Putin urges Iran to take ‘zero enrichment' nuclear deal with US: Report
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Arab News
16 minutes ago
- Arab News
Trump calls for MAGA base to end ‘Epstein Files' obsession
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump urged his political base on Saturday to stop attacking his administration over files related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a case that has become an obsession for conspiracy theorists. Trump's Department of Justice and the FBI said in a memo made public last week there was no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful figures. They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide at a New York prison in 2019, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe. The move was met with incredulity by some on the US far-right — many of whom have backed Trump for years — and strident criticism of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!' Trump said Saturday in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform. 'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,' he added, referring to his 'Make America Great Again' movement. Many among the MAGA faithful have long contended that so-called 'Deep State' actors were hiding information on Epstein's elite associates. 'Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed,'' furious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Alex Jones tweeted after last week's move. 'This is over the top sickening.' Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called for Trump to fire Bondi over the issue, labeling her 'an embarrassment.' But on Saturday, Trump came to the defense of his attorney general, suggesting that the so-called 'Epstein Files' were a hoax perpetrated by the Democratic Party for political gain, without specifying what benefits they hoped to attain. "Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration...?' he said. On Saturday, Trump struck an exasperated tone in his admonishment of his supporters. 'For years, it's Epstein, over and over again,' he said. 'Let' waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The US president called for Patel and Bondi to instead focus on what he terms 'The Rigged and Stolen Election of 2020,' which Trump lost to Joe Biden. The Republican has repeatedly perpetuated unfounded conspiracy theories about his loss being due to fraud. He called for the FBI to be allowed to focus on that investigation 'instead of spending month after month looking at nothing but the same old, Radical Left inspired Documents on Jeffrey Epstein. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE'S GREAT!' Trump, who appears in at least one decades-old video alongside Epstein at a party, has denied allegations that he was named in the files or had any direct connection to the financier. 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' said FBI Director Patel on Saturday, hours before Trump's social media post. Not everyone, however, seemed to be on the same page. US media reported that Dan Bongino — an influential right-wing podcast host whom Trump appointed FBI deputy director — had threatened to resign over the administration's handling of the issue.
Asharq Al-Awsat
26 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Putin Urges Iran to Take 'Zero Enrichment' Nuclear Deal with US, Axios Reports
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, Axios reported on Saturday, citing sources, Reuters reported. Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim denied the report, quoting an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks
Iran's foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, 'assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.' Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.' Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for cooperation "case by case,' based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's 'security' concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. 'The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,' he said. "The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," he added. "For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined." He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. US President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen. Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
