Overview

• Rosatom and Iran Hormoz signed a roughly $25 billion contract to build four nuclear reactors in the Persian Gulf port of Sirik.
• The UN Security Council voted down a Russian‑Chinese proposal to extend talks, clearing the way for pre‑2015 UN measures to reapply this weekend, including an arms embargo and asset freezes.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency said it quietly restarted inspections in Iran this week after a halt that followed June strikes.
• Tehran insists its program is for civilian energy but has warned it could end cooperation with inspectors if UN penalties are restored.
• Western governments cite Iran’s enrichment to about 60 percent and unanswered questions about nuclear material as proliferation concerns, while the new deal highlights deepening Russia‑Iran ties.