Latest news with #MaximumPressure
The National
11-05-2025
- Business
- The National
US Democrat Jared Moskowitz says 'now is not the time' to appease Iran
Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz has said the Trump administration is being too soft on Iran. Mr Mokowitz's comments came shortly before the conclusion of a fourth round of talks in Oman between the US and Tehran regarding Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's Foreign Ministry described the latest negotiations as "difficult but useful" and said the next round would be co-ordinated and announced by Oman in due course. "Iran is the weakest they've been in a long time, now is not the time to appease them,' the Florida Democrat told Fox News Sunday. "Now is the time to put maximum pressure on them and make sure that we dismantle the nuclear programme. I'm not saying we should start bombing the facility, but I'm saying all options should be on the table, right?' Also on the show, Republican Senator Tom Cotton said he spoke to Steve Witkoff, the US envoy to the Middle East who led the US delegation in Oman, shortly before his departure for the talks. 'He's been very clear what President Trump's position is, and that position is that Iran cannot have the ability to enrich uranium," Mr Cotton said. "That's really the critical path to getting a nuclear weapon. So they can't have centrifuges. That's the unified position of the American government. That's been our position for many years.' Mr Cotton also echoed the sentiment of Mr Mokowitz questioning internal stability and insisting on the potential vulnerabilities in Iran as a whole. "The President believes it's possible to get a deal with Iran because of the pressure we've put on them, because of the economic pressure we've put on them and because, frankly, the ayatollahs are scared to death of Donald Trump, and they have been for eight years," he said. The latest talks between the US and Iran figured large on both the cable and network versions of Fox programming on Sunday. When asked about the discussions on Fox and Friends Weekend Edition, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, however, pivoted to the topic of Mr Trump's much-anticipated visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. 'The President's agenda at home here is peace and prosperity in the US, and he has the same agenda for the Middle East, peace and prosperity for that region, which is achievable and within reach, but takes bold leadership and not the previous administration's sole focus on the biggest troublemaker in the region,' Mr Wright said. 'We're going to visit our allies." Mr Trump, who withdrew Washington from the 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers that was meant to curb Tehran's nuclear activities, has previously threatened to bomb Iran if no new deal is reached to resolve the long-running dispute. Tehran has accelerated its enrichment programme since the previous deal collapsed but says it is purely for civilian purposes. Although the US and Iran have reported progress in the latest talks, few details have been released. Mr Trump has suggested Iran would be a 'great, happy country' if it signs an agreement, but he has also pursued a 'maximum pressure' campaign built around tough sanctions aimed at shutting off Iranian oil exports. Mr Cotton blamed former president Barack Obama for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the nuclear deal was known, giving Iran too much leeway. "Barack Obama's deal allowed them to have centrifuges and a vast nuclear infrastructure to enrich uranium,' he said. "What you see here is the difference between, on the one hand, President Trump's America-first approach, which recognises the moral threat that a nuclear Iran poses to the United States, and what you might call the 'blame America first' mindset, which says a bad deal is better than going to war ... that's what Obama used to say.' Mr Cotton said Mr Trump rejects that mindset. A senior Trump administration official said that the discussions on Sunday in Oman lasted more than three hours. "Agreement was reached to move forward with the talks to continue working through technical elements," the source said. "We are encouraged by today's outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future."
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pfluger introduces bills to impose maximum pressure on Iran
Apr. 2—WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, announced the introduction of two pieces of legislation as part of the RSC's "Enforcing Maximum Pressure" initiative to hold the Iranian regime accountable. During the RSC press conference announcing this legislation, Pfluger said, "President Trump has not just earned our gratitude, he deserves unwavering support as he revives the maximum pressure campaign against Iran's leaders — the world's most dangerous state sponsors of terrorism. The Iranian regime is not just a threat, its leaders are a genocidal death cult. Make no mistake about their strategy — they view Israel's destruction as the beginning of their evil plans." The No Iranian Energy Act sanctions the importation of Iranian natural gas to Iraq, cutting off their lifeline. This is necessary as recently, the sanctions waiver for electricity transmission from Iran expired in line with President Trump's NSPM-2. With Iranian gas imports accounting for roughly 8.8 GW of power generation, additional action is needed to cut off this revenue stream for the regime in Tehran, a news release said. The Iran Waiver Recissions Act would permanently freeze all Iranian-sanctioned assets and prohibit the President from using any waiver authority, including licenses, guidance, or FAQs, to lift sanctions. Last Congress, this legislation passed the House 259-160 with bipartisan support. Pfluger's bills were introduced alongside nine other pieces of legislation championed by other House Republicans and RSC members. This package of bills aims to codify President Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Iran and is the toughest Iran sanctions package ever proposed by Congress, the release said.
Shafaq News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Letter exchange: US, Iran clash over nuclear talks, military threat looms
Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump's letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposed new nuclear talks and warned of potential military action if no agreement was reached within two months. The letter, delivered via Omani mediation, emphasized a 'historic opportunity' to mend relations, offering economic incentives while warning of "decisive and swift" consequences if Iran refused to negotiate. 🟢 انشر لكم نص الرسالة التي بعثها الرئيس الامريكي @realDonaldTrump للمرشد الايراني الاعلى @ar_khamenei دون تعديل ومترجمة للغة العربية . لا اريد التعليق لانها تتحدث عن نفسها . وفي مايلي نص الرسالة :جناب آية الله خامنئي،مع الاحترام لمكانة قيادتكم ولشعب إيران، أكتب لكم هذه… — محمد صالح صدقیان (@msedghian) March 28, 2025 In his response, Khamenei dismissed the letter as " deceptive," accusing the US of using negotiations as a pretext to impose further sanctions and exert pressure on Tehran. He publicly declared that Iran would not engage in direct talks under Washington's Maximum Pressure campaign, which he described as economic warfare. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Iran had officially responded to Trump's letter, sending its reply through Oman. He stated that while Iran refused direct negotiations, it remained open to indirect talks to assess US intentions and present its own conditions. Iran's formal response outlined its 'grievances' with US policies, condemning Washington's 'contradictory stance' of pushing for dialogue while intensifying sanctions. Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Khamenei, reiterated that Iran had not shut all doors to resolving disputes but insisted that progress required a fundamental shift in US policy. The exchange occurred amid escalating tensions over Iran's nuclear program. Since Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran has expanded its uranium enrichment activities beyond the agreement's limits. Western powers have accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, a claim Tehran denies, asserting its program is for civilian purposes. Adding to the stakes, the US recently deployed B-2 stealth bombers to the Diego Garcia military base. US officials indicated that the deployment was "not disconnected" from Trump's two-month deadline, signaling military preparedness.
Boston Globe
26-02-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Iran accelerates production of near weapons-grade uranium, IAEA says, as tensions with US ratchet up
A report in November 2024 put the stockpile at 182.3 kilograms (401.9 pounds). It had 164.7 kilograms (363.1 pounds) last August. 'The significantly increased production and accumulation of high enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapon State to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern,' the confidential report stated. According to the IAEA, approximately 42 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90 percent. The IAEA also estimated in its quarterly report that as of Feb. 8, Iran's overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds), which represents an increase of 1,690.0 kilograms (3725.8 pounds) since the last report in November. Advertisement The Trump administration said Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. 'President Trump has put the Iran Regime on notice by reimposing Maximum Pressure and is committed to ensuring the regime never gets a nuclear weapon. He has also made clear he is open to talks with Iran to come to an agreement that fully addresses the outstanding issues between our two countries,' National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said. Trump's first term in office was marked by a particularly troubled period in relations with Tehran. In 2018, he unilaterally withdrew the US from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, leading to sanctions hobbling the economy, and ordered the killing of the country's top general. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67 percent purity and maintain a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms. Advertisement Iran's accelerated production of near weapons-grade uranium puts more pressure on Trump, as he has repeatedly said he is open to negotiations with the Islamic Republic while also increasingly targeting Iran's oil sales with sanctions as part of his reimposed 'maximum pressure' policy. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, in a speech in August opened the door to talks with the US, saying there is 'no harm' in engaging with the 'enemy.' However, more recently he tempered that, saying that negotiations with America 'are not intelligent, wise or honorable' after Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran. 'Regarding the nuclear negotiations, the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is very clear. We will not negotiate under pressure, threat or sanctions,' Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday during a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Iran's mission at the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has previously warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make 'several' nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Iranian officials have increasingly suggested Tehran could pursue an atomic bomb. US intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has 'undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.' The IAEA already warned last December that Iran was poised to 'quite dramatically' increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium as it has started operating cascades of advanced centrifuges. Advertisement That move came as a response to the Board of Governors at the IAEA passing a resolution condemning Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency. In the past, Iran has repeatedly responded to the board's resolutions by further enhancing its nuclear program. Wednesday's report also said that Iran has also not reconsidered its September 2023 decision to ban some of the agency's most experienced inspectors from monitoring its nuclear program. 'The Director General deeply regrets that Iran, despite having indicated a willingness to consider accepting the designation of four additional experienced Agency inspectors, did not accept their designations,' the report said. Additionally, the report says that 'no progress was made towards resolving the outstanding safeguards issues in relations to Varamin and Turquzabad,' the two locations in Iran where the nuclear watchdog has questions about the origin and location of man-made uranium particles found there. The report also said that Grossi held telephone discussions with Araghchi at the beginning of this year, during which he 'reiterated his readiness to work with Iran to resume implementation' of a deal the agency and Tehran agreed two years ago. The Joint Statement included a pledge by Iran to resolve issues around Varamin and Turquzabad, where inspectors have questions about possible undeclared nuclear activity, and to allow the IAEA to 'implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities.' 'Foreign Minister Araghchi indicated Iran's preparedness to cooperate with the Agency and raised the possibility of the Director General visiting Tehran again,' the report said. The IAEA report also said the agency verified that Tehran had increased the number of operating cascades of advanced centrifuges, powerful machines that spin rapidly to enrich uranium. Cascades are clusters of centrifuges. Advertisement The report said Iran had increased the number of IR-6 centrifuges by five to a total of seven at its underground nuclear plant at Fordo. The nuclear watchdog also verified that Iran had increased the number of operating cascades of IR-2m centrifuges by 12 to a total of 27 at its underground nuclear plant in Natanz. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium to only 3.67 percent with a limited number of its first-generation centrifuges at the underground Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant only. The more advanced model of centrifuges that Iran is using now enrich uranium at a much faster pace than the baseline IR-1 centrifuges.
