
Iran warns US: Nuclear talks at risk over enrichment demands
'The talks will lead nowhere if the US continues to demand that Iran stop all enrichment activities,' Ravanchi confirmed to Iran's Nour News agency.
The remarks followed a statement from US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who outlined a firm red line on uranium enrichment.
In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Witkoff reiterated that Washington would not accept 'even 1%' enrichment, describing the issue as non-negotiable. He argued that any level of enrichment could bring Iran closer to developing a nuclear weapon, which the US is determined to prevent.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the American stance, reaffirming that enrichment activities in Iran will continue for peaceful purposes.
Ravanchi, in turn, proposed the idea of forming a regional nuclear consortium —including Iran, the United States, and neighboring countries—if the initiative is approached with serious intent.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi MPs campaign gathers 120+ signatures to advance PMF Law
Shafaq News – Baghdad More than 120 Iraqi lawmakers are pushing to advance the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law by collecting signatures to place it on the agenda of upcoming parliamentary sessions, an Iraqi MP revealed on Wednesday. Independent MP Hussein al-Saabri told Shafaq News that First Deputy Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi has affirmed the session will be held soon, noting strong parliamentary determination to pass the law during the current term. 'If it is not approved now, there will be no real opportunity to pass it in future terms,' al-Saabri stressed, adding that adopting the law would honor the sacrifices of PMF fighters who battled ISIS and ensure the group's transformation into a formal institution governed by binding legislation, similar to other security agencies. Earlier, MP Ibtisam al-Hilali of the Shiite Coordination Framework confirmed that more than 100 lawmakers had already endorsed a request for an extraordinary session to vote on the PMF Authority Law. The Coordination Framework is pressing for its passage, while Kurdish and Sunni blocs have resisted, linking their positions to unresolved disputes over budgets, oil revenues, and border crossings. US officials have voiced strong opposition, describing the bill as a tool to institutionalize Iran-aligned factions.


Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Regional conflict drains Lebanon amid escalating tensions
Shafaq News As tensions escalate along the southern border and political divisions deepen internally, Lebanon finds itself entrenched in a broader regional struggle pitting the so-called 'Islamic Resistance' (Hezbollah's military wing) against the US–Israeli axis. This dynamic is further complicated by mounting international—particularly American— pressures aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reconfiguring Lebanon's internal power balances. Many analysts and observers now agree that Lebanon has effectively become a central battleground in a protracted regional conflict defined by a lack of resolution and sustained attrition. In this volatile landscape, domestic instability increasingly mirrors shifting geopolitical alignments. Israeli Strikes and Eroding Sovereignty Walid Hodroj, Director of the Beirut International Center for Studies and Training, characterizes the repeated Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon as 'not mere military escalations, but acts of aggression targeting national sovereignty and directly impacting domestic security.' In an interview with Shafaq News, Hodroj emphasizes that Lebanon's internal stability now hinges on external military actions and geopolitical pressures, set against the backdrop of a deepening economic crisis that began before 2019 and has since been exacerbated by regional tensions. On the contentious issue of Hezbollah's armament, Hodroj explains that Lebanon's political division is profound, though not necessarily reflected in popular consensus. 'The executive branch leans toward consolidating arms within legitimate state institutions, while Parliament seeks to avoid internal confrontation in order to preserve institutional stability,' he declares, stressing that Iran's backing of Hezbollah is not a recent development, but rather a 'natural extension of a relationship that began decades ago and intensified following the Iranian Revolution.' This support, he adds, proved decisive during key junctures, notably the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 and the 2006 conflict. Rejecting claims that Hezbollah's weaponry is a trigger for war, Hodroj argues, 'So long as occupation persists, resistance arms remain legitimate under international norms and conventions. The aggression originates from Israel, not the resistance.' Attritional Strategy Lebanese political analyst Ghaleb Sarhan views the current Israeli military posture as part of a broader historical continuum. 'This escalation is not new,' he remarks to Shafaq News. 'It's an extension of Israeli policy since the occupation of Palestine in 1948.' According to Sarhan, today's hostilities along the border are unilateral. 'While the resistance adheres to UN Resolution 1701, Israel violates it daily,' he affirms. Sarhan argues that Israel lacks the capacity to wage a full-scale war at present, constrained by its ongoing operations in Gaza and various domestic and regional challenges. 'Instead, it pursues a war of attrition aimed at exhausting the resistance and intensifying pressure on the Lebanese state.' The goal, he noted, is to 'impose a new status quo through calibrated violations without tipping into full-scale conflict.' 'The Resistance Will Remain' From Tehran, political analyst and writer Ali Akbar Barzanouni echoed similar concerns, describing Israel's actions in southern Lebanon as 'a continuation of the Zionist entity's aggressive policies and its failure to adhere to the ceasefire signed with Lebanon on November 27, 2024.' That agreement reaffirmed Resolution 1701 and called for mutual cessation of hostilities, Hezbollah's disarmament south of the Litani River, and Israeli withdrawal from remaining occupied Lebanese territory. However, Lebanese authorities have since documented over 4,200 Israeli violations, resulting in more than 230 Lebanese fatalities and daily airstrikes on targets in southern Lebanon, aligned with drone assassinations targeting alleged Hezbollah operatives have also intensified. Barzanouni points out that Hezbollah is 'the main obstacle to Israel's ambitions in southern Lebanon,' dismissing the feasibility of disarmament without a comprehensive settlement. 'Any discussion of disarmament is unrealistic in the absence of a full political resolution.' He further accuses the United States of acting solely in Israel's interest. 'Washington is not facilitating dialogue—it is dismantling the axis opposed to its own and Israel's interests,' Barzanouni tells Shafaq News, adding that Tehran 'will not permit interference with Hezbollah's arms,' which he describes as 'the first line of defense against occupation.' Strategic Conflict with Regional Stakes Mehdi Azizi, Director of the New Vision Center for Studies and Media, emphasizes that developments in southern Lebanon are part of a broader strategic conflict. 'This is not a localized border skirmish; it is a key front in the confrontation between the Islamic Resistance and a US–Israeli agenda to redraw the region's geopolitical map,' he tells Shafaq News. Azizi links the situation in Lebanon to regional efforts targeting allied resistance groups in Syria and Iraq. 'Iran sees this as a coordinated regional offensive aimed at dismantling the remaining pillars of the Resistance Axis,' he explains, noting that any attack on Hezbollah constitutes a direct blow to Iran's regional defense strategy. Commenting on growing calls for Hezbollah's disarmament, Azizi asserts, 'This is not merely a Lebanese issue—these arms are a strategic extension of Iran's deterrence architecture,' noting that Iran has adopted a diplomatic approach to counter this pressure, as evidenced by the recent visit of Iranian National Security Council head Ali Larijani to Beirut. Despite mounting tensions, Azizi believes a full-scale war remains unlikely in the current phase. 'Israel is not in a position to launch a wide-ranging military campaign,' he comments, confirming that if the conflict escalates, 'Iran's involvement is expected to remain limited to political and logistical support rather than direct military engagement.' A Prolonged and Complex Struggle Dr. Haitham Hadi, Professor of Political Science at the University of Exeter, contextualizes Lebanon's crisis within a broader geopolitical transition. 'The Middle East is entering a new phase of instability as major powers, particularly the United States, recalibrate their global priorities,' he states to Shafaq News. According to Hadi, Washington's strategic focus is shifting from Ukraine toward more volatile regions like Iran, Palestine, and Iraq—zones he described as 'potential flashpoints due to their geopolitical significance.' Hadi argues that the regional conflict is unlikely to reach a definitive conclusion. 'Neither Iran can impose full regional dominance, nor can Israel achieve decisive control,' he maintains. Instead, he sees an evolving dynamic of reciprocal pressure: 'The US backs Israel, while Iran relies on precision missiles, drones, and its regional networks.' According to him, Lebanon and Iraq have emerged as 'corearenas' in this indirect conflict, concluding that both are set to be drawn deeper into what is effectively a long-term war of attrition, 'driven by unconventional means and likely to draw in international actors—though often behind the scenes.'


Shafaq News
4 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi Parliament to decide fate of 120+ pending bills
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's parliament presidency will soon convene to determine which draft laws reach the agenda, a source from Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's office revealed on Wednesday. The source told Shafaq News that more than 120 bills remain pending, including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law, warning that if parliament 'fails' to meet next week, all legislation will automatically roll over to the next cycle as the fifth parliamentary term ends in September ahead of the November 11, 2025 elections. Parliament has been paralyzed since August 5, after a dispute between Speaker al-Mashhadani and Deputy Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi over chairing authority halted proceedings, leaving key legislation stalled while blocs pivot to campaigning.