Iran has called on the United Nations (UN) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to condemn a United States offer of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear programme, describing the initiative as a threat to its nuclear facilities, scientists and national security.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the demand in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the UN Security Council and IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi.

In the letter, Araghchi described the American announcement as unacceptable and urged the three international officials to condemn it explicitly and unequivocally.

The United States, through the State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme, announced on November 6 that it was offering up to $20 million, alongside possible relocation, to anyone providing information about Iran’s nuclear programme.

The offer covers information relating to Iranian nuclear facilities, equipment, associated personnel, members of the scientific community and the movement of such individuals or materials.

The announcement was subsequently publicised by the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Araghchi accused Washington of encouraging clandestine intelligence gathering against Iran, warning that the initiative could expose nuclear scientists and technical personnel to assassination, sabotage and other security threats.

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He argued that seeking confidential information about nuclear installations under IAEA safeguards could undermine the credibility, independence and integrity of the international agency’s monitoring system.

According to the Iranian foreign minister, it would be unreasonable to expect normal implementation of nuclear safeguards when facilities, personnel and sensitive information were allegedly exposed to threats of attacks and sabotage.

Araghchi also invoked Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which recognises the right of countries to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in accordance with their international obligations.

He urged the UN Secretary-General and Security Council to draw the international community’s attention to what he described as the implications of the American initiative for global peace and security.

The Iranian government also asked the IAEA chief to take measures to protect confidential information obtained during nuclear inspections from disclosure, misuse or exploitation for intelligence purposes.

Araghchi further requested that Grossi bring the matter before the IAEA Board of Governors and consider appropriate institutional measures to address the concerns raised by Tehran.

The dispute comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear activities, sanctions and the ongoing military confrontation involving the United States and Israel.

The US government has maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a major security objective, while Tehran has consistently insisted that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes.

The latest $20 million reward offer has added another dimension to the disagreement, with Iran arguing that the initiative threatens its sovereignty and the safety of personnel working in its nuclear sector.

A United Kingdom court has convicted a suspended Reform UK councillor, Glenn Gibbins, over a Facebook post suggesting that Nigerians living in his town should be melted down and used to fill potholes.

Gibbins, 66, who represents the Hylton Castle ward on Sunderland City Council, was found guilty of sending a grossly offensive message following a trial at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 9, 2026.

District Judge Zoe Passfield sentenced him to a 12-month community order, including 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £650 in court costs and a £114 victim surcharge, bringing his total financial penalty to £764.

The controversial Facebook post was published in March 2024, more than two years before Gibbins was elected to Sunderland City Council.

In the post, he complained about the number of Nigerians in the town and suggested that they should be melted down and used to fill potholes.

The message became public after the campaign group Hope Not Hate examined his social media history ahead of the May 2026 local government elections.

Despite the controversy, Gibbins won the Hylton Castle ward election with 1,295 votes under the Reform UK platform.

The party initially suspended him after the post emerged but later reinstated him following an internal disciplinary process, reportedly issuing him a final written warning.

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However, he was suspended again after police charged him in July 2026.

During the trial, Gibbins admitted making the post but insisted that it was intended as a joke and should not be taken literally.

He told the court that he had consumed a couple of cans of beer on the night he published the message and had initially attempted to share a similar post written by someone else.

When that failed, he said he typed the message himself and published it on his public Facebook account.

Describing his intention, he maintained that it was a tongue-in-cheek remark rather than a serious threat against Nigerians.

However, prosecutors argued that the statement was grossly offensive and dehumanising because it portrayed Nigerians as people who could be exterminated and reduced to materials for road construction.

Delivering her verdict, Judge Passfield rejected the councillor’s explanation, saying the post specifically targeted Nigerians as an ethnic group and reduced their status as human beings to that of materials used to fill potholes.

She said the comment was neither a genuine political argument nor part of a wider discussion about immigration.

The judge also considered Gibbins’ right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights but concluded that the post was not a genuine expression of political views.

The court heard that the publication caused considerable distress among Nigerians living in Sunderland.

Godwin Ejeh, a leader in the Nigerian community, told the court that the post created fear among residents, particularly over their safety and that of their children.

He said the controversy prompted an emergency meeting within the community and a protest outside Sunderland City Hall, where Nigerians demanded an apology from the councillor.

Ejeh, who also contested a council seat under the Liberal Democrats during the May elections, denied suggestions that the matter was being used for political purposes.

He maintained that the issue was about human dignity and the safety of Nigerians living in the area.

Gibbins’ defence lawyer, Adam King, described the Facebook post as an unpleasant and unfunny joke, while raising concerns about the boundaries of freedom of expression.

The court was also told that Gibbins had no previous criminal convictions and had not committed any further offence since publishing the message in 2024.

Following the conviction, his legal team indicated that it intended to appeal the verdict at the Crown Court.

The case has attracted attention among Nigerians at home and abroad, particularly amid concerns about discrimination, xenophobia and the treatment of Nigerian communities in foreign countries.