TEHRAN: Iran condemned on Sunday the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on its nuclear program, calling the move &ldquo;unjustifiable&rdquo; after the collapse of talks with Western powers and strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear sites. The sanctions, which restrict activities linked to Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, were reimposed after Western nations triggered the &ldquo;snapback&rdquo; mechanism of the 2015 nuclear accord. The measures took effect at midnight in Geneva, ending months of diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations. Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that &ldquo;the reactivation of annulled resolutions is legally baseless and unjustifiable&rdquo; and urged countries not to recognize what it described as an &ldquo;illegal situation.&rdquo; It vowed to defend Iran&rsquo;s national rights and respond firmly to any action that undermines its interests. The return of sanctions followed a series of setbacks in talks earlier this year, including Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said dialogue channels remained open and urged Iran to accept &ldquo;direct talks held in good faith.&rdquo; He also called on all UN members to implement sanctions immediately. Foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, which supported the snapback mechanism, said in a joint statement they remained committed to finding &ldquo;a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; while cautioning Tehran against escalation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Washington&rsquo;s proposal to lift some restrictions in exchange for Iran handing over its entire stockpile of enriched uranium was unacceptable. Russia and China opposed the snapback, but their efforts to delay the measures until April failed in the Security Council. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told the UN General Assembly his country had &ldquo;no choice&rdquo; but to act, citing Iran&rsquo;s noncompliance with its commitments. He stressed that diplomacy should continue despite the renewed sanctions. Russia, however, declared it would not enforce the measures, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accusing Western powers of &ldquo;blackmail and pressure.&rdquo; The sanctions, which had been lifted in 2015 under the landmark nuclear agreement, add to US restrictions already in place since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. Iran recalled its envoys from Britain, France and Germany for consultations on Saturday. On the streets of Tehran, residents voiced concern about the economic fallout. The Iranian rial hit a record low of 1.12 million to the dollar on the black market, raising fears of further inflation. &ldquo;The situation was already very difficult, but it&rsquo;s going to get worse,&rdquo; said Dariush, a 50-year-old engineer. &ldquo;Prices are rising and our standard of living is much lower than two or three years ago.&rdquo; The European powers and the United States said they remain committed to preventing nuclear proliferation while leaving the door open to renewed negotiations. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

FILE - The Iranian flag flies in front of a U.N. building where closed-door nuclear talks take place at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, on June 18, 2014. 

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Iran condemned on Sunday the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on its nuclear program, calling the move “unjustifiable” after the collapse of talks with Western powers and strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran denounces 'unjustifiable' return of UN sanctions

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Israel widened its ground operation in Gaza City on Tuesday, pressing further into the heart of the blockaded enclave as the humanitarian crisis worsens and international criticism mounts.&nbsp;Israel claims its expanded military offensive seeks to dismantle Hamas&rsquo;s control over Gaza City and secure the release of hostages, despite the enclave being heavily devastated by its forces since October 2023. US confirms support for Israel&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a diplomatic trip to Israel,&nbsp;confirmed broad American support for the Israeli offensive.&nbsp;He also warned that diplomatic efforts have a &ldquo;narrow&rdquo; timeframe. Rubio, following talks with Netanyahu,&nbsp;stated openly that the conflict will only conclude with Hamas&rsquo;s &lsquo;elimination&rsquo; and the release of all hostages. Hamas, in contrast, demands prisoner releases, a lasting ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal before considering hostage negotiations. Latest Israeli offensive against Gaza&nbsp;Palestinian residents reported heavy bombardment across Gaza City. One strike destroyed a house in the west, killing at least five Palestinians, including two children, according to a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another attack damaged three houses in the southwest, with medics searching for survivors amid the rubble. A Gaza resident described it as a &ldquo;heavy night.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that ending the conflict required eliminating Hamas and securing the release of the remaining 48 hostages. About 20 are believed to be still alive. He rejected calls for an interim ceasefire.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Hamas demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before freeing hostages.&nbsp;More than 64,871 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, have been killed, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. Israel laid siege to the blockaded enclave in October 2023. Israel launches expanded operation in Gaza&nbsp;The Israeli military announced Tuesday it expanded operation in Gaza aimed at destroying allegedly Hamas&rsquo; military &lsquo;infrastructure&rsquo; has officially begun.&nbsp;Residents have been urged to move south, although overcrowding and lack of transportation make evacuation difficult for many.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Israeli Defense Minister said the occupying forces would continue their mission until Hamas was &lsquo;defeated&rsquo; and hostages<a id="_anchor_1" href="#_msocom_1" name="_msoanchor_1" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);"></a> were &lsquo;freed&rsquo;.Rubio, who is departing Israel for Qatar, said that a prolonged war is worse, and the goal remains a negotiated settlement with Hamas defeated. Over 220,000 Palestinians have fled northern Gaza after Israeli warnings, but many remain in the overcrowded south. Families of hostages held by Hamas gathered outside Netanyahu&rsquo;s residence, pleading for a halt to the operation to protect their loved ones. Both Netanyahu and Rubio insist the conflict will only end with Hamas&rsquo; elimination and hostage release, rejecting calls for an interim ceasefire. Hamas demands the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before freeing the hostages.

 FILE - Palestinians run for cover during an Israeli airstrike on a high-rise building in Gaza City, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, after the Israeli army issued a warning. (AP PhotoYousef Al Zanoun, File) 

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While the Israeli military has not confirmed if the offensive has officially begun, the U.S. State Secretary indicated the operation may have already started. 

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Iran denounces 'unjustifiable' return of UN sanctions

Ground offensive to occupy Gaza begins