February 15, 2026

Iran Israel Watch

Iran’s Nuclear Stockpile Largely Intact, UN Claims

pgnewser October 22, 2025

A U.N. Nuclear Watchdog, Rafael Gross, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has claimed that the U.S. bombing run on Iran’s nuclear program failed to significantly deplete the nation’s stockpile of “near-weapons-grade” uranium.

The bombings still set Iran’s nuclear program back, as they are just now beginning to tunnel into the sites, which are still largely collapsed and destroyed. The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security claimed that while the sites are still powered, “… the visible activity does not indicate a dash to remove possible centrifuge or enriched uranium stocks inside the tunnel complex; rather it points more towards preparing controlled and secure access to two of the three tunnel entrances, and hardening the entrances and utilities against future strikes,”

Blurb:

Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Saturday that his agency believes “the majority” of Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium survived bombing runs from Israel and the United States in June.

Grossi said during an interview with a Swiss newspaper that the IAEA believes most of the uranium is still stored in Iran’s three primary nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz. All three facilities were hit by devastating airstrikes from the United States in June.

The latest IAEA report estimated Iran has about 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, which is far beyond any conceivable civilian use, but just shy of weapons-grade material. The IAEA has been asking Iran to account for the uranium ever since the June airstrikes, but the Iranians have not been very cooperative.

Europeans say Iran has yet to take necessary actions to stop the ‘snapback’ of UN sanctions– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025

Europeans say Iran has yet to take necessary actions to stop the ‘snapback’ of UN sanctions– abcnews.go.com
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — European officials warned Iran on Wednesday it had yet to take the actions needed to stop the return of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program.

The comments from the German Foreign Ministry and the European Union came after a call Iran had Wednesday with representatives of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

“The window for finding a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear issue is closing really fast,” Kallas warned in a statement. “Iran must show credible steps towards addressing the demands of France, (the) U.K. and Germany, and this means demonstrating full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and allowing inspections of all nuclear sites without delay.”

The German Foreign Ministry separately wrote on the social platform X that “Iran has yet to take the reasonable and precise actions necessary to” stop the reimposition of U.N. sanctions.

Iran had no immediate comment on the call, though it had acknowledged earlier that the call would take place. Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency earlier reached a deal mediated by Egypt to grant the U.N. watchdog access to all Iranian nuclear sites and for Tehran to report on the whereabouts of all its nuclear material. It remained unclear when Iran will make that report.

Britain, France and Germany threaten to reimpose sanctions on Iran as deadline nears– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser August 14, 2025

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BERLIN — The top diplomats of Britain, France, and Germany threatened to reimpose sanctions on Iran as an end-of-the-month deadline nears for the country to resume negotiations with the West over its nuclear program and cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

The three countries, known as the E3, wrote in a letter to the United Nations dated Friday that they were willing to trigger a process known as the “snapback” mechanism, which allows one of the Western parties to reimpose U.N. sanctions, if Tehran doesn’t comply with its requirements.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Nöel Barrot posted the letter Wednesday to X. He co-signed it along with top diplomats from Germany and the United Kingdom.

Iran Appears to be Bucking again on UN Inspections

pgnewser August 14, 2025

Britain, France, and Germany are prepared to reimpose sanction on Iran if it doesn’t let in UN inspectors by the deadline coming up at the end of this month, July. After an initial meeting with the IAEA, Iran has signaled it won’t let inspectors back into its country. Internally, it appears it is bracing for the reiteration of sanctions and is developing a strategy to offset the sanctions, mainly by relying on countries like China and Russia to offset the loss.

Iran Refusing Inspections of Nuclear Sites as Senior IAEA Official Concludes Visit to Tehran – Foundation for Defense of Democracies<

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Excerpt:

  • First Meeting With IAEA Since June War: The Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Massimo Aparo, has departed from Tehran after conducting the agency’s first meeting with Iranian officials since the war between Israel and Iran in June. Ahead of the visit, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that renewed talks between the Islamic Republic and the IAEA would be “complicated” and “technical,” with Iran refusing to allow the agency to inspect its nuclear sites in the wake of the Israeli and U.S. bombing campaign. In June, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called on Iran to allow inspectors access after the Iranian parliament voted to halt cooperation with the agency.
  • Iran Preparing for Snap Back Sanctions: Simultaneously, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry has reportedly advised Iranian companies to prepare for a “snap back” of UN sanctions on Iran that were suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal or have since lapsed. The ministry urged the companies to “[i]dentify alternative suppliers in countries like China, Russia, Iraq, etc., which will be less affected by sanctions.” France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, known collectively as the E3, have threatened, in coordination with the United States, to trigger snapback at the end of August — meaning that multilateral sanctions would be reapplied before their expiration in October, when Russia also assumes the UN Security Council presidency. They plan to trigger snapback unless Iran provides a “firm, tangible, and verifiable commitment” to fully cooperate with the IAEA and agree to other measures to curb its nuclear activities.

 

 

Britain, France and Germany threaten to reimpose sanctions on Iran as deadline nears– abcnews.go.com

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BERLIN — The top diplomats of Britain, France, and Germany threatened to reimpose sanctions on Iran as an end-of-the-month deadline nears for the country to resume negotiations with the West over its nuclear program and cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

The three countries, known as the E3, wrote in a letter to the United Nations dated Friday that they were willing to trigger a process known as the “snapback” mechanism, which allows one of the Western parties to reimpose U.N. sanctions, if Tehran doesn’t comply with its requirements.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Nöel Barrot posted the letter Wednesday to X. He co-signed it along with top diplomats from Germany and the United Kingdom.

Trump Threatens to Bomb Iran Again if it Restarts Nuke Program

President Donald Trump warned Iran that any efforts to restart the damaged nuclear weapons program will be met with another round of bombings. Trump told reporters “We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it. For a country that just got wiped out, they’ve been sending very nasty signals.”

Trump Says US Will Obliterate Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Again If Tehran Tries Restarting Program– freebeacon.com
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Iranian officials have been sending ‘very nasty signals,’ Trump tells reporters Monday

Ali Khamenei (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images), Donald Trump (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump warned Monday that the United States would destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment sites again if Tehran tries to restart its nuclear program.

“We wiped out [Iran’s] nuclear possibilities,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. “They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it.”

Trump Threatens to Bomb Iran Again if it Restarts Nuke Program

pgnewser July 28, 2025

President Donald Trump warned Iran that any efforts to restart the damaged nuclear weapons program will be met with another round of bombings. Trump told reporters “We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it. For a country that just got wiped out, they’ve been sending very nasty signals.”

Trump Says US Will Obliterate Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Again If Tehran Tries Restarting Program– freebeacon.com
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Excerpt:

Iranian officials have been sending ‘very nasty signals,’ Trump tells reporters Monday

Ali Khamenei (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images), Donald Trump (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump warned Monday that the United States would destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment sites again if Tehran tries to restart its nuclear program.

“We wiped out [Iran’s] nuclear possibilities,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. “They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it.”

Iran Stays Committed to Getting the Bomb

pgnewser July 25, 2025

Iran vows to press on with nuke enrichment despite Trump’s threats and ‘serious damage’ done by stealth bombings– www.thesun.co.uk
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IRAN has vowed to push on with nuclear enrichment – in a stark warning to the west following Donald Trump’s stealth blitz on Tehran’s nuke plants.

The pariah state pledged to enrich uranium, despite the 12-day war which started over fears the mullahs were dangerously close to getting a nuclear warhead.

How Assassinations of Iranian Scientists Set Back Tehran’s Nuclear Program How Assassinations of Iranian Scientists Set Back Tehran’s Nuclear Program– freebeacon.com

pgnewser July 22, 2025

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Israel successfully assassinated 19 senior Iranian nuclear scientists during the 12-Day War, depriving Tehran’s atomic “weapons program of its most capable and experienced personnel,” according to a new intelligence assessment by a leading nonproliferation organization.

The military campaign evaporated decades of nuclear know-how, striking at the heart of Tehran’s weapons program in a way kinetic attacks could not, according to the Institute for Science and International Security.

“This act weakened Iran’s base for building nuclear weapons, eliminating needed expertise and hard-to-get management experience,” the organization determined. “This time the Israeli effort is different, and recovering may be far more difficult and take far longer.”

Homan warns of possible Iranian sleeper cells who entered US under Biden– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser June 25, 2025

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Border czar Tom Homan revealed Sunday that 1,272 Iranian nationals were released during the Biden administration, who were among the “over 10 million people” who crossed into the United States illegally.

Homan’s warning comes after President Donald Trump announced on Saturday night that the U.S. struck Iran, in which “a full payload” of bombs was dropped on three nuclear sites in the country. The border czar was asked about the possibility of sleeper cells occupied by Iranians in the U.S., to which he reiterated his national security concerns posed by the last administration’s handling of the border and how it greatly contrasts with Trump’s security of it.

“So we’re not releasing people in this country, special interest aliens aren’t crossing this border undetected,” Homan stated on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “But under Joe Biden, we had over 10 million people cross that border. But my biggest concern, from day one, beyond the fentanyl, beyond the sex trafficking of women and children, were the two million known gotaways. Over two million people crossed that border, we don’t know who they are, where they came from, because they got away because border patrol is so overwhelmed with the humanitarian crisis that Biden created that 2 million people crossed the border and got away.”

Homan went on to state that Trump’s intelligence community has been working “since day one” to figure out where the illegal gotaways are within the U.S. He also expressed gratitude that new leadership at the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are in place, namedropping FBI Director Kash Patel and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

Carney calls for de-escalation, ‘diplomatic solution’ after U.S. strikes on Iran – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser June 25, 2025

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In the aftermath of the U.S. airstrikes on Iran Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for a de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East and for parties to “return immediately to the negotiating table.”

“Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security, and Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” he wrote in a statement shared to X Sunday morning. “While U.S. military action taken last night was designed to alleviate that threat, the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. Stability in the region is a priority.

“As G7 leaders agreed in Kananaskis, the resolution of the Iranian crisis should lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza,” he continued, adding, “Canada calls on parties to return immediately to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”

Are the Iranian Terror Cells Loose in America? FBI Warns they might be

pgnewser June 22, 2025

FBI ramps up monitoring of potential Iranian-backed terror cells in US: report | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly been ramping up efforts to identify and monitor any Iran-backed cells linked to the terrorist group Hezbollah.

Donald Trump’s administration is boosting efforts to monitor potential Iran-backed cells in the United States linked to the terrorist group Hezbollah as the president is weighing options when it comes to striking the terror regime’s nuclear facilities, according to CBS News.

The outlet said, citing sources familiar with the matter, that FBI Director Kash Patel has been ramping up efforts to identify and monitor any Iran-backed cells linked to the terrorist group Hezbollah. The efforts have been pursued since Israel’s attack on Iran earlier this month in Operation Rising Lion.

Iran has previously threatened to come after US officials who were involved with the assassination of Iranian military head Qasem Soleimani. The terror leader was killed in January 2020 on an order given by Trump. Last year, there was an Iranian operative with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and two people in the US who were charged with plotting to assassinate those who are critical of Iran. The assassination plot included Trump.

As the conflict between Iran and Israel has continued, Trump is considering whether or not to strike Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, which is deep underground, an action that would directly involve the US joining with Israel against Iran in the conflict.

BREAKING: Trump at G7 says Iran now wants to talk—’they should have done that before’ | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser June 16, 2025

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“They have to make a deal, and it’s painful for both parties, but I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it’s too late,” the president added.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran has interest in de-escalating its current conflict with Israel and called on Tehran to begin discussions immediately, warning that it needs to happen “before it’s too late.”

Speaking to reporters at the start of a G7 meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday, Trump confirmed he had received indications that Iranian officials are seeking to ease tensions.

“Yes… They’d like to talk,” Trump said when asked if he had heard that Iran was looking to reduce hostilities. “But they should have done that before. I had 60 days, and they had 60 days. On the 61st day, I said, we don’t have a deal.”

State Department Authorizes Middle East Evacuations As Iran Speculation Swirls– dailycaller.com

pgnewser June 11, 2025

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The State Department has authorized a partial evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq while allowing military dependents to leave various locations around the Middle East, U.S. and Iraqi sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The officials told Reuters the move was made due to “heightened security risks,” but did not specify which threats prompted the decision. Tensions between Iran and Israel have put the region on high alert as Israel has said its forces would strike Iran if ongoing nuclear talks do not bear fruit.

“The State Department regularly reviews American personnel abroad and this decision was made as a result of a recent review,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters.

A big banner depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, on September 26, 2024 on the sideline of an exhibition which marks the 44th anniversary of the start of Iran-Iraq war. (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh also said Wednesday that Iran could retaliate against U.S. bases in the Middle East if nuclear talks fail and the U.S. gets involved in a conflict with Tehran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departures of military dependents from U.S. bases in the Middle East, with the base in Bahrain housing the majority of the affected persons, according to The Associated Press. The U.S. has a military presence in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Iraq.

“President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad,” a State Department spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.”

U.S. Prepping for an Earth-Shattering Kaboom in the Middle East? – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser June 11, 2025

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Here we go again: “Heightened security risks” in the Middle East have Iraq embassy staff and dependents preparing to evacuate the country, according to State Department officials. A Pentagon official said that SecDef Pete Hegseth also “authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East.”

Reuters’s sources “did not specify which security risks had prompted the decision and reports of the potential evacuation pushed up oil prices by more than 4%.”

“The State Department regularly reviews American personnel abroad and this decision was made as a result of a recent review,” is all that White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly had to say about it today. But sources told the UK Independent that the State Department also authorized “the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait.”

“Authorized” in this case means that State or Defense will provide and pay for transportation, if requested. It isn’t like an embassy spouse isn’t allowed to travel without permission.

‘Go after them and their families’: Islamist terror leader calls for assassination of Donald Trump, JD Vance in 30-minute rant; watch video– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser June 11, 2025

‘Go after them and their families’: Islamist terror leader calls for assassination of Donald Trump, JD Vance in 30-minute rant; watch video– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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An Islamist terror group leader has released a disturbing video calling for the assassination of US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several top advisers. He said their strong support for Israel was the reason behind the threat, according to the New York Post.

The Yemen-based figure is Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, who is the leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).In a disturbing 34‑minute video titled ‘Inciting the Believers’, released on Sunday, the terror leader urged American Muslims to “take revenge” and strike at those he called “infidel Americans”.

He named Trump, Vance, as well as figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and billionaire Elon Musk. “Go after them and their families and all those who have any ties or are close to the politicians of the White House,” al‑Awlaki said.He further said, “There are no red lines after what has been happening to our people in Gaza,” and endorsed recent antisemitic attacks and prior assassination attempts on Trump, according to security sources.

The video also includes a broader incitement of violence against Jewish people in the US. “Do not leave a single safe place for Jews — just as they have not left any homes, shelters, or respite for the Palestinians,” al‑Awlaki said.

“Even hospitals are being bombed … Take revenge.”

Middle East heats up as Iranian defense minister threatens US bases– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser June 11, 2025

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The United States is evacuating diplomatic personnel from Iraq and military family members from the Middle East following threats from Iran‘s defense minister that Tehran would target U.S. bases if negotiations broke down.

“If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within reach,” Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday, just days before the latest U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations.

Later in the day, the State Department confirmed its decision to reduce its footprint in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told the Washington Examiner.

“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the official said. “CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time.”

Trump Holds Phone Call With Netanyahu to Discuss Iran’s Jihad Nukes– gellerreport.com

pgnewser June 10, 2025

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As discussed, the U.S-Iran nukes negotiations are futile. Iran will never give up enrichment through diplomatic means. How long will President Trump allow Iran to continue to lie, deceive, and stall before he walks away? Let Israel destroy Iran’s nuke sites.

Netanyahu set to hold Iran security meeting after call with Trump– www.euronews.com

pgnewser June 10, 2025

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security meeting on Wednesday following his phone call with US President Donald Trump.

Israeli media says the call between Trump and Netanyahu lasted around 40 minutes, with the pair discussing a wide range of topics, from the war on Gaza to developments in the Iran nuclear deal.

Asked about his call with Netanyahu, Trump didn’t offer much detail, but insisted that the call with the Israeli premier went well.

“Very well. Yeah, we discussed a lot of things, and it went very well. Very smooth. We’ll see what happens. You know, we’re trying to do something with a country we just spoke about, Iran,” said Trump.

Trump however revealed that negotiations appear to be stagnant due to the Iranians being “good negotiators”. He also again warned that a violent US approach to Tehran is not off the table.

“Sometimes they can be too tough. That’s the problem. So, we are trying to make a deal so that there’s no destruction and death. And we’ve told them that, and I’ve told them that, and I hope that’s the way it works out. But it might not work out that way.”

Trump Denies Nuclear Enrichment Possible in New Iran Nuke Deal

pgnewser June 5, 2025

Iran nuclear deal: US President Donald Trump declares he ‘will not allow any enrichment of uranium’ – Mint
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US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the US will not allow any uranium enrichment as part of any deal with Iran under any deal the countries reach.

Trump made the comment in a social media post on Monday evening, without elaborating further. The US president has regularly signaled that he thinks a deal may be near, and said Iran could face military strikes otherwise.

Iran Now Suggest it Might Allow Nuclear Inspectors After All

pgnewser May 28, 2025

Iran has now announced, through its nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami, that Tehran “will reconsider accepting American inspectors through the agency (if)… an agreement is reached, and Iran’s demands are taken into account.” They have, however, stuck to their guns on their insistence they are NOT interested in stopping their nuclear enrichment program, denying that it is intended for nuclear arms.

Iran says may allow US inspectors from nuclear watchdog if deal reached– economictimes.indiatimes.com
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Iran on Wednesday said it may consider allowing US inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States.

Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes.

Tehran and Washington have in recent weeks held five rounds of talks focused on the issue, their highest-level contact since the US in 2018 withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Donald Trump’s first term.

Iran Rejects Temporary Freeze on Enrichment, Says It’s Not Worried About Sanctions– gellerreport.com

pgnewser May 28, 2025

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It seems quite clear that Iran’s leaders do not believe that President Trump will ever order a military strike on their nuke sites. While we don’t know all of the details of the U.S-Iran nuke negotiations, some of what is being reported is quite concerning. We are going to have to wait and see what happens. If Iran is allowed to enrich uranium, it will be able to build several nuclear bombs. Which it would surely attempt to do when President Trump is out of office. If not sooner.

Iranians Call Nuclear Talks “Sabotage”

pgnewser May 22, 2025

Iranian diplomats suspect Trump using talks as instrument of sabotage– thegrayzone.com
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In Tehran, bewildered diplomats told me they suspect the Trump administration is exploiting nuclear negotiations as a instrument for generating instability to weaken Iran’s economy and foment social strife

With nuclear negotiations between the Trump administration and Iran’s Reformist government at a standstill, I held two separate, lengthy background conversations in Tehran this past week with a pair of seasoned Iranian diplomats with detailed knowledge of the talks in Muscat, Oman.

Like most Iranians, the diplomats were eager for a durable deal that would provide sanctions relief. But they said their side could not seem to break through to a Trump team they described as dithering, divided, distracted by other conflicts, and incapable of holding to a consistent position. Worse, as the negotiations drag on, the Trump administration is defaulting toward the hardline Israeli position which rejects all uranium enrichment, even for civilian purposes, violating a right Tehran considers sacrosanct.

The Iranian diplomats have now begun to suspect the Trump administration held an ulterior motive for engaging in talks, and is exploiting the meetings in Oman as a instrument for generating instability to weaken Iran’s economy and foment social strife.

As Iran Nuke Talks Break Down, Now Iran Claims it has NO INTENTIONS of Stopping Enriching Uranium

pgnewser May 22, 2025

Iran’s Foreign Minister declared his country has no intentions to EVER end their nuclear military program, saying “I have said it before, and I repeat it again: uranium enrichment in Iran will continue – with or without an agreement.”

Iran says it will never stop enriching uranium and U.S. officials are wasting their breath– fortune.com
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Iran’s top diplomat insisted Wednesday that Tehran will never stop enriching uranium, further underlining the Islamic Republic’s red line in negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.

The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi come after multiple rounds of talks between the two nations, including at an expert level over the details of a possible deal. However, none has been reached yet and American officials including President Donald Trump, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintain that Iran must give up enrichment — something it didn’t do in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

“I have said it before, and I repeat it again: uranium enrichment in Iran will continue — with or without an agreement,” Araghchi said, according to state television.

Araghchi added that Iran is “currently reviewing whether to participate in the next round and when to take part” in talks with the U.S. The U.S. and Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, have yet to announce any fifth round of talks. Trump’s trip to the Mideast last week delayed any new meeting. Negotiators previously met in Muscat, Oman, and Rome.

“We have never abandoned diplomacy. We will always be present at the negotiating table, and the main reason for our presence is to defend the rights of the Iranian people,” Araghchi said. “We stand against excessive demands and rhetoric at the table.”

Araghchi’s remarks came a day after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he didn’t expecting the negotiations to produce a deal.

“I don’t think nuclear talks with the U.S. will bring results. I don’t know,” Khamenei said.

The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on half a century of enmity.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Israel has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities on its own if it feels threatened, further worsening tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers capped Tehran’s enrichment level at 3.67% and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds). That level is enough for nuclear power plants, but far below weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Since the nuclear deal collapsed in 2018 with Trump’s unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program and enriched uranium to up to 60% purity — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels. There have also been a series of attacks at sea and on land in recent years, stemming from the tensions even before the Israel-Hamas war began.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Will Iran kill nuclear negotiations with terrorist attacks in the West?– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser May 22, 2025

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President Donald Trump, who seeks to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, wants to secure a new nuclear agreement with that country. Trump’s motive is honorable. Difficult diplomacy is preferable to military strikes on Iran. But numerous complications stand in the president’s way, and perhaps none of these complications is more significant than the growing threat of Iranian terrorist attacks.

Yes, formalizing a viable Iran nuclear agreement represents a big challenge in and of itself. For one, Iran has engaged in more than two decades of deceptive conduct via its covert research of nuclear warheads. Any deal would thus need to ensure prompt inspection access to any sites suspected of being used to conduct illicit nuclear weapons research. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had woefully inadequate safeguards in this regard.

Another difficulty arises in the Trump administration’s new insistence that Iran suspend all nuclear enrichment, even at very low purity levels, in return for any deal. This demand conflicts with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s belief that his Islamic Republic should be allowed to engage in some enrichment as a matter of honor. Khamenei might well regard the risks of U.S. military action as less concerning than the loss of prestige and regime confidence that would go with suspending all enrichment activities. Allowing Iran to maintain its nuclear facilities, albeit in a nonoperational status, might allow the regime to save face. But probably not.