Passive defense chief says Iran prepared for any scenario

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling to hold “important meetings” related to Iran.

Speaking in Bratislava, Rubio said he believes the two aides are en route “right now” for discussions concerning Iran.

Rubio added that Trump still prefers diplomacy in dealing with Tehran.

An Iranian foreign ministry official said Tehran’s talks with Washington include proposals for economic cooperation ranging from oil and gas to mining investment and even aircraft purchases, Iranian media reported.

Hamid Ghanbari, deputy for economic diplomacy at Iran’s foreign ministry, told a meeting at Iran’s Chamber of Commerce that the negotiations include shared interests in areas such as energy, joint oil and gas fields, fast-return mineral investments, urban development and buying planes, according to Fars news agency.

"For the sake of an agreement's durability, it is essential that the US also benefits in areas with high and quick economic returns... Common interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations."

He said the previous agreement failed in part because the United States did not secure economic benefits, arguing that any new deal would need opportunities with quick, high returns for Washington to make it durable.

Ghanbari also said any release of Iran’s blocked or restricted funds should be “real and usable,” not symbolic or temporary, and could be carried out step-by-step or in a single move, the report said.

Iran’s education ministry denied reports that security forces entered schools to arrest students during the recent unrest, saying no arrests took place on school grounds.

Ministry spokesman Ali Farhadi told Iranian news outlet ISNA that “no arrests happened,” and said that with follow-up by the education minister and coordination with other officials, no student remained in detention after the early days of the protests.

Farhadi said student safety and psychological well-being are the ministry’s “absolute priority,” and that schools should remain calm and free of tension.

He added that inquiries about detained students or teachers have been pursued through relevant bodies, but said details would be announced by judicial and law enforcement authorities.

An Iranian lawmaker said upcoming nuclear talks in Geneva will not include Iran’s missile program or regional issues, and insisted Tehran will not discuss stopping uranium enrichment or sending its nuclear stockpile out of the country.

Ebrahim Rezaei, a member and spokesman of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, wrote on social media that “in this round of negotiations, there is no discussion of stopping or abandoning uranium enrichment,” and that Iran’s stockpiles will not be transferred abroad.

He added the United States has already accepted those points in earlier discussions, and said the Geneva talks are limited to the nuclear file.

Rezaei said Iran’s negotiating team has prepared a proposal package “to avoid wasting time,” but added that Tehran is not optimistic about a result given what he described as Washington’s track record.

The directive, issued with the backing of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, instructs authorities to pursue revocation only after a final, binding conviction for severe espionage offenses linked to the Islamic Republic.

Netanyahu told a closed-door meeting that spying against Israel constituted “a fundamental breach of trust,” according to officials familiar with the discussion, Israeli media reported.

Under Israel’s Citizenship Law, nationality can be revoked for a breach of loyalty, including espionage or treason. The provision has rarely been used and was previously considered mainly in terrorism-related cases.

Officials said that in practical terms, individuals stripped of citizenship who hold no other nationality would retain permanent residency and could continue living in Israel, though they would lose civil rights such as voting.

Over the past two years, around 40 indictments have been filed against about 60 suspects accused of being recruited by Iran, according to officials. Israel’s Shin Bet security service has warned of a rise in Iranian efforts to recruit Israeli citizens, describing it as a growing national security threat.