Latest news with #VerifiedNuclearPeaceAgreement
Boston Globe
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Let's make a deal, Iran edition
'I would rather negotiate a deal,' he told a Fox News interviewer. 'I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily…. The time is coming up. Something is going to happen one way or the other.' Then, almost offhandedly, he announced that he had written a letter to Iranian leaders 'saying 'I hope you're going to negotiate,' because if we have to go in militarily it's going to be a terrible thing for them.' Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up That was only the latest in a series of gestures Trump has made to Iran over the last few weeks. When delegates to the United Nations Human Rights Council spoke at the opening of its 2025 session, the American delegate did not mention Iran — a startling omission, since in past years the United States has used these sessions to denounce Iran in withering terms. A few days later, as Trump signed an order imposing new sanctions on Iran's oil industry, he seemed almost wistful. 'I'm going to sign it, but hopefully we're not going to have to use it very much,' he said. 'We will see whether or not we can arrange or work out a deal with Iran.' Advertisement Soon after, Trump sent another tantalizing message. 'Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed.' Advertisement That is quite a reversal from years of American 'maximum pressure' on Iran. During Trump's first term as president, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent Iran a list of 12 exorbitant demands. He insisted that it give up all nuclear enrichment, stop building ballistic missiles, cut off support for militant groups in the Middle East, and 'end its threatening behavior against its neighbors.' Today all those conditions are gone. Only one remains. Trump has put it succinctly: 'They just can't have a nuclear bomb.' Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly denounced nuclear weapons and forbidden his government to develop them. Whether we can take Khamenei's word on this is another matter. If we can, that would seem to put him and Trump on common ground. Just as Americans might doubt Khamenei, however, Iran's leader doubts American sincerity. In 2015 he reluctantly allowed Iran to enter into a nuclear accord with Western countries, but Trump ripped it up after coming to the presidency two years later. That hardly gives Khamenei confidence in the durability of another agreement. 'Some Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed doubts without rejecting the idea of negotiation. 'If America wants to return to a new nuclear agreement with Iran, naturally it should observe the conditions of a fair and just negotiation,' he said. 'We have proven that we will not answer the language of pressure and threat, but will respond to the language of respect and dignity, as we did in the past.' Advertisement Although both countries seem at least superficially interested in talks to end their long enmity, major obstacles loom in both Washington and Tehran. Some of Trump's advisers favor confrontation rather than conciliation. Elise Stefanik, his ambassador to the United Nations, asserted during her Trump could probably impose a deal on doubters within his government. Neither Iran's Supreme Leader nor President Masoud Pezeshkian could. Iranian politics is a snake pit of rivalries. A strong faction opposes all talks with the United States. Hardliners recently The prospect of a breakthrough in US-Iran relations comes amid intense upheaval in the Middle East. Whether a deal would calm Iran's fears and make it a productive partner or simply liberate it to intensify its meddling is a question being hotly debated in Washington. And in case anyone had forgotten about Iran's role in global politics, it has just begun a joint naval maneuver with Russia and China. Advertisement Overcoming two generations of hostility between Iran and the United States will not be easy. An outside power may be called to mediate. Russia is offering its services. Trump has taken wildly unconventional approaches to some world problems. Making a deal with Iran and using Russia as the mediator would horrify some, thrill others, and astonish all. Stephen Kinzer is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iranian leader rejects Trump's push for nuclear talks
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected President Trump's push for nuclear deal talks between the two nations, arguing the initiative is only a gateway for Washington to impose new demands and limit Tehran's military capabilities. 'Some coercive governments insist on negotiations. Such negotiations aren't aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want,' Iran's supreme leader said in a statement on Saturday. 'For coercive governments, negotiations are a means to impose new demands. Iran will definitely not fulfill these new demands.' Trump said during a Thursday interview with Fox News that he has penned a letter to Khamenei as he looks to negotiate a fresh nuclear deal with Tehran. 'I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'' the commander-in-chief said on Fox News's 'Sunday Morning Futures.' The entire interview will air on Sunday. Khamenei said on Saturday, without directly mentioning the U.S., that 'they make new demands regarding the country's defense capabilities & int'l. capabilities, telling us not to do this, not to meet that person, not to go there, not to produce this, and to limit the range of our missiles to a certain extent.' 'How could anyone accept such things,' he added without mentioning if he received Trump's letter. The U.S. and Israel have previously said that Iran should not be able to get a nuclear weapon. Tehran has been working on enriching its uranium to levels near capable of a nuclear weapon. Iran has said the program is being developed for peaceful purposes, although some of its officials have threatened to develop the atomic bomb if the country is 'threatened.' On Wednesday, Trump reiterated that Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon, that he wants to reach a deal with Iran and 'reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens' are 'GREATLY EXAGGERATED.' 'I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper,' Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. 'We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!' In 2018, Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement that was brokered during former President Obama's administration and also ordered the U.S.-led strike on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
08-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Iranian leader rejects Trump's push for nuclear talks
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected President Trump's push for nuclear deal talks between the two nations, arguing the initiative is only a gateway for Washington to impose new demands and limit Tehran's military capabilities. 'Some coercive governments insist on negotiations. Such negotiations aren't aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want,' Iran's supreme leader said in a statement on Saturday. 'For coercive governments, negotiations are a means to impose new demands. Iran will definitely not fulfill these new demands.' Trump said during a Thursday interview with Fox News that he has penned a letter to Khamenei as he looks to negotiate a fresh nuclear deal with Tehran. 'I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'' the commander-in-chief said on Fox News's 'Sunday Morning Futures.' The entire interview will air on Sunday. Khamenei said on Saturday, without directly mentioning the U.S., that 'they make new demands regarding the country's defense capabilities & int'l. capabilities, telling us not to do this, not to meet that person, not to go there, not to produce this, and to limit the range of our missiles to a certain extent.' 'How could anyone accept such things,' he added without mentioning if he received Trump's letter. The U.S. and Israel have previously said that Iran should not be able to get a nuclear weapon. Tehran has been working on enriching its uranium to levels near capable of a nuclear weapon. Iran has said the program is being developed for peaceful purposes, although some of its officials have threatened to develop the atomic bomb if the country is 'threatened.' On Wednesday, Trump reiterated that Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon, that he wants to reach a deal with Iran and 'reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens' are 'GREATLY EXAGGERATED.' 'I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper,' Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. 'We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!' In 2018, Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement that was brokered during former President Obama's administration and also ordered the U.S.-led strike on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran accelerating near-weapons-grade plutonium production: Watchdog
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran is taking steps to accelerate its near weapons-grade uranium in a broader effort to expand its capability for nuclear warfare, according to the watchdog's latest report. As of Feb. 8, Iran had 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent according to The Associated Press who reviewed the confidential report. 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 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 IAEA report read as reported by AP. Iran has not accepted oversight from the organization's agency inspectors, who have sought to monitor the nation's nuclear developments since September 2023. Earlier this month, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum effectively denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and giving the Treasury and State departments approval to impose necessary sanctions to limit their advancements. However, the president did outline the possibility of a nuclear peace deal with the nation a day later. 'I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!' In 2018, Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, which limited the Middle Eastern nation from enriching uranium to levels higher than 3.67 percent purity while maintaining a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms. Last August, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaled he was open to negotiations with the U.S. but later said discussions 'are not intelligent, wise or honorable.' Khamenei's counterparts said they could not enter talks under the threat of sanctions or other economic pressures. '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 diplomat Sergey Lavrov. The report says that 'no progress was made towards resolving the outstanding safeguards issues in relations to Varamin and Turquzabad,' sites where the IAEA has questions about the origin and location of man-made uranium particles found there, according to AP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
26-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Iran accelerating near-weapons-grade plutonium production: Watchdog
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran is taking steps to accelerate its near weapons-grade uranium in a broader effort to expand its capability for nuclear warfare, according to the watchdog's latest report. As of Feb. 8, Iran had 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent according to The Associated Press who reviewed the confidential report. 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 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 IAEA report read as reported by AP. Iran has not accepted oversight from the organization's agency inspectors, who have sought to monitor the nation's nuclear developments since September 2023. Earlier this month, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum effectively denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and giving the Treasury and State departments approval to impose necessary sanctions to limit their advancements. However, the president did outline the possibility of a nuclear peace deal with the nation a day later. 'I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!' In 2018, Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, which limited the Middle Eastern nation from enriching uranium to levels higher than 3.67 percent purity while maintaining a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms. Last August, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaled he was open to negotiations with the U.S. but later said discussions 'are not intelligent, wise or honorable.' Khamenei's counterparts said they could not enter talks under the threat of sanctions or other economic pressures. '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 diplomat Sergey Lavrov. The report says that 'no progress was made towards resolving the outstanding safeguards issues in relations to Varamin and Turquzabad,' sites where the IAEA has questions about the origin and location of man-made uranium particles found there, according to AP.
