EU Imposes New Sanctions on Russia and Its Oil Trade
The deal was initially blocked by Slovakia, until the country last night accepted guarantees from the European Commission that would limit the fallout from a planned cut off of Russian gas.
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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Iran says it's ready for nuclear talks with the US but only if Washington rebuilds trust
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran is ready to engage in talks on its nuclear program with the United States, but only if Washington takes meaningful steps to rebuild trust, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Thursday. Iran is set to meet Friday in Istanbul with Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, and the European Union's deputy foreign policy commissioner. They will be the first talks since Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved U.S. B-52 bombers striking nuclear-related facilities in Iran. Gharibabadi said in a social media post Thursday that to enter negotiations, Iran sought 'several key principles' to be upheld. He said these included 'rebuilding Iran's trust — as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States — avoiding the use of talks as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action, though Iran remains fully prepared for any scenario; respecting and recognizing Iran's rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including enrichment in line with its legitimate needs; and the lifting of sanctions." Friday's talks will be held at the deputy ministerial level, with Iran sending Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi. A similar meeting was held in Istanbul in May. The stakes are high. European leaders have threatened to trigger a 'snapback' mechanism included in a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which would reimpose sanctions that were lifted in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program. The U.K., France and Germany were signatories to the 2015 deal. The U.S. withdrew in 2018 during the first term of President Donald Trump, who insisted the agreement wasn't tough enough. Iranian officials have warned that a move to reimpose sanctions would have consequences. Gharibabadi said earlier this week that it could force Tehran to withdraw from key non-proliferation agreements. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying they failed to uphold their obligations under the 2015 deal while supporting Israel's recent strikes on Iran. In the recent conflict, U.S. B-52 bombers struck Iranian nuclear facilities in support of Israel's air campaign. Iran responded with missile attacks, including a strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, which President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted was not directed at the Qatari state. In an interview with Al Jazeera that aired on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said Iran is prepared for another war and accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him during a June 15 meeting of Iran's national security council in Tehran. Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran's nuclear program will continue within the framework of international law and insisted the country has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons. 'Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists,' he said, emphasizing Iran's position that future negotiations must be rooted in mutual respect, not threats. According to the official judicial news agency Mizan, at least 13 Iranian nuclear scientists were killed during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. A spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said Thursday the country's nuclear industry would recover from the recent attacks by Israel and the United States. 'Our nuclear industry is deeply rooted. What has roots cannot be harmed by attack or pressure — it will grow back and thrive again,' state TV quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi as saying. The International Atomic Energy Agency, known by the acronym IAEA, reported in May that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% had grown to over 400 kilograms (882 pounds). That material, just below weapons-grade level, remains a central concern for the West. Despite the growing stockpile, Iran has said it remains open to diplomacy, though it recently suspended cooperation with the IAEA following legislation signed by Pezeshkian. The road ahead remains uncertain. While European officials say they want to avoid further conflict and are open to a negotiated solution, they have warned that time is running out. Solve the daily Crossword
UPI
27 minutes ago
- UPI
EU-China summit exposes tensions over trade imbalances, Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (F) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrive at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Thursday amid the 25th EU-China Summit. Photo by Kumar A. Manesh/EPA July 24 (UPI) -- A European Union-China summit in Beijing on Thursday saw Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for closer ties met with a reality check from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over China's $359 billion trade surplus with the EU. Xi told the high-level gathering, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Brussels and Beijing, that rising current geopolitical frictions demanded the two sides strengthen their "mutually beneficial" relationship. "The more severe and complex the international situation is, the more China and the EU should strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation," Xi told the EU delegation headed by von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. Telling them that the problems Europe was facing "do not come from China," Xi urged the EU to deal with tensions and disagreements properly, keep its market open and refrain from resorting to measures targeting trade, including tariffs. However, Von der Leyen pushed back, saying relations were at a critical point where the Chinese leadership needed to prioritize the huge trade imbalance between the EU and China. "As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances. We have reached an inflection point. Rebalancing our bilateral relations is essential. Because to be sustainable, relations need to be mutually beneficial. To achieve this, it is vital for China and Europe to acknowledge our respective concerns and come forward with real solutions," she said. Trade tensions have taken a toll on the relationship after Brussels, accusing China of unfair subsidies, hiked tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles while Beijing targeted imports of European brandy, pork, and dairy products with anti-dumping investigations. China has also restricted government purchasing of EU-made medical devices in retaliation for Brussels making it much more difficult for Chinese suppliers to bid for EU medical equipment contracts. This was against a backdrop of a trade relationship in which Chinese exports to the EU reached $609.4 billion in 2024, while EU exports to China were just $250.4 billion. Official Chinese data for the first half of this year show the goods-trade surplus up 21% on the same period in 2024, although the Chinese totals are somewhat lower than the EU's figures. A rapprochement hoped for by Beijing between the world's second- and third-largest trading blocs, both at the forefront of U.S. President Donald Trump's blanket tariff hikes, has gradually evaporated amid the airing of grievances. That saw the summit, which was originally planned to run through Friday, cut to one day. In meetings with Xi in the morning and Chinese Premier Li Qiang after lunch, von der Leyen and Costa raised not only the trade issue but also Russia's backing for Russia in the Ukraine war and end export controls on rare earth minerals, of which China has among the world's largest reserves. Von der Leyen has previously accused China of leveraging its "quasi-monopoly on rare earths not only as a bargaining chip, but also weaponizing it to undermine competitors in key industries." Costa told Xi he needed to use China's sway to push Moscow to halt the war. The two sides did, however, manage to see eye-to-eye on the climate, issuing a joint communique vowing to "demonstrate leadership together" and develop proposals to combat the emissions causing global warming in time for this year's COP, the U.N. Climate Change Conference, in Brazil in November.
San Francisco Chronicle
28 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iran says it's ready for nuclear talks with the US but only if Washington rebuilds trust
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran is ready to engage in talks on its nuclear program with the United States, but only if Washington takes meaningful steps to rebuild trust, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Thursday. Iran is set to meet Friday in Istanbul with Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, and the European Union's deputy foreign policy commissioner. They will be the first talks since Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved U.S. B-52 bombers striking nuclear-related facilities in Iran. Gharibabadi said in a social media post Thursday that to enter negotiations, Iran sought 'several key principles' to be upheld. He said these included 'rebuilding Iran's trust — as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States — avoiding the use of talks as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action, though Iran remains fully prepared for any scenario; respecting and recognizing Iran's rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including enrichment in line with its legitimate needs; and the lifting of sanctions." Friday's talks will be held at the deputy ministerial level, with Iran sending Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi. A similar meeting was held in Istanbul in May. The stakes are high. European leaders have threatened to trigger a 'snapback' mechanism included in a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which would reimpose sanctions that were lifted in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program. The U.K., France and Germany were signatories to the 2015 deal. The U.S. withdrew in 2018 during the first term of President Donald Trump, who insisted the agreement wasn't tough enough. Iranian officials have warned that a move to reimpose sanctions would have consequences. Gharibabadi said earlier this week that it could force Tehran to withdraw from key non-proliferation agreements. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying they failed to uphold their obligations under the 2015 deal while supporting Israel's recent strikes on Iran. In the recent conflict, U.S. B-52 bombers struck Iranian nuclear facilities in support of Israel's air campaign. Iran responded with missile attacks, including a strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, which President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted was not directed at the Qatari state. In an interview with Al Jazeera that aired on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said Iran is prepared for another war and accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him during a June 15 meeting of Iran's national security council in Tehran. Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran's nuclear program will continue within the framework of international law and insisted the country has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons. 'Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists,' he said, emphasizing Iran's position that future negotiations must be rooted in mutual respect, not threats. According to the official judicial news agency Mizan, at least 13 Iranian nuclear scientists were killed during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. A spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said Thursday the country's nuclear industry would recover from the recent attacks by Israel and the United States. 'Our nuclear industry is deeply rooted. What has roots cannot be harmed by attack or pressure — it will grow back and thrive again,' state TV quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi as saying. The International Atomic Energy Agency, known by the acronym IAEA, reported in May that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% had grown to over 400 kilograms (882 pounds). That material, just below weapons-grade level, remains a central concern for the West. The road ahead remains uncertain. While European officials say they want to avoid further conflict and are open to a negotiated solution, they have warned that time is running out.
