Iran denies role in damage to South Korean-operated vessel

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot ruled out on Thursday lifting any international sanctions on Iran as long as the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked.

Barrot told France’s RTL radio that Iran, “or at least the Iranian regime,” was seeking sanctions relief from the United States in return for steps on its nuclear program.

“But it is out of the question that the slightest sanction could be lifted as long as a strait like Hormuz is blocked,” he said.

Only about 2,000 of more than 27,000 workers at Isfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company have returned to work after US and Israeli strikes on the site, Tehran-based news website Rouydad24 reported on Thursday.

Those who returned were mainly administrative and managerial staff and production at the major steel complex remained halted, according to the report.

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A law approved last October has accelerated death penalty proceedings in Iran by giving judges broad powers to interpret espionage and treason cases, an Iranian human rights lawyer was quoted as saying by the Financial Times on Thursday.

“Terms in the [new] law, such as ‘any operational acts’, give judges an almost unlimited scope for interpretation, allowing them to issue death sentences without restriction,” Amir Raesian said.

“As a result, verdicts have become much harsher and proceedings much faster, making executions swift and straightforward,” he added.

Former White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow questioned emerging US–Iran diplomatic efforts, arguing that long-term stability would require sustained pressure on Tehran and a shift toward regime change rather than relying on a negotiated agreement.

Speaking on Fox News, Kudlow cited recent reporting on preliminary US–Iran discussions and expressed skepticism that any deal could be trusted or effectively enforced, suggesting that a pressure-based approach would be more effective in addressing Iran-related security concerns.

Author Gordon Chang said President Donald Trump should raise concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping over alleged Chinese military support for Iran, including claims about missile transfers, in remarks aired by One America News.

“The Chinese have actually been supplying weapons to the Iranians. In March when Iran fired 101 cruise missiles at the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, those were China’s CM302s… We need to hear from our president because this is absolutely critical… China, I believe, is the enemy and President Trump can show that with facts," Chang said.