Officials from France, Britain, and Germany have indicated they are prepared to restore strict sanctions on Iran by the close of August if negotiations on the country’s nuclear program fail to show progress, according to Western diplomatic sources.

Penalties previously lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement—contingent on Iran restricting and submitting its nuclear activities to international oversight—are expected to be reinstated “at the latest” by the end of next month unless there is movement on the diplomatic front, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated in Brussels on Tuesday.

This announcement comes amid growing urgency among global powers to find a path forward after recent military actions by the United States and Israel targeting Iranian assets have escalated tensions.

“France and its partners are … justified in reapplying global embargoes on arms, banks and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago,” Barrot told reporters before a meeting with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels.

“Without a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest.”

Sanctions Trigger Mechanism

According to a clause in the 2015 pact often referred to as the “snapback,” parties to the agreement may call for sanctions to be reimposed if Iran fails to meet its obligations.

On Tuesday, the UK, France, and Germany’s representatives at the United Nations convened to deliberate over initiating the snapback procedure, according to an Indian media report.

The same issue was a topic of discussion during a phone call on Monday involving the foreign ministers of the three European countries and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as confirmed by two American officials familiar with the matter.

Iran’s delegation to the UN has not issued any formal reply regarding the possible return of sanctions, the report noted.

Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated recently that if European powers pursue this course of action, it would “end” their involvement as neutral brokers in Iran’s nuclear discussions with the United States.

Tehran Says It’s Open to Dialogue—Under Conditions

Talks between Iran and the U.S. were reportedly ongoing earlier this year to address the future of Tehran’s nuclear development. However, these were disrupted following joint airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel in June.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, during his earlier term in office, withdrew from the 2015 nuclear pact in 2018, arguing the agreement lacked the necessary safeguards.

Following the June attacks, Iran halted its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is tasked with monitoring its nuclear sites.

Araghchi noted that Iran is willing to return to negotiations with Washington if the U.S. can offer “a firm guarantee” that no further military actions will take place.

He emphasized that the combined Israeli and American strikes had “made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution.”

A statement issued through the Iranian Students’ News Agency quoted the country’s parliament on Wednesday, saying that Iran should not resume discussions with the U.S. unless certain conditions are satisfied. The report did not provide specifics on what those conditions entailed.

Meanwhile, Trump and his envoy for Middle East affairs, Steve Witkoff, have stated that talks with Iran would be arranged soon, although no exact date has been confirmed.

China Voices Support for Iran’s Position

China has expressed its backing for Iran’s efforts to maintain its sovereignty and withstand international pressure. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his Iranian counterpart that Beijing would continue to oppose “power politics and bullying.”

“China attaches importance to Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and respects Iran’s right to peacefully use nuclear energy,” Wang said, according to a release by his ministry.

President Donald Trump has called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to disclose “whatever she thinks is credible” regarding Jeffrey Epstein, following mounting frustration from some of his political base over the government’s handling of the case.

Bondi faced criticism after her department recently claimed there was no evidence of Epstein maintaining a “client list”, which seemed at odds with earlier remarks made by her and others close to the president who had previously demanded more openness on the issue.

Trump also remarked on Tuesday that he didn’t grasp “what the interest or what the fascination is” surrounding the case. He also backed Bondi, saying, “She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her,” and added, “Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”

Responding to a journalist’s inquiry about whether the attorney general had indicated if his name appeared in any case documents, Trump replied, “No, no.”

He later doubled down, calling the topic “sordid but boring” and appeared annoyed by the ongoing public interest in the matter.

“Only really bad people, including the fake news, want to keep something like this going,” Trump said.

During his previous campaign, Trump had promised transparency regarding Epstein-related files. The subject has resurfaced this year, partly due to his public clash with a former adviser.

Despite Trump’s recent statements, several of his close political allies are still pushing for full disclosure.

The comments defending Bondi came after a reporter pointed out that even Lara Trump—his daughter-in-law—had expressed public support for greater transparency.

Epstein was found dead in 2019 inside a New York correctional facility while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death followed a prior conviction more than ten years earlier, in which he was registered as a sex offender after being found guilty of soliciting sex from a minor.

A recently released memo by federal investigators concluded there was no “incriminating list” of associates and “no credible evidence” that Epstein used blackmail against powerful individuals.

That same memo stated investigators had reviewed video footage that supported the conclusion that Epstein died by suicide while in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Nonetheless, speculation has persisted for years, with conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein may have been killed to keep him from revealing damaging information about elites across various sectors.

Although initially skeptical of official claims, senior FBI figures, including Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino, have since acknowledged that Epstein took his own life after assuming roles in the Trump administration.

According to the memo, authorities “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

Still, some members of Trump’s political movement remain convinced that vital information about Epstein’s activities is being deliberately withheld to protect high-profile individuals or intelligence institutions.

Lately, Trump has expressed irritation over the renewed focus on Epstein, encouraging the public to move forward, even as some conservative lawmakers demand accountability.

Tensions around Bondi escalated after remarks she made in February during a televised interview. Asked about the so-called Epstein client list, she responded, “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.”

A spokesperson later clarified that she was referring more broadly to the case files and not to any specific list.

In a Tuesday interview with a conservative commentator, Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated that he believed Trump and his team were acting in good faith and had access to classified or confidential facts unknown to the general public.

Even so, he stated that Bondi “needs to come forward and explain it to everybody” and added, “We should put everything out there and let the people decide,” Johnson said.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also supported making Epstein-related documents public. While commending Bondi’s overall service, she emphasized that elected officials must keep their word.

Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert echoed this view and suggested appointing an independent counsel to delve deeper if more files are not unsealed.

Senator John Kennedy weighed in by saying Americans deserve clarity.

“I think it’s perfectly understandable that the American people would like to know who he [Epstein] trafficked those women to and why they weren’t prosecuted,” Kennedy said.

Still, others in the Republican party, including Senator John Thune and Representative Jim Jordan, deferred to Trump’s judgment and avoided pushing the issue further.

At a separate press event on fentanyl policy, Bondi declined to take questions about Epstein.

“Nothing about Epstein,” she told reporters. “I’m not going to talk about Epstein.”

She referenced the recent memo from the Justice Department and FBI, stating it “speaks for itself” and reiterated that no additional Epstein files would be released.

The findings were drawn from a thorough review of over 300 gigabytes of digital material, the memo noted.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers in the House attempted—but failed—to push forward a vote compelling the release of Epstein records. Republicans countered by pointing out that the current administration, led by President Joe Biden, also had full access to those files but did not make them public.

At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday during a stampede at an aid distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The incident has sparked outrage and conflicting narratives over what led to the deadly chaos.

The GHF, a U.S.-backed organization that operates with Israeli support, said the crowd surge was triggered by “armed agitators” allegedly affiliated with Hamas. According to the group, 19 people were trampled and one person was fatally stabbed amid the panic.
“We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd, armed and affiliated with Hamas, deliberately fomented the unrest,” GHF said in a statement.

Hamas quickly rejected the claim, calling it “false and misleading,” and instead blamed both the GHF and the Israeli military for the fatal incident.
Eyewitness accounts paint a chaotic picture. Mahmoud Fojo, a 21-year-old who survived the crush, told Reuters that security guards at the center locked the gates, trapping people between the entry and a perimeter fence. “People kept gathering and pressuring each other,” he said.

“When people pushed each other, those who couldn’t stand fell under the people and were crushed.”
Other witnesses said guards used pepper spray to control the crowd, exacerbating the panic.

Local Palestinian health officials reported that 21 people died, most from suffocation and trampling. One medic on site described the area as severely overcrowded, with little room for movement or ventilation.
The United Nations has expressed growing concern over the increasing number of civilian casualties near aid centers in Gaza. On Tuesday, the UN rights office in Geneva reported at least 875 deaths near food distribution points in Gaza over the past six weeks, many of them close to GHF-operated sites.

While locals have blamed many of those deaths on Israeli gunfire, the Israeli military has admitted to civilian casualties and said it has issued revised instructions based on “lessons learned.”

The GHF has become a focal point in the debate over humanitarian access in Gaza. The group uses U.S. private contractors to deliver aid, largely bypassing the UN-led aid system, which Israel alleges has been exploited by Hamas militants. Hamas denies those claims.

The UN and several humanitarian agencies have criticized the GHF’s methods, calling them unsafe and a violation of established humanitarian neutrality. The GHF has denied wrongdoing, defending its operations as necessary and effective.
Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network, accused the GHF of “gross mismanagement,” citing a lack of organization, limited aid, and unsafe crowd control practices. “People who flock in their thousands are hungry and exhausted, and they get squeezed into narrow places,” he said.

As Gaza continues to face one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history, Wednesday’s tragedy underscores the deadly consequences of mismanaged aid distribution and the urgent need for coordination, safety, and accountability.

A man has been arrested by Indian authorities following a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of Fauja Singh, widely recognized as the world’s oldest marathon participant.

Law enforcement officials stated that the suspect, identified as Amritpal Singh Dhillon, was behind the wheel of a high-speed SUV that struck the 114-year-old athlete. Singh was severely injured and succumbed shortly after being admitted to a hospital.

The collision happened on Monday in Punjab, a northern region of India, while Singh was taking his routine afternoon walk.

Celebrated across the world, Singh broke multiple marathon records in older age brackets. Remarkably, he didn’t start running until he was 89 and went on to complete nine full marathons between 2000 and 2013—when he officially retired from the sport.

The vehicle linked to the hit-and-run, described as a white SUV, has been located and taken into custody by police.

The incident unfolded near Beas Pind, the village where Singh was born, not far from the city of Jalandhar.

Authorities said he was crossing the street when the SUV hit him. Local residents rushed him to medical care, but he could not be saved.

An Indian media report referencing the official complaint suggested that Singh might have survived if the 26-year-old driver had taken immediate action to get him help.

Singh’s running legacy is marked by numerous milestones.

“In 2011, he reportedly became the first person over 100 to finish a full marathon, in Toronto. He also carried the Olympic torch at the 2012 London Olympics.”

However, despite these feats, his name never made it into the Guinness World Records as the oldest marathon runner, since he lacked a formal birth certificate from 1911.

“The BBC earlier reported that Singh’s British passport showed his date of birth as being 1 April 1911, and that he had a letter from the Queen congratulating him on his 100th birthday.”

“Guinness said they wanted to give him the record but could only accept official documents from the year of birth.”

His longtime trainer once explained that official birth documents were simply not issued in rural India during that period.

His Ilford-based running group and charity, Sikhs In The City, announced that their upcoming events in East London—where Singh had lived since the early ’90s—would honor his remarkable journey and legacy.

As a child growing up in rural Punjab, Singh was mocked due to his fragile legs. He struggled to walk until around age five.

“But the same boy, once mocked for his weakness, went on to make history,” he told BBC Punjabi in June.

He didn’t receive formal education or engage in athletics in his early years. He worked as a farmer and lived through the upheavals of both World Wars and India’s partition.

“In my youth, I didn’t even know the word ‘marathon’ existed,” he said.

Singh took up running much later in life, following immense personal tragedy.

In the early 1990s, he lost his wife and relocated to London to live with his eldest son. During a later trip to India, he witnessed his younger son Kuldeep’s tragic death in an accident, a moment that deeply impacted him.

While grieving in the UK, he sought solace during a visit to a gurdwara in Ilford. There, he met a group of older men who regularly ran together. Among them was Harmander Singh—who would become his coach and help launch his late-in-life running career.

Singh became internationally recognized when he was featured in a 2004 global advertising campaign by Adidas titled Impossible is Nothing, alongside iconic figures like Muhammad Ali.