Iran & The Gulf

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh tells press that "Syria cannot become the backyard of the occupying entity."

Iran hails Ali Kamani and Mohammad Abdous as "martyrs." Iranian social media users skeptical about the regime's official versions of events given the latest series of hits on IRGC and other Iranian military commanders and scientists.

The development comes a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors censured Tehran for failing to provide “credible information” over man-made nuclear material found at three undeclared sites in the country.

Ahead of an IAEA Board of Governors vote to censure Tehran for failing to explain traces of uranium at its nuclear sites, Iran said it would "shut down" two IAEA cameras at an unspecified enrichment plant.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran turned off two surveillance cameras of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that monitored one of its atomic sites, state television reported Wednesday.

With UN atomic agency apparently poised to rebuke Iran for its lack of cooperation, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader calls to limit IAEA access to nuclear sites and for Iran to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Several diplomats said the resolution was likely to pass easily despite warnings by Iran of retaliation and consequences that could further undermine already stalled talks on rescuing the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. 

A top Israeli official says the Islamic republic is in possession of enough fissile material to produce multiple nuclear warheads, adds that as unlikely as it may seem, Tehran could still agree to revive the nuclear deal.