Latest news with #NuclearNon-ProliferationTreaty
Daily Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Iran rejects push to suspend enrichment to reach US deal
Iran yesterday ruled out suspending uranium enrichment as part of any nuclear deal with the United States -- a key demand from Washington in successive rounds of talks between the foes. The issue has come into focus in recent weeks, with Iran staunchly defending its right to enrich uranium as part of what it says is a civilian nuclear programme, while the United States wants it to stop. The negotiations, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the two sides since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during US President Donald Trump's first term. Trump described the latest round of discussions in Rome as "very, very good", while Iran's foreign minister described it as "complicated". Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on the Islamic republic, backing diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails. Tehran wants a new deal that would ease sanctions battering its economy. Western governments and Israel suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a charge it strongly denies. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the talks for Washington, said the United States "could not authorise even one percent" of enrichment by Iran. 'Totally false' On Monday, Iran ruled out suspending its uranium enrichment. "This information is a figment of the imagination and totally false," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, asked about the possibility during a press briefing in Tehran. Iran insists it has the right to a civilian nuclear programme, including for energy, and considers the US demand a red line that violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory. Following the latest round of Omani-mediated talks in Rome, Iran's foreign minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi downplayed the progress, stressing "the negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings". Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the fifth round concluded "with some but not conclusive progress", adding he hoped "the remaining issues" would be clarified in the coming days. But on Sunday Trump said the ongoing discussions had been "very, very good". "I think we could have some good news on the Iran front," he said, adding that an announcement could come "over the next two days." No date has yet been set for the next talks, according to Iran's foreign ministry. The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, during which Iran's nuclear activities will be reviewed.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Letters: Irish and Austrian leaders should respect public's desire for real neutrality
Both Ireland and Austria are unfortunately in a very similar position. In each country, the political and media elites are adamantly opposed to neutrality even though in each country public opinion is adamantly in favour. As a result, governments in both countries have over many years salami-sliced away genuine neutrality while being unable to take the final step of joining Nato. This results in a situation that pleases no one. It is time for our leaders to accept that the Irish people support neutrality. Neutrality does not mean isolationism. During the early years of Ireland's UN membership, diplomats such as Frank Aiken, Frederick Boland and Conor Cruise O'Brien leveraged our neutrality to make us a trusted broker between East and West. This culminated in the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Austria also played its part. Its chancellor Bruno Kreisky was a renowned proponent of positive neutrality and helped broker the Helsinki Final Act, another important moment in Cold War detente. If we are to follow the Austrian model, it should be the positive neutrality of Bruno Kreisky. Stephen Kelly, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Glenageary, Co Dublin People are opening their eyes to the situation in Gaza – 20 months too late I see the change coming. I see the word 'genocide' creeping into newspaper articles, not everywhere yet and not in huge black lettering across the front page as it should be but meekly and hesitantly, like dipping its toes into the waters first to see what this change of tack might bring. I see interviewers ease up just a little with their unending 'do you condemn October 7?' chorus while still playing their game of a 'need for journalistic balance'. They won't let that go for quite some time yet. I see politicians who once believed that everything, no matter how heinous or in contravention of international law it might be, was permissible in the name of self-defence, become now quite adamant that what is being done is apparently 'despicable', 'completely unacceptable' and 'intolerable'. I see well-dressed liberals pull out hastily adjusted scripts and speak in well-rehearsed tones with just the right grimacing of facial features to help portray enough concern and feeling to hide the months of not giving a shit that went before. It turns out, you see, that the claim of self-defence when placed against the possibility of thousands of starving children doesn't work so well, and searching for those famous tunnels beneath the bodies of emaciated babies and toddlers sits uneasily with the public. So let them all try and run for cover – media, politicians, artists, whoever. It won't work. It's been too long. We have seen too much and we are destroyed inside for ever more. As the book says, 'One day everyone will have always been against this.' But seriously, if it took someone 20 months to reach this side of the line, then there is something very, very wrong with them. Dorothy Collin, Rathangan, Co Kildare Netanyahu and Hamas are cold-blooded killers – both must be stopped now A young Jewish couple just starting out in life together, who worked for the Israeli embassy, were murdered by an alleged Palestinian sympathiser in Washington DC last Wednesday. A Palestinian couple further on in their lives together, both doctors attending to the dire needs of their compatriots in Khan Younis, had nine of their 10 children murdered by an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is out of control, Hamas mercilessly exploits its own people and the world, having averted its gaze for a long time, has now firmly closed its eyes. With humanity having thrown away its ethical and moral compass, future Wednesdays and Saturdays or any other days in the weeks to come, will bring even worse abominations. The generations to come may never forgive us, nor indeed should they. Michael Gannon, St Thomas Square, Kilkenny We have our problems in Ireland, but many more reasons to be cheerful At a time when public sentiment often feels anxious or weary – shaped by both global upheavals and local pressures –it's worth stepping back to recognise that Ireland has many reasons for measured optimism. This isn't naive cheerfulness, but perspective earned through experience. We're beginning to see more thoughtful approaches to housing emerge: community-led developments, innovative use of derelict sites and policies that prioritise people over profit. Meanwhile, Ireland's democracy continues to distinguish itself through its civility and genuine engagement. The success of the Good Friday Agreement institutions and cross-border co-operation demonstrates something increasingly rare – the ability to have difficult conversations with nuance rather than noise, while the everyday decency that characterises public discourse speaks to deeper democratic health. In research and innovation, Ireland consistently punches well above its weight. From groundbreaking medical technologies to climate solutions, from fundamental scientific research to creative industries, the country's intellectual output reflects both ambition and expertise. The education system, while still evolving, is increasingly attentive to student well-being, creativity and practical skills, alongside academic achievement. Perhaps most significantly, Irish identity itself remains a quiet but genuine strength. Rooted in history yet cosmopolitan in outlook, modern Irishness encompasses empathy, inclusion and collective endeavour as much as it does tradition and heritage. Ireland faces real challenges – housing, climate adaptation, economic inequality among them. But there's wisdom in recognising what's working well and building from those foundations. In an era of global uncertainty, Ireland's combination of pragmatic governance, innovative spirit and social cohesion offers a model worth nurturing. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh Hopefully we'll scoff Choc Ices again before summer's end The sun is gone and the showers are back, the northerly breeze is blowing away any trace of summer. And yet we live in hope. As Christy Moore sang in Lisdoonvarna, 'Anyone for the last few Choc Ices, now?' M O Brien, Dalkey, Co Dublin
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump wants Netanyahu to be on same page on Iran: Top US official
Washington, DC – United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says she delivered a message from President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the two countries should be aligned on how to approach Iran. Noem, who concluded a visit to Israel on Monday, told Fox News that her talks with Netanyahu were 'candid and direct'. Her comments come days after US and Iranian officials held their fifth round of nuclear talks in Rome. 'President Trump specifically sent me here to have a conversation with the prime minister about how those negotiations are going and how important it is that we stay united and let this process play out,' she said. On Sunday, Trump suggested that the talks were progressing well. 'We've had some very, very good talks with Iran,' the US president told reporters. 'And I don't know if I'll be telling you anything good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling I might be telling you something good.' Last week, CNN reported, citing unidentified US officials, that Israel was preparing for strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, despite the US-led has promised to respond forcefully to any Israeli attack, and accused Netanyahu of working to undermine US diplomacy. Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said last week that the Israeli prime minister is 'desperate to dictate what the US can and cannot do'. Israel has been sceptical about the nuclear negotiations, and Netanyahu has been claiming for years that Iran is on the cusp of acquiring a nuclear bomb. Israeli officials portray Iran – which backs regional groups engaged in armed struggle against Israel – as a major threat. On Monday, Noem said that the US understands that Netanyahu does not trust Iran. 'The message to the American people is: We have a president that wants peace, but also a president that will not tolerate nuclear Iran capability in the future. They will not be able to get a nuclear weapon, and this president will not allow it,' she said. 'But he also wants this prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to be on the same page with him.' A major sticking point in the talks has been whether Iran would be allowed to enrich its own uranium. US officials have said they want Iran not just to scale back its nuclear programme, but also to completely stop enriching uranium – a position that Tehran has said is a nonstarter. Enrichment is the process of altering the uranium atom to create nuclear officials say enrichment for civilian purposes is a sovereign right that is not prohibited by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon, while Israel is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal. During his first term, in 2018, Trump nixed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had seen Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against its economy. Since then, the US has been piling sanctions on Iran. Tehran has responded by escalating its nuclear programme. On Monday, Iran ruled out temporarily suspending uranium enrichment to secure an interim deal with the US. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stressed that Iran is not buying time with the talks. 'We have entered the course of talks seriously and purposefully with the intention of reaching a fair agreement. We have proved our seriousness,' Baqaei was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.
Japan Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Iran rejects push to suspend uranium enrichment to reach U.S. deal
US President Donald Trump described the latest round of talks in Rome as 'very, very good' By Ahmad Parhizi Iran on Monday ruled out suspending uranium enrichment as part of any nuclear deal with the United States -- a key demand from Washington in successive rounds of talks between the foes. The issue has come into focus in recent weeks, with Iran staunchly defending its right to enrich uranium as part of what it says is a civilian nuclear program, while the United States wants it to stop. The negotiations, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the two sides since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during U.S. President Donald Trump's first term. Trump described the latest round of discussions in Rome as "very, very good", while Iran's foreign minister described it as "complicated". Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on the Islamic republic, backing diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails. Tehran wants a new deal that would ease sanctions battering its economy. Western governments and Israel suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a charge it strongly denies. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the talks for Washington, said the United States "could not authorize even one percent" of enrichment by Iran. On Monday, Iran ruled out suspending its uranium enrichment. "This information is a figment of the imagination and totally false," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, asked about the possibility during a press briefing in Tehran. Iran insists it has the right to a civilian nuclear program, including for energy, and considers the US demand a red line that violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory. Following the latest round of Omani-mediated talks in Rome, Iran's foreign minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi downplayed the progress, stressing "the negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings". Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the fifth round concluded "with some but not conclusive progress", adding he hoped "the remaining issues" would be clarified in the coming days. But on Sunday Trump said the ongoing discussions had been "very, very good". "I think we could have some good news on the Iran front," he said, adding that an announcement could come "over the next two days." No date has yet been set for the next talks, according to Iran's foreign ministry. The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, during which Iran's nuclear activities will be reviewed. They also come before the October expiry of the 2015 accord, which aimed to allay US and European Union suspicions that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons capability, an ambition that Tehran has consistently denied. Iran has ramped up its nuclear activities since the collapse of the 2015 deal, and is now enriching uranium to 60 percent -- far above the deal's 3.67 percent cap but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material. Experts say that uranium enriched beyond 20 percent can be further enriched to a weapons-grade level quickly. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to visit Oman this week. © 2025 AFP
France 24
6 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Iran rejects push to suspend uranium enrichment to reach US deal
The issue has come into focus in recent weeks, with Iran staunchly defending its right to enrich uranium as part of what it says is a civilian nuclear programme, while the United States wants it to stop. The negotiations, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the two sides since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during US President Donald Trump's first term. Trump described the latest round of discussions in Rome as "very, very good", while Iran's foreign minister described it as "complicated". Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on the Islamic republic, backing diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails. Tehran wants a new deal that would ease sanctions battering its economy. Western governments and Israel suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a charge it strongly denies. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the talks for Washington, said the United States "could not authorise even one percent" of enrichment by Iran. 'Totally false' On Monday, Iran ruled out suspending its uranium enrichment. "This information is a figment of the imagination and totally false," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, asked about the possibility during a press briefing in Tehran. Iran insists it has the right to a civilian nuclear programme, including for energy, and considers the US demand a red line that violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory. Following the latest round of Omani-mediated talks in Rome, Iran's foreign minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi downplayed the progress, stressing "the negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings". Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the fifth round concluded "with some but not conclusive progress", adding he hoped "the remaining issues" would be clarified in the coming days. But on Sunday Trump said the ongoing discussions had been "very, very good". "I think we could have some good news on the Iran front," he said, adding that an announcement could come "over the next two days." No date has yet been set for the next talks, according to Iran's foreign ministry. The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, during which Iran's nuclear activities will be reviewed. They also come before the October expiry of the 2015 accord, which aimed to allay US and European Union suspicions that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons capability, an ambition that Tehran has consistently denied. Iran has ramped up its nuclear activities since the collapse of the 2015 deal, and is now enriching uranium to 60 percent -- far above the deal's 3.67 percent cap but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material. Experts say that uranium enriched beyond 20 percent can be further enriched to a weapons-grade level quickly.
