Iran’s Reformists: Regime Should Voluntarily Halt Uranium Enrichment

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian holds a meeting with members of Iran's Reform Front on July 22 (Iranian Presidency) 
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian holds a meeting with members of Iran's Reform Front on July 22 (Iranian Presidency) 
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Iran’s Reformists: Regime Should Voluntarily Halt Uranium Enrichment

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian holds a meeting with members of Iran's Reform Front on July 22 (Iranian Presidency) 
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian holds a meeting with members of Iran's Reform Front on July 22 (Iranian Presidency) 

Iran's Reformist Front, the highest coordinating body for parties backing President Massoud Pezeshkian, said on Sunday the regime must voluntarily halt uranium enrichment and allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections in exchange for sanctions relief.

In a statement, the Front, a coalition of 30 reformist parties and blocs, has outlined an urgent 11-item plan for structural reforms in both domestic and foreign policy in Iran.

The group also highlighted the significant risks and threats facing the country, particularly following Iran’s recent 12-day war with Israel.

It said advocating for a strategy of national reconciliation and an end to internal and external hostility are the only means to save Iran and create a “golden opportunity for change.”

The Front also warned that the European troika could trigger the snapback mechanism very soon and therefore, expose Iran to Chapter VII of the UN charter and to new sanctions.

The Reformist Front called for a change in all aspects of Iran’s economy, security, military, intelligence and politics.

Key demands included lifting the house arrest of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, releasing political prisoners, and granting a general amnesty to Iranians prosecuted for expressing dissent.

The Front then urged a change in the ruling institution's discourse by focusing on development instead of prioritizing ideological conflicts.

Economically, it advocated for greater equality and opportunities and the creation of a more attractive environment for local and foreign investors.

The statement said regional integration and cooperation with neighbors are essential to bring about lasting peace. It backed the formation of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the will of its people.

The reformists noted that Iran must cooperate with Saudi Arabia and regional countries to reshape Iran's image as a peaceful and responsible nation.

The Front’s statement came days after Prominent Iranian reformist Mehdi Karroubi on Thursday blasted the ruling establishment’s “disastrous” policies, particularly its nuclear program, accusing it of driving the nation “to the edge of the abyss.”

Meanwhile, former president Hassan Rouhani urged a “new strategy” to reduce tensions with the United States, saying Iran’s waning regional influence, domestic unrest and frayed ties with Europe had emboldened Washington and Israel to launch a June attack on Tehran.

Karroubi, freed in May after 14 years under house arrest for co-leading the 2009 Green Movement, told a group of reformists the government had promised to lift the nation to “the summit” through nuclear power but instead “dragged it to the bottom.”

He said the authorities had failed to offer domestic reforms or free political prisoners, urging senior leaders to “return to the people” and lay the ground for structural change “before it is too late.”

Meanwhile, Iranian reformist media outlets said Karroubi received on Sunday three senior advisers of his ally Mirhossein Mousavi.

 

 



Iran Accuses US of Breaking Truce after New Strikes

A US F-16 fighter jet conducts a patrol near the Strait of Hormuz last month. (CENTCOM)
A US F-16 fighter jet conducts a patrol near the Strait of Hormuz last month. (CENTCOM)
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Iran Accuses US of Breaking Truce after New Strikes

A US F-16 fighter jet conducts a patrol near the Strait of Hormuz last month. (CENTCOM)
A US F-16 fighter jet conducts a patrol near the Strait of Hormuz last month. (CENTCOM)

Iran accused the United States of breaching their ceasefire Tuesday after overnight US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats threatened diplomatic efforts to strike a deal to end the war.

The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by almost three percent after US Central Command announced the new wave of bombings, and China urged both sides to respect the truce and to resolve their dispute peacefully.

According to the maritime safety monitor UKMTO, a blast damaged a tanker on the waterline off Oman -- although the crew and vessel were reportedly safe after what was described as an "external explosion".

Iranian state media reported overnight blasts in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz, and the country's Revolutionary Guards Corps said its forces had downed a US drone entering its airspace and had fired at an F-35 fighter jet.

"The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire ... has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region," the Iranian foreign ministry said, AFP reported.

It added that Tehran "will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation," without elaborating.

In a statement marking the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Tehran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared that Washington was losing its influence in the Middle East and warned countries in the region to stop hosting bases from which the US could launch attacks.

The United States, he said in a written statement, "in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day".

Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said: "US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."

- 'We'll see' -

He gave few details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to "emplace mines."

Despite the strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that a deal remained within reach.

But he remained firm on the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil and gas shipping route out which Iran is seeking to control.

"There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we'll see if we can make progress. I think it's a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it'll take a few days," Rubio told reporters, during a visit to India.

He said the strait was "going to be open one way or the other," adding: "What's happening there is unlawful, it's illegal, it's unsustainable for the world, it's unacceptable."

Tasnim news agency said Tehran's negotiators are seeking the release of frozen assets, with half to be made available once an inital memorandum of understanding is signed.

This came as a top Iranian delegation was in Qatar and Tehran said it was finalizing a 14-point framework for a deal on ending the war, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

"Iran's frozen assets are to be released during the course of the negotiations, and this amount is estimated at $24 billion in accordance with the 14-point memorandum of understanding," Tasnim said.

- Frozen assets -

Iran's top negotiator, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived in Qatar on Monday for talks along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.

Tasnim said Ghalibaf's trip was "aimed at reaching an understanding on the implementation of Iran's demand and the method of accessing $12 billion in the first phase".

In 2023, $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds held in South Korean banks was transferred to Qatar pending the release of five American citizens detained in Iran.

The new strikes threaten the ceasefire that began on April 8 as the US and Iran struggle to reach an accord.

China, Washington's great power rival and a major energy importer, expressed concern.

"We urge the parties concerned to fulfil their ceasefire commitments, resolve disputes through peaceful means... and promote the early restoration of peace," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.

Hopes of an accord took another blow when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "crush" Hezbollah in Lebanon on Monday.

Iran has demanded that any peace accord apply to the fighting in Lebanon as well.

On Tuesday, Israel warned Lebanese civilians to evacuate the southern city of Nabatieh ahead of more planned strikes.


2nd Group of Australian Women linked to ISIS Return from Syria

Australian Federal Police officers patrol Sydney International Airport, in Sydney, Australia, 26 May 2026. EPA/DEAN LEWINS
Australian Federal Police officers patrol Sydney International Airport, in Sydney, Australia, 26 May 2026. EPA/DEAN LEWINS
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2nd Group of Australian Women linked to ISIS Return from Syria

Australian Federal Police officers patrol Sydney International Airport, in Sydney, Australia, 26 May 2026. EPA/DEAN LEWINS
Australian Federal Police officers patrol Sydney International Airport, in Sydney, Australia, 26 May 2026. EPA/DEAN LEWINS

A cohort of Australian women and children linked to ISIS has returned home from a Syrian refugee camp, the second such group to arrive back in Australia this month.

Local media reported two women and seven children landed in Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon via Doha. Another flight carrying four women and six children arrived in Sydney in the evening.

According to Reuters, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government was not assisting their travel and that any who had committed crimes "can expect to face the full force of ⁠the law.”

"These are ⁠people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organization and to place their children in an unspeakable situation," Burke said in a statement.

The latest arrivals come after four women and nine children returned to Australia earlier this month after more than seven years in a Syrian camp.

Two of the women were arrested at Melbourne Airport and charged with slavery offences, while one in Sydney ⁠was charged with terror-related offences, including allegedly joining ISIS.

New South Wales state police told media waiting at Sydney airport for the latest returnees that none would be arrested. It was unclear whether arrests would be made in Melbourne.

News of the women's return has drawn criticism from political opponents, who say the center-left government failed to stop their travel to Australia. The government has said there were "very serious limits" on preventing citizens from re-entering the country.

One woman from western Sydney was issued a temporary exclusion order by the government, preventing her from returning, public service broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. Her child was not covered by the order, but ⁠decided to stay, ⁠the report added.

Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have prepared for such returns for more than a decade and have plans to monitor those arriving, the government said.

"Any breaches of the law will mean that these people will face the full force of the law to the extent available upon the advice of the security agencies," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during parliamentary question time.


Khamenei: US Will No Longer Have a Safe Haven in the Region

Iranians walk past a picture of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran, 18 May 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Iranians walk past a picture of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran, 18 May 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
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Khamenei: US Will No Longer Have a Safe Haven in the Region

Iranians walk past a picture of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran, 18 May 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Iranians walk past a picture of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran, 18 May 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday that the US will no longer have a safe haven in the region.

Khamenei has not appeared in public since he took office in March.

In a message marking Eid al-Adha, he said the United States was losing influence in the region, "moving further and further away from its former status with each passing day.”

His comments came as Iran has sent its parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf to Qatar for negotiations over a possible deal with the US to end the war.