Iranian and US officials have engaged in direct contact over the past several days, with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Araghchi, submitting a roadmap to US envoy Witkoff aimed at finalizing a nuclear deal prior to a call with European Union counterparts on Wednesday. This information was learned by [@amwajmedia](https://twitter.com/amwajmedia) and reported on September 20th. Following initial reporting on these exchanges, Araghchi has denied any recent contact with Witkoff, a denial attributed to "fierce domestic hardliner backlash over Iran's new deal with IAEA." However, additional informed sources have since confirmed the contact, indicating further developments in the coming days. This period of contact occurs amidst Iran's defiance of the UN sanctions snapback, with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister having previously warned European states to be "cautious" and accusing them of using the snapback as a "pretext for escalation." Iran's President had also stated that the snapback "can't stop" the nation from building "far more important than Natanz." Separately, a vehicle was struck in Khardali, southern Lebanon, resulting in one fatality, according to reports received between 2:07 PM and 2:37 PM UTC on September 20th. Initial indications suggest the strike was targeted at the vehicle, though further details remain unreleased. Additionally, Hezbollah's al-Manar Channel broadcast a recording featuring discussions on military strategy against Israel between Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Radwan Force commander Ibrahim Aqil. The recording, aired within the past hour according to a prior report, reportedly occurred during a military meeting in Beirut within the past year and outlines guidelines for confronting Israel, focusing on rules of engagement and operational directives for field commanders.
