US-Iran deal deepens confusion as Iran threatens Trump and arrests thousands

Tehran denies IAEA access claims, IRGC representative vows to 'drown' Trump, and over 3,000 arrested for alleged Israel ties.

US-Iran deal deepens confusion as Iran threatens Trump and arrests thousands — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated Monday that Iran's interactions with the IAEA will continue in accordance with its safeguards commitments, even as IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency denied claims that IAEA inspectors would be allowed access under the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.[^1] The denial directly contradicts US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's post that Iran had agreed to permit IAEA inspectors.[^2] Meanwhile, Abdullah Haji Sadeghi, a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in the IRGC, issued sharp threats against US President Donald Trump, promising to 'drown' him in a 'sea of rage.'[^3] The threats come amid ongoing negotiations and a temporary 60-day US general license allowing Iran to produce, transport, and sell crude oil.[^4] Iran's judiciary announced that over 3,000 citizens have been arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel, with 684 to be charged with carrying out 'operational activities' for Israel and 1,258 with political propaganda against the regime.[^5] Last week, the assets of 100 'traitors' were confiscated in Isfahan province. The arrests are part of a broader crackdown: since protests began last January, over 50,000 people have been arrested, and at least 40 prisoners, including 19 protesters, have been executed since the beginning of the year.[^6] The scale of the arrests suggests Tehran is intensifying its internal security campaign even as it navigates external negotiations. American allies of Donald Trump defended him to an Israeli public anxious about the US interim deal with Iran. Ambassador Mike Huckabee acknowledged 'enormous anxiety,' while Israelis fear that Trump's MoU with Iran will empower their deadliest enemy.[^7] Trump himself addressed Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement about not withdrawing IDF forces from Lebanon, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he would look into the issue, adding that he solves problems quickly. The public disagreements between Trump and Netanyahu over how to end the four-month-old war highlight a growing rift between the two leaders on both the Iran deal and L