logo
State Department confirms 'constructive' nuclear talks with Iran; Trump says deal 'sort of' agreed to

State Department confirms 'constructive' nuclear talks with Iran; Trump says deal 'sort of' agreed to

Yahoo16-05-2025

The State Department said nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran have been constructive, and President Donald Trump has been clear about wanting to see diplomacy.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott was asked during a press briefing Thursday about comments made by Trump, and he said the U.S. and Iran were close to an Iran nuclear deal.
Trump, speaking in Doha, Qatar, said he thinks the U.S. and Iran "are getting close" to making a deal without any violence. In Trump fashion, he said there are two steps — "a very nice step and a violent step" — which he added consists of violence people have never seen before.
The president also said Thursday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the U.S. and Iran have "sort of" agreed to terms on a nuclear deal.
Trump Says Iran Must Ditch 'Concept Of A Nuclear Weapon' Ahead Of More Talks
"Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They're not going to make — I call it, in a friendly way — nuclear dust," Trump told reporters, suggesting a growing alignment with the terms he has been seeking. "We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran."
Read On The Fox News App
While Pigott would not comment on private diplomatic conversations or negotiations, he reiterated Trump's stance on the matter.
"The president has been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," Pigott told reporters. "The talks have been described as constructive by the participants in them, and so, again, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. And the president has been clear. He wants diplomacy. He wants to see a diplomatic solution here."
Pigott made his remarks as Trump tours the Middle East, making stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Trump Calls For 'Nuclear Peace Agreement' With Iran Rather Than Blowing Country 'To Smithereens'
Trump, while speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh Wednesday, reiterated his desire to make a deal with Iran and called for building upon the progress of the Abraham Accords by adding more countries to the historic agreement.
Trump made the comments while addressing leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of his four-day visit to the region.
Trump Says He'll Be 'Leading The Pack' To War With Iran If Deal Prospects Whither Away
"I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something if possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
Though Trump said he wants to make a deal with Iran and see Tehran prosper, he also recently accused the Iranian regime of not only hurting its own nation, but the region at large.
"Iran's leaders have focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them," Trump said.
The president pointed to the "countless lives lost" in Iran's effort to prop up the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, which collapsed in December, and accused its support of Hezbollah for the downfall of Beirut, which he said was "once called the Paris of the Middle East."
It is unclear how Trump's negative comments toward Tehran could affect ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Still, The Associated Press reported Thursday that a top political, military and nuclear advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News Wednesday that Tehran stands ready to get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that can be weaponized, agree to enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process.
In return, Ali Shamkhani, the advisor, said Iran wants an immediate lifting of all economic sanctions.
Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Original article source: State Department confirms 'constructive' nuclear talks with Iran; Trump says deal 'sort of' agreed to

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fulbright board resigns over alleged Trump administration interference
Fulbright board resigns over alleged Trump administration interference

Washington Post

time22 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

Fulbright board resigns over alleged Trump administration interference

The entire 12-person board tasked with overseeing the State Department's Fulbright Program resigned Wednesday, claiming political interference from the Trump administration. In a statement posted on the board's Substack, the congressionally mandated Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board said its members voted 'overwhelmingly' to resign from the board 'rather than endorse unprecedented actions that we believe are impermissible under the law, compromise U.S. national interests and integrity, and undermine the mission and mandates Congress established for the Fulbright program nearly 80 years ago.'

Trump Unironically Attends 'Les Misérables' As Protests Spread
Trump Unironically Attends 'Les Misérables' As Protests Spread

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump Unironically Attends 'Les Misérables' As Protests Spread

As protests against his immigration policies balloon nationwide, President Donald Trump is seeing one of his favorite musicals on Wednesday night: 'Les Misérables,' the story of an anti-government uprising, abusive police and harsh imprisonment. Trump is going to opening night of the famous musical's one-month run at Washington, D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, whose entire board of trustees he replaced in February and had them name him chairman. 'We've seen it many times,' Trump said upon arriving at the Kennedy Center with first lady Melania Trump. 'Love it. One of my favorites.' When a reporter asked him which side of the musical's conflict he most identified with, Trump laughed and refused to answer. 'That's tough. You better answer that one, honey,' he said, gesturing to the first lady. 'I don't know.' When another reporter asked how he felt about reports that some of the 'Les Misérables' cast would be boycotting the night of his performance, Trump said he 'couldn't care less.' 'All I do is run the country well,' he retorted. Trump received a mixture of cheers and boos when he took his seat at the theater. His attendance comes after he deployed National Guard troops to face largely peaceful protesters in Los Angeles and announced he was sending in Marines, despite pushback from local leadership. 'Les Misérables,' the musical based on the 1862 novel of the same name, tells the story of French peasant Jean Valjean after he emerges from a 19-year prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread for his niece. Much of the musical centers around student demonstrations against the French monarchy. One of the musical's most recognizable songs ― 'Do You Hear The People Sing?' ― has a long history as an anthem at pro-democracy demonstrations. It's also an apparent favorite of Trump's, as he played the song right before walking onstage to announce his third presidential run in 2022. Several drag performers also attended the show Wednesday night to protest Trump, who announced in February there would be 'NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA' at the Kennedy Center going forward. They received applause as they walked in to the theater, social media videos show. Vagenesis, whose government name is Anderson Wells, was one of the planned attendees. 'Theater is supposed to be a place of community, a place of storytelling, a place of celebration, joy, catharsis and it should be open and available to all,' Vagenesis told NPR on Wednesday. Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence similarly caused a stir when he went to see 'Hamilton' shortly after winning the 2016 election. He was loudly booed when he arrived at the Manhattan theater. When Pence was trying to exit the theater after the final curtain call, actor Brandon Dixon, who was playing the part of Aaron Burr, asked him to stay and delivered a message to him. 'We, sir, we are the diverse America, who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights,' Dixon said. 'We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us,' he continued. Pam Bondi Warns Of More Arrests In California Amid Protests Against Immigration Raids Karoline Leavitt Snaps At Reporter For 'Stupid Question' About Peaceful Protests There's Growing Anger Over Flags Flown At LA Protests. Here's What Everyone Is Getting Wrong.

Family of former Fort Novosel namesake believes new order is a slap in the face: ‘I am just appalled'
Family of former Fort Novosel namesake believes new order is a slap in the face: ‘I am just appalled'

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Family of former Fort Novosel namesake believes new order is a slap in the face: ‘I am just appalled'

Ft. Novosel, Ala. (WDHN) — President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration would work to change the names of seven Army bases, including Fort Novosel, that previously bore the names of Confederate Army officers. K. Denise Rucker Krepp, a cousin of Confederate Colonel Edmund Rucker, for whom Fort Novosel was previously named, believes the order from President Trump to restore the names of army bases is a step backward, despite the base being named in honor of a different Rucker. 'Rucker is not that important. My family committed treason,' Krepp said. 'We should not be looking to the past. Why are you doing this, and as a Rucker, I am just appalled.' Trump says he will reverse Fort Novosel name change After almost two years, with the base renamed to Fort Novosel, President Trump called for all Army bases that had their names changed in 2023 under the previous administration to revert to their original names. 'We won a lot of battles out of those forts, it's no time to change,' President Donald Trump said. 'It was a gut punch, it hurts, and it was quite sad. My family committed treason, lost a war, and an American base in the United States should have never been named in honor of one of my family members,' Krepp said. The base was renamed in honor of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel Sr., a local Army aviator who served in three wars and saved 29 soldiers during a medevac mission. It will now be in honor of a Missouri native, Captain Edward Rucker, a distinguished service cross recipient pilot for extraordinary heroism in World War 1. Fort Novosel to be reverted to Fort Rucker with new namesake. Who is it? 'It's being named for him because of his last name, not about what he did — Novosel was a hero, and that's who it should be named after,' Krepp said. 'Heartbreaking to see the disrespect to Vietnam veterans. Novosel was a Vietnam veteran, and when you take his name off it's disrespectful to his family and everybody who fought,' She added. Krepp encourages people to do research on Novosel, and she says, despite the name change, she will still refer to it as Fort Novosel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store