Latest news with #AbbasAraghchi
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Iran calls Austria intel on nuclear programme 'fake'
Iran on Friday (May 30, 2025) branded as "fake" an Austrian intelligence report that said Tehran is seeking atomic weapons, even as it pursues delicate negotiations with the United States on its nuclear programme. In its annual report on global threats, Austria's domestic intelligence service (DSN) said Monday that Iran's "nuclear weapons development programme is well advanced". The United States, Israel and other Western countries have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran has categorically denied the claims, instead arguing that it is pursuing a nuclear programme for civilian purposes alone. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), however, Iran is the only country in the world that enriches uranium up to 60 percent. That rate is still below the 90 percent threshold required for a nuclear weapon, but far above the 3.67 percent limit set under a 2015 agreement with world powers. "All efforts to prevent Iran's armament through sanctions and agreements have so far proved ineffective," the Austrian report said. On Friday, Iran's foreign ministry condemned "the fake information" disseminated in the report and demanded an explanation from the Austrian government. The IAEA, whose headquarters is in the Austrian capital, will in coming days publish its own review of Iran's nuclear activities. Iran and the United States are engaged in an Omani-mediated effort to reach a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme, after Donald Trump during his first presidency pulled out of the 2015 agreement. No date has yet been set for the next Iran-US meeting since last week's discussions in Rome. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was "not sure" that a deal with the United States was imminent. His statement came after Trump said on Wednesday that the two sides were "very close to a solution".
Forbes
11 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
What An Israeli Strike On Iran's Nuclear Sites Might Look Like
A view of an F-15 fighter jet being prepared ahead of Israeli army's attack on Iran, on October 26, ... More 2024 in Israel. (Photo by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images) Israel is reportedly planning to launch long-range strikes against Iran's nuclear program if the current nuclear talks with the United States collapse. Such a move could have grave ramifications for the stability of the region, which experienced two Iranian and Israeli attacks and counterattacks in 2024. U.S. intelligence suggests that Israel is actively preparing for a potential strike on Iranian nuclear sites amid ongoing negotiations between Tehran and the Trump administration over a new nuclear deal, CNN reported on May 20. The following day, Axios reported that any Israeli attack would not 'be a one-off, but a military campaign lasting at least a week.' Unsurprisingly, Iran condemned the possibility of an Israeli attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran would view Washington as a 'participant' in any Israeli attack. The Trump administration and the Arab Gulf states are against any attack, favoring negotiations. President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he had conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that an Israeli strike on Iran 'would be very inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution.' Furthermore, Saudi Arabia warned Iran last month to take Trump's openness to negotiate over the issue seriously since it might avert an otherwise inevitable Israeli attack. Iran insists that a deal must preserve its right to continue uranium enrichment, the main obstacle in the way of a new deal. Whether an Israeli strike transpires in the coming days and weeks is anybody's guess. If it does, it's questionable how much damage Israel could do without direct American support. 'Any Israeli campaign on Iran without the U.S. support will face severe limitations given the long distance between the two countries, even though the IDF is known for its ingenuity and might surprise us all,' Arash Azizi, a visiting fellow at Boston U and author of 'The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran's Global Ambitions,' told me. 'But even if Israel attacks with U.S. support, it can only cause so much damage,' he said. 'The work can pick up and continue. It's all about what settlement is to follow the attacks.' On October 26, 2024, Israel unleashed a large-scale wave of airstrikes against Iranian air defenses and missile production facilities without losing any aircraft. Those four hours of strikes seemingly inflicted significant damage on Iran's strategic air defenses, especially its long-range, Russian-built S-300 air defense missile systems. Israeli jets and drones used Syrian and Iraqi airspace to mount the attack, which likely included significant numbers of standoff munitions, including air-launched ballistic missiles. 'Iran's air defense will certainly be overwhelmed by a week-long Israeli campaign,' Azizi said. 'Also to the point, Iran's lack of a proper air force will limit its ability to defend the country.' Iran's air force is antiquated, consisting mainly of third- and fourth-generation F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat fighters inherited from the pre-1979 regime of the American-allied Shah, as well as some Soviet-made MiG-29A Fulcrums acquired in the early 1990s. Tehran has yet to receive the fourth-generation Su-35 Flankers it ordered from Russia earlier in this decade. Conversely, Israel has a much larger and more modern air force, the only one in the region to operate the fifth-generation American F-35 Lighting II stealth strike fighter. Iran's nuclear facilities are scattered across the country. Undoubtedly, the program's two most important sites are the Natanz Enrichment Complex and the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. 'Israel will look at all of Iran's enrichment facilities and other nuclear facilities, but the main targets are Fordow and Natanz,' Recent open-source analysis reveals that Iranian air defenses around Natanz are significantly weaker than previously expected. Nevertheless, there are likely limits to the damage that Israeli F-35I stealth jets attacking Natanz and Fordow could do to these respective sites since they are buried underground and have recently been fortified. Destroying such sites would require enormous bunker-buster munitions that Israel lacks and heavy strategic bombers, which Israel also lacks, to carry them. The U.S. Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is currently the only aircraft certified to carry the 30,000-pound GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Six of these were recently deployed on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean within striking range of Iran's nuclear sites. However, they have since been withdrawn and replaced with older, non-stealthy B-52s after Trump wrapped up the U.S. air campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and pursued negotiations with Tehran. It's unclear if Israel would simply repeatedly strike Natanz and Fordow to render them at least temporarily unusable. It's conceivable it might use its F-35s to destroy any air defenses and clear a path for F-15s and F-16s to carry out bombing runs. It is also conceivable that it has an entirely different plan altogether. On September 8, 2024, Israel launched Operation Many Ways, a commando raid against an Iranian missile production facility built beneath a mountain near Masyaf in northwest Syria. Covered by airstrikes, Shaldag commandos were helicoptered to the site, which they promptly raided and destroyed with explosives planted inside that detonated as they flew away. It's unclear if Israel would attempt something similar against Natanz and Fordow, especially considering the much greater distance involved. 'I think Israel can certainly plan on commando raids in Iran,' Azizi said. 'It has a very impressive intelligence penetration in Iran, has focused on the country for decades, and carried out countless operations on Iranian soil.' 'It is likely to achieve impressive results by such measures.' Iran would undoubtedly seek retaliation for any significant Israeli strike against its nuclear program. It hasn't yet retaliated for the October 26 strikes, which were Israel's retaliation for a large-scale Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel. 'Iran will likely retaliate by attacking Israeli soil directly and significantly,' Azizi said. 'This will be its major move.' However, it's unclear whether Tehran would risk striking American bases in the region, especially in the Gulf states with which it is currently on good terms and which refuse to allow the U.S. to use their territories for any strike against Iran. Iran previously launched a ballistic missile strike on an Iraqi airbase hosting U.S. troops in January 2020 following the assassination of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike ordered by Trump near the end of his first term. 'Whether Iran will also attack the U.S. bases or not, and whether this will be done directly or via Iraqi militia attacks with plausible deniability, depends on what kind of communication goes on between Iran and the U.S. prior to and during the attack and how much support, if any, the U.S. gives Israel in the attack on Iran,' Azizi said.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Iran protests over 'fake' Austria intel on nuclear programme
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (AP) TEHRAN: Iran on Friday summoned Austria's charge d'affaires after it branded as "fake" an Austrian intelligence report that said Tehran is seeking to acquire atomic weapons. The spat comes even as Tehran pursues delicate negotiations with the United States on its nuclear programme. In its annual report on global threats, Austria's domestic intelligence service (DSN) said Monday that Iran's "nuclear weapons development programme is well advanced". The United States, Israel and other Western countries have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran has categorically denied the claims, instead arguing that it is pursuing a nuclear programme for civilian purposes alone. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), however, Iran is the only country in the world that enriches uranium up to 60 percent. That rate is still below the 90 percent threshold required for a nuclear weapon, but far above the 3.67 percent limit set under a 2015 agreement with world powers. "All efforts to prevent Iran's armament through sanctions and agreements have so far proved ineffective," the Austrian report said. On Friday, Iran's foreign ministry condemned "the fake information" disseminated in the report and demanded an explanation from Austria's government. It later summoned Austria's charge d'affaires in Tehran Michaela Pacher to "convey Iran's strong protest", the official IRNA news agency reported. It said that during the meeting, the ministry "emphasised the complete contradiction of the Austrian report with numerous IAEA reports". The IAEA, whose headquarters are in the Austrian capital, will in the coming days publish its own review of Iran's nuclear activities. Iran and the United States are engaged in an Omani-mediated effort to reach a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme, after Donald Trump during his first presidency pulled out of the 2015 agreement. No date has yet been set for the next Iran-US meeting since last week's discussions in Rome. On Thursday, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said he was "not sure" that a deal with the United States was imminent. His statement came after Trump said on Wednesday that the two sides were "very close to a solution".
Nahar Net
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Iran says US nuclear deal isn't imminent, enrichment program must continue
by Naharnet Newsdesk 30 May 2025, 16:20 Senior Iranian officials on Thursday dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasizing that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country's nuclear program to continue. "Iran is sincere about a diplomatic solution that will serve the interests of all sides. But getting there requires an agreement that will fully terminate all sanctions and uphold Iran's nuclear rights—including enrichment," Abbas Araghchi, the country's foreign minister, wrote in a post on the X. Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on X that previous U.S. presidents also had "fantasies" destroying Iran's nuclear infrastructure, and warned that Iran has strong defenses and "clear red lines." "Talks serve progress, interests, and dignity, not coercion or surrender," he said. The comments came a day after President Donald Trump said he has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on striking Iran to give the U.S. administration more time to push for a new nuclear deal with Tehran. The Israeli prime minister's office did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran's program, if a deal isn't reached, while Iranian officials counter they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium. Other Iranian hard-liners had harsher words for Trump. "What Trump says about a deal with Iran to dismantle nuclear facilities is a combination of 'illusion,' 'bluff,' 'delirium,' and 'confusion,'" Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander in the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard, said in a post on X. 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, which have acrimonious ties for nearly a half-century. The U.S. and Iran have held five rounds of talks in Oman and Rome over the past few weeks. Last Friday, the most recent round of talks, Omani mediator and Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said Iran and the United States made " some but not conclusive progress " and that more negotiations are needed. Trump's comments came as the head of the United Nations' atomic watchdog said "the jury is still out" on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency were in Tehran this week, and Iranian President President Masoud Pezeshkian was in Oman this week for a state visit,
Al Manar
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Manar
Path to Agreement Goes through Negotiating Table, Not through Media: Iran FM
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in reaction to some media speculations that an agreement was between Tehran and Washington in a post on his X account wrote 'media is speculating about an imminent Iran-U.S. deal. Not sure if we are there yet.' The Foreign Minister pointed out that Iran is sincere about a diplomatic solution that will serve the interests of all sides, adding, 'But getting there requires an agreement that will fully terminate all sanctions and uphold Iran's nuclear rights—including enrichment.' Araghchi reiterated that path to a deal goes through the negotiating table and not the media. 'As for the latest fake news against Iran-U.S. diplomacy: using Iran to attack American critics is low, even for Israel,' the Foreign Minister said. The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, during the latest round, that the talks between Iran and the U.S. were taking place in a professional environment.
