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Iran may pause uranium enrichment
Iran may pause uranium enrichment

Express Tribune

timean hour ago

  • Business
  • Express Tribune

Iran may pause uranium enrichment

Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the US releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord, two Iranian official sources said. The sources, close to the negotiating team, said on Wednesday a "political understanding with the United States could be reached soon" if Washington accepted Tehran's conditions. One of the sources said the matter "has not been discussed yet" during the talks with the United States. The sources told Reuters that under this arrangement, Tehran would halt uranium enrichment for a year, ship part of its highly enriched stock abroad or convert it into fuel plates for civilian nuclear purposes. A temporary pause to enrichment would be a way to overcome an impasse over clashing red lines after five rounds of talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme. US officials have repeatedly said that any new nuclear deal with Iran — to replace a failed 2015 accord between Tehran and six world powers — must include a commitment to scrap enrichment, viewed as a potential pathway to developing nuclear bombs. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied such intentions, saying it wants nuclear energy only for civilian purposes, and has publicly rejected Washington's demand to scrap enrichment as an attack on its national sovereignty. In Washington, a US official told Reuters the proposal aired by the Iranian sources had not been brought to the negotiating table to date. The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this article. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied Reuters report and said "enrichment in Iran is a non-negotiable principle". The Iranian sources said Tehran would not agree to dismantling of its nuclear programme or infrastructure or sealing of its nuclear installations as demanded by US President Donald Trump's administration. Instead, they said, Trump must publicly recognise Iran's sovereign right to enrichment as a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and authorise a release of Iranian oil revenues frozen by sanctions, including $6 billion in Qatar. Reuters

Republican lawmakers urge immediate US sanctions on Iraq
Republican lawmakers urge immediate US sanctions on Iraq

Shafaq News

timean hour ago

  • Politics
  • Shafaq News

Republican lawmakers urge immediate US sanctions on Iraq

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, two Republican members of the US House of Representatives called for immediate sanctions on Iraq, accusing Baghdad of falling fully under Iranian influence and acting as a 'puppet' of Tehran. In a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Representatives Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Greg Steube of Florida demanded a 'comprehensive reassessment' of US-Iraq relations, urging the suspension of all American aid to the Iraqi government until 'serious steps' are taken to curb Iran's dominance. My letter today with @RepGregSteube to Secretary Rubio asking for sanctioning Iraq to be included as part of maximum pressure. ⬇️ — Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) May 28, 2025 'Iran now effectively controls the Iraqi government and large parts of its security apparatus,' the lawmakers wrote, adding that continued US support for Baghdad amounts to 'a betrayal of the more than 4,400 American service members who died since 2003.' The letter also blamed former President Barack Obama's administration for 'emboldening Iran's position in Iraq' by backing former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and allowing Iran-backed militias to expand under the pretext of fighting ISIS. Wilson and Steube described current US policy toward Baghdad as a 'strategic failure,' and called for a firmer stance to contain Iranian influence not only in Iraq but across the region.

There is no better time to disarm Hezbollah
There is no better time to disarm Hezbollah

Ya Libnan

timean hour ago

  • Politics
  • Ya Libnan

There is no better time to disarm Hezbollah

File : Hezbollah top commanders that were killed in its last war with Israel by David Schenker With the group and its Iranian patrons at their weakest point in decades, Beirut has a real opportunity to restore its sovereignty, but waiting for another futile 'national dialogue' may close that window Last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that Beirut would not forcibly disarm the Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah as part of its effort to gain a state monopoly on weapons. Instead, Aoun said Hezbollah would be convinced to give up its arms on its own, through dialogue and negotiations. Moreover, the president suggested the militia's troops could then be integrated into the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). This approach, which avoids a potentially bloody face-off, will be unacceptable to both the US and Israel, and will ultimately undermine the hopeful progress Lebanon has made toward reasserting its sovereignty. Undoubtedly, President Aoun is in a difficult position. In the November 2024 ceasefire that ended the Hezbollah-Israel war, the Lebanese government agreed to implement United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1559, which require the disarmament of all militias in the country. For its part, Hezbollah agreed to move its military hardware and personnel to the area above the Litani River, but it has rejected demilitarization elsewhere. Since the ceasefire was signed in December, the LAF has largely fulfilled its obligations to seize the militia's weapons and dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure along the frontier with Israel. Lacking sufficient numbers of troops and concerned about sparking a resumption of its sectarian civil war, however, Beirut has baulked at going after Hezbollah's arsenal north of the Litani. Meanwhile, consistent with the terms of the ceasefire, Israel continues to target Hezbollah assets and personnel throughout the state. Default Approach To square the circle while avoiding a seemingly inevitable confrontation with Hezbollah, Aoun has defaulted to Lebanon's perennial preferred method of dealing with uncomfortable and insoluble problems: national dialogue. Aoun is calling for a 'bilateral dialogue' with Hezbollah to reach an agreement on the organization's disarmament. Since 2005, Hezbollah has periodically engaged with the Lebanese government and political factions in dialogues focused on designing a 'national defense strategy.' These discussions proved sterile, largely because Hezbollah always refused to discuss ceding its weapons but also because the organization routinely murdered Lebanese critics who had the temerity to suggest that Hezbollah surrender its arms. Accordingly, until 2025, successive Lebanese governments accepted and legitimated, in their ministerial statements, the militia's possession of weapons and 'resistance.' For example, in 2010, Hezbollah participated in several rounds of talks. But Hezbollah maintained its position, and negotiations, unsurprisingly, made no progress. In 2012, then-President Michel Suleiman advocated for placing Hezbollah's arms under the authority of the LAF, but the group swiftly rejected it. In 2016, President Michel Aoun endorsed Hezbollah's arms as 'complementary' to the LAF. After years of futile efforts, in 2018, negotiations finally broke down after the militia deployed to Syria to defend the Assad regime against a popular revolt. Now, Hezbollah says it is again willing to participate in a dialogue. According to Hezbollah MP Ihab Hamadeh, this dialogue would focus on establishing a 'defensive strategy' that would have to 'convince' the Lebanese that the state could defend the country from Israel. Militia officials have said they could agree to disarm if Israel withdraws from Lebanon—a reference to five hilltop locations Israel continues to occupy in Lebanon—and ends its targeting of Hezbollah. But that position has since been contradicted by the organization's current leader, Naim Qassem, who said on 19 April that 'no one will be allowed to remove the weapons of the resistance.' In any event, these officials say the dialogue will not occur until after the parliamentary elections in 2026, currently slated for May. Delay Tactic As in previous failed national dialogues, it appears that Hezbollah is once again embracing talks as a delay tactic . The United States and Israel, as well as many critics of Hezbollah in Lebanon, understand that after sustaining so many losses in its war of choice in support of Hamas, the militia is looking to buy time to regroup and reconstitute. For his part, President Aoun is seeking to avoid a direct confrontation with Hezbollah, but he is under pressure. US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus continues to press Aoun and the Lebanese government to fulfil their ceasefire obligations vis-a-vis Hezbollah. As Ortagus recently reiterated to the Lebanese network LBCI, 'that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias .' Aoun's National Dialogue initiative and his trial balloon suggestion of incorporating Hezbollah fighters into the LAF were a well-intentioned effort to cajole Hezbollah into concessions the group is loath to make. To be sure, conscripting the militia into the LAF was the unstated policy vision for Hezbollah during the Clinton Administration. Yet Aoun clearly understands this approach won't fly with Trump's Washington. Indeed, immediately after floating the idea, Aoun clarified that absorbing Hezbollah into the LAF would not resemble the structure of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces, known as the Hashd al Shaaby , into the Iraqi military. The Hashd—another Iranian-backed militia force—operates separately and outside the control of the Iraqi government. In the case of Hezbollah, Aoun said, militia members would not be permitted to operate as an independent unit like the Hashd, but would instead be recruited into the military as individuals. Despite Aoun's assurances, the approach—in which Hezbollah loyalists would receive military training and continue to possess weapons—is unlikely to advance the disarmament objective. Predictable Initiative Sadly, this initiative was predictable. On 8 October 2024—two months prior to the ceasefire and three months before Aoun was elected president—I anticipated this outcome in a paper published by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy . At the time, I wrote: 'To avoid antagonizing the group (Hezbollah) while placating the West, they may be tempted to finesse the resolution to 'incorporate' Hezbollah into the LAF. This would be unacceptable, however.' Seven months on, the idea remains problematic. Lebanon has committed itself to disarming all militias and establishing a state monopoly on weapons. This is the sine qua non if Lebanon hopes to become a sovereign and successful state. And it is for the first time possible because of Israeli military operations in October and November 2024 that degraded Hezbollah to an unprecedented extent. Incorporating Hezbollah into the LAF will preserve the militia's latent capabilities and undercut the army. Delaying efforts to disarm the militia via an interminable dialogue will provide the group with a reprieve from extreme pressure. With both Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons at their weakest point, Lebanon has a fleeting opportunity to restore its eroded sovereignty. Washington will continue to press Beirut to seize this opportunity, but the decision ultimately rests with President Aoun and the Lebanese government. No doubt, Hezbollah will try to delay its demilitarization in hopes of maintaining a residual capability, and should the government persist and broaden its efforts against the group, there could be violent clashes. Despite the risks, however, there will never be a more favorable time to disarm Hezbollah—with or without its consent—than now. David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute . He worked in the Department of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, and was nominated on April 9, 2018, to head the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the State Department . . He has written two books, Dancing with Saddam: The Strategic Tango of Jordanian–Iraqi Relations (2003) and Palestinian Democracy and Governance: An Appraisal of the Legislative Council (2000). ( The Washington Institute )

Iran confirms meetings with cleric held in KSA
Iran confirms meetings with cleric held in KSA

Express Tribune

timean hour ago

  • Politics
  • Express Tribune

Iran confirms meetings with cleric held in KSA

Listen to article Iran said Wednesday it has held consular meetings with a cleric detained during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, according to local media. Gholamreza Ghasemian, a well-known cleric and religious figure in Iran, was arrested in the kingdom on Monday after a video circulated online showing him criticising the Saudi government, Iran's ISNA news agency reported. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the arrest. In the footage, Ghasemian, dressed in white pilgrimage robes, accused Saudi leaders of turning the Qibla into "a place for gambling houses, centres of debauchery, and obscene concerts". Alireza Bayat, head of Iran's Hajj organisation, said Iranian officials had held three consular meetings with Ghasemian in coordination with the embassy and consulate in Jeddah, ISNA reported.

Iran's nuclear weapons program reportedly still active; US previously denied it
Iran's nuclear weapons program reportedly still active; US previously denied it

India Today

timean hour ago

  • Politics
  • India Today

Iran's nuclear weapons program reportedly still active; US previously denied it

A new intelligence report from Austria says Iran is still working on its nuclear weapons. The report claims that Iran is trying to develop long-range missiles that could carry these report goes against what the United States said earlier this year. According to the New York Post, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee in March that Iran is "not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003."advertisementBut, an Austrian report claims otherwise. Their domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, wrote in a new report on Monday, "In order to assert and enforce its regional political power ambitions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is striving for comprehensive rearmament, with nuclear weapons to make the regime immune to attack and to expand and consolidate its dominance in the Middle East and beyond." The report also claims that Iran's nuclear weapons program is "well advanced" and that it has a stock of missiles that could carry nuclear warheads to long SPLIT ON IRAN'S TRUE INTENTIONSThe Austrian intelligence report may complicate things for the US. According to Fox News Digital, the data from Austria could make it harder for US President Donald Trump to negotiate with Iran's leaders over their nuclear plans. advertisement"President Trump is committed to Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon or the capacity to build one," a White House official said as quoted by Fox Austrian report also claims that Iran has created "sophisticated sanctions-evasion networks," which have helped Russia. The report listed Iran 99 times in its 211 pages and called it a threat to Austria's agency noted that, in Iran's Vienna embassy, the intelligence officers could be posing as diplomats."Iranian intelligence services are familiar with developing and implementing circumvention strategies for the procurement of military equipment, proliferation-sensitive technologies, and materials for weapons of mass destruction," the Austrian agency Asadi, an Iranian diplomat stationed in Vienna, was found guilty by a Belgian court in 2021. In 2018, he was convicted of organizing a bombing at an opposition rally in France that was attended by President Trump's personal attorney at the time, former New York City Mayor Rudy News reported in 2023 that European intelligence documents exposed Iran's efforts to get around US and EU sanctions in order to acquire nuclear weapons testing technology. The reports claim that these initiatives took place both before and after the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, also referred to as the Watch

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