Iran Will Respond to EU’s Nuclear Text by Midnight on Monday, Says Foreign Minister

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian listens to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian listens to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)
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Iran Will Respond to EU’s Nuclear Text by Midnight on Monday, Says Foreign Minister

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian listens to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian listens to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)

Iran will respond to the European Union's "final" text by midnight on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said, calling on the United States to show flexibility to resolve three remaining issues to save a 2015 nuclear pact.

"We do not want to reach a deal that after 40 days, two months or three months fails to be materialized on the ground .... we have told them that our red lines should be respected," he said.

"Specifically, there are three issues .... If these three issues are resolved, we can reach an agreement. But failure to revive the pact, would not be end of the world."

Amirabdollahian said the coming days were very important.

"We will need more talks if Washington does not show flexibility for resolving the remaining issues ... Like Washington, we have our own plan B if the talks fail," he said.

The EU, as coordinator of Iran's nuclear talks with world powers, said last week it had put forward a "final" text following four days of indirect talks between US and Iranian officials in Vienna.

Washington has said it is ready to quickly reach an agreement to restore the deal on the basis of the EU proposals.

Iranian officials said last week that they would convey their "additional views and considerations" to the EU.



North Korea's Kim Calls for More Shell Production

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks while he inspects military factories, as he urges ramp-up in shell production to meet modern warfare demands, at an unknown location in North Korea, June 13, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks while he inspects military factories, as he urges ramp-up in shell production to meet modern warfare demands, at an unknown location in North Korea, June 13, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS
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North Korea's Kim Calls for More Shell Production

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks while he inspects military factories, as he urges ramp-up in shell production to meet modern warfare demands, at an unknown location in North Korea, June 13, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks while he inspects military factories, as he urges ramp-up in shell production to meet modern warfare demands, at an unknown location in North Korea, June 13, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected military industrial factories, calling them to expand production of shells that meet modern warfare needs, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

Kim visited lines for pressing metals and assembly on Friday, checked the progress of shell production in the first half of 2025, and suggested new tasks for improvement, KCNA said, according to Reuters.

"If we are to increase the production of new, powerful shells of that meet the needs of... modern warfare, we need to expand and reinforce our production capacity, arrange the production process more rationally, and constantly increase the level of unmanned production," Kim said, according to KCNA.

In recent months, Kim's publicized moves have focused on strengthening the military and improving ties with Russia, while North Korean state media has mostly stayed quiet on criticisms against South Korea as the latter picked a new liberal president this month.

North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 20,000 containers of munitions, according to a report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group comprising 11 UN members, in May.