to admit involvement, the source added.
Judges Razini and Moghiseh, both clerics, were widely known for their roles in high-profile security cases and for issuing harsh sentences against political dissidents.
They were also involved in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, a chapter heavily criticized by human rights organizations.
Debate is growing in Washington over talks with Iran, with hawkish Republicans urging against appeasing Iran's theocratic rulers but some observers saying the mercurial president might have a historic shot at clinching a deal with Tehran.
The debate has exposed unexpected fractures: US President Donald Trump’s own allies are split, while some longtime democratic critics of the president have cautiously praised his approach—highlighting the unpredictability of the current diplomatic moment.
