Iran Watch

Middle East heats up as Iranian defense minister threatens US bases– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser June 11, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

The United States is evacuating diplomatic personnel from Iraq and military family members from the Middle East following threats from Iran‘s defense minister that Tehran would target U.S. bases if negotiations broke down.

“If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within reach,” Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday, just days before the latest U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations.

Later in the day, the State Department confirmed its decision to reduce its footprint in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told the Washington Examiner.

“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the official said. “CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time.”

Trump Holds Phone Call With Netanyahu to Discuss Iran’s Jihad Nukes– gellerreport.com

pgnewser June 10, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

As discussed, the U.S-Iran nukes negotiations are futile. Iran will never give up enrichment through diplomatic means. How long will President Trump allow Iran to continue to lie, deceive, and stall before he walks away? Let Israel destroy Iran’s nuke sites.

Netanyahu set to hold Iran security meeting after call with Trump– www.euronews.com

pgnewser June 10, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security meeting on Wednesday following his phone call with US President Donald Trump.

Israeli media says the call between Trump and Netanyahu lasted around 40 minutes, with the pair discussing a wide range of topics, from the war on Gaza to developments in the Iran nuclear deal.

Asked about his call with Netanyahu, Trump didn’t offer much detail, but insisted that the call with the Israeli premier went well.

“Very well. Yeah, we discussed a lot of things, and it went very well. Very smooth. We’ll see what happens. You know, we’re trying to do something with a country we just spoke about, Iran,” said Trump.

Trump however revealed that negotiations appear to be stagnant due to the Iranians being “good negotiators”. He also again warned that a violent US approach to Tehran is not off the table.

“Sometimes they can be too tough. That’s the problem. So, we are trying to make a deal so that there’s no destruction and death. And we’ve told them that, and I’ve told them that, and I hope that’s the way it works out. But it might not work out that way.”

Iran Rejects Temporary Freeze on Enrichment, Says It’s Not Worried About Sanctions– gellerreport.com

pgnewser May 28, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

It seems quite clear that Iran’s leaders do not believe that President Trump will ever order a military strike on their nuke sites. While we don’t know all of the details of the U.S-Iran nuke negotiations, some of what is being reported is quite concerning. We are going to have to wait and see what happens. If Iran is allowed to enrich uranium, it will be able to build several nuclear bombs. Which it would surely attempt to do when President Trump is out of office. If not sooner.

Will Iran kill nuclear negotiations with terrorist attacks in the West?– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser May 22, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

President Donald Trump, who seeks to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, wants to secure a new nuclear agreement with that country. Trump’s motive is honorable. Difficult diplomacy is preferable to military strikes on Iran. But numerous complications stand in the president’s way, and perhaps none of these complications is more significant than the growing threat of Iranian terrorist attacks.

Yes, formalizing a viable Iran nuclear agreement represents a big challenge in and of itself. For one, Iran has engaged in more than two decades of deceptive conduct via its covert research of nuclear warheads. Any deal would thus need to ensure prompt inspection access to any sites suspected of being used to conduct illicit nuclear weapons research. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had woefully inadequate safeguards in this regard.

Another difficulty arises in the Trump administration’s new insistence that Iran suspend all nuclear enrichment, even at very low purity levels, in return for any deal. This demand conflicts with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s belief that his Islamic Republic should be allowed to engage in some enrichment as a matter of honor. Khamenei might well regard the risks of U.S. military action as less concerning than the loss of prestige and regime confidence that would go with suspending all enrichment activities. Allowing Iran to maintain its nuclear facilities, albeit in a nonoperational status, might allow the regime to save face. But probably not.

Highly Enriched Uranium Stand-Off May Scuttle New Iran Deal– freebeacon.com

pgnewser May 22, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

The latest back-and-forth on a nuclear deal between the United States and Iran hinges on enrichment, and the question may put nails in the coffin of any new agreement.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday, after weeks of mixed messages, that no future accord can allow Iran the right to enrich uranium.

“We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment,” Witkoff told ABC’s This Week anchor Jonathan Karl. “We cannot allow even 1 percent of an enrichment capability.”

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday denounced Witkoff’s remarks, describing calls for the Islamic Republic to give up enrichment entirely as “nonsense.”

Iran’s Pezeshkian seeks dialogue on nuclear program as US negotiations continue– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser May 22, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke over the weekend, reiterating Iran’s commitment to dialogue and desire for a civilian nuclear program.

The Iranian leader addressed navy officials in Bandar Abbas, discussing the ongoing negotiations for a deal with the United States.

“We are not seeking war, we favor negotiation and dialogue, but we are not afraid of threats either, and we will in no way retreat from our legal rights,” Pezeshkian said.

Compared to previous Iranian presidents, Pezeshkian has emerged as a more level-headed and reformist leader, aiming to reach new understandings with the West, according to Politico.

Iran issued urgent nuclear warning as new revelations put deal at risk | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser May 9, 2025 1

Source Link
Excerpt:

Iran has been significantly expanding its covert nuclear weapons development since 2009, it has emerged. New intelligence uncovered by Iranian opposition group NCRI reveals that the regime’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) is running a secret programme to boost nuclear warhead capability, including mounting them on ballistic missiles able to strike targets over 1,900 miles away. The revelations come as Tehran prepares for a fourth round of proposed nuclear talks with the US in Muscat next week, with experts predicting they may derail negotiations.

At the heart of this effort is the Ivanaki (Eyvanekey) facility, a sprawling 2,500-acre site in Semnan Province, northern Iran. Publicly, it is presented as a paint and chemical production site operated by Diba Energy Sina. In reality, it is used for the construction of nuclear weapon components.

Operational since around 2013, Ivanaki is one of several covert facilities established after Iran’s previous nuclear weapons programme, the Amad Plan, was exposed and halted in 2003.

Iran Distances Itself from Embarrassing Houthis as Trump Nuclear Talks Stall– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser May 6, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

The government of Iran adamantly insisted on Sunday that it had no involvement in an escalated terrorism campaign against Israel by the Yemeni Houthi jihadist movement, which announced this weekend it would attempt to blockade Israeli skies entirely.

The post Iran Distances Itself from Embarrassing Houthis as Trump Nuclear Talks Stall appeared first on Breitbart.

Trump threatens sanctions on countries, individuals that buy Iranian oil – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser May 5, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened sanctions on anyone who buys Iranian oil, a warning that came after planned talks over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program were postponed.

Trump wrote on social media, “All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!” He said any country or person who buys those products from Iran will not be able to do business with the United States “in any way, shape, or form.”

It was unclear how Trump would implement such a ban as he threatened to levy secondary sanctions on nations that import Iranian oil. But his statement risked further escalating tensions with China — Iran’s leading customer — at a time when the relationship is severely strained over the U.S. president’s tariffs.

Based on tanker tracking data, the U.S. Energy Information Administration concluded in a report published last October that “China took nearly 90% of Iran’s crude oil and condensate exports in 2023.” Trump has separately placed 145% tariffs on China as a way to raise federal revenues and rebalance global trade.

U.K. police arrest 7 Iranians in what government calls biggest counterterrorism operations in years– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser May 5, 2025 0

operations in years– www.cbsnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

London — British counterterrorism police officers arrested four Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target, and three others over an undefined national security threat, London’s Metropolitan Police said Sunday. The government called the operations the biggest “counter-state threat and counterterrorism” in years.

The Met, as London’s police force is often known, said five men between the ages of 29 and 46 were detained Saturday in various parts of England under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of preparing “a terrorist act.”

Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth was still being established. Police said the attack plot was targeting a single location that was not being named “for operational reasons.” They said people at the premises in question were being given “advice and support.”

Netanyahu vows to retaliate against Houthis and Iran after missile attack | World News– news.sky.com

pgnewser May 5, 2025 0

Source Link
Excerpt:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate against the Houthis and their Iranian “masters” after the group launched a missile attack on the country’s main international airport.

A missile fired by the group from Yemen landed near Ben Gurion Airport, causing panic among passengers in the terminal building.

“Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran,” Mr Netanyahu wrote on X. “Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”

Israeli Officials Reportedly Concerned Trump May Be Repeating Obama-Era Nuclear Deal Mistakes– gellerreport.com

pgnewser April 21, 2025 1

Source Link
Excerpt:

Some of the reports coming out of the U.S-Iran nuke talks are extremely disappointing. President Trump seems to have a cabal of Iran appeasers and Israel-haters in his national security team. There is a concern that they could convince President Trump to accept a substandard deal with Iran. Rubio, Waltz, Huckabee, and other sensible Trump Admin officials are going to have to fight the Iran appeasers, and make sure that only a strong deal is signed with Iran. A deal in which Iran’s nuclear program is completely dismantled.

Related – Trump team’s Iran divide: Dialogue vs. detonation to end nuclear threat

Story continues below advertisement

Iran’s FM heads to Moscow to discuss US talks with Russian officials – Caliber.Az

pgnewser April 14, 2025 1

Source Link
Excerpt:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to travel to Moscow later this week, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, who made the announcement during his regular press briefing on April 14.

Baghaei noted that Araghchi’s trip had been planned in advance and said the minister would use the opportunity to hold consultations with Russian officials about the ongoing negotiations with the United States, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

“Araghchi will make a pre-scheduled visit to Moscow this week, during which he will discuss the latest developments in the Muscat talks,” Baghaei stated.

On April 12, Iranian and American delegations held an initial round of indirect talks in Oman, with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi serving as the mediator. In line with Iran’s request, the negotiations were not conducted face-to-face, but through the Omani mediator. Each delegation remained in separate rooms, with messages being passed back and forth.

DOJ Charges Men Over Plot to Steal U.S. Technology for Iranian Regime– townhall.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

DOJ Charges Men Over Plot to Steal U.S. Technology for Iranian Regime– townhall.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Federal prosecutors have charged an Iranian company and two Iranian nationals with trying to funnel money to the country’s military while obtaining U.S. technology to improve drones.

The Justice Department made the announcement on Tuesday.

A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, both of Iran, and an Iranian company, Rah Roshd Company (Rah Roshd), with conspiring to procure U.S. parts for Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and conspiring to commit money laundering.

Akbari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rah Roshd. Amidi is the company’s commercial manager and was previously the commercial manager of Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian state-owned aerospace company. They are both citizens of Iran and remain at large.

Sue J. Bai, head of the DOJ’s National Security Division, explained, “Today’s charges lay bare how U.S.-made technology ended up in the hands of the Iranian military to build attack drones.”

Iran, Facing Trump Threats, Says It Positioned ‘Launch-Ready Missiles’ To Strike ‘US-Related Positions’– freebeacon.com

pgnewser April 1, 2025 0

Iran, Facing Trump Threats, Says It Positioned ‘Launch-Ready Missiles’ To Strike ‘US-Related Positions’– freebeacon.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Iran says it has readied “a significant number” of advanced missiles capable of striking American bases and military outposts in the Middle East, drawing a sharp warning from the Trump administration.

Iran’s “armed forces have readied missiles with the capability to strike U.S.-related positions,” the Tehran Times, a state-controlled newspaper, reported on Monday. “A significant number of these launch-ready missiles are located in underground facilities scattered across the country, designed to withstand airstrikes.”

The announcement came in response to President Donald Trump’s threat over the weekend to bomb the country if it does not enter into negotiations over its contested nuclear weapons program. But Trump is not backing down—the White House, in response to Tehran’s war preparations, told the Washington Free Beacon it does “not take kindly to military threats.”

“President Trump and his administration do not take kindly to military threats,” said White House National Security Council communications director James Hewitt. “The President has made clear he prefers direct diplomatic channels with Tehran, or they will face serious consequences if they do not end their work to obtain nuclear weapons.”

Iran Has Rejected Direct Negotiations With the U.S., Trump– time.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Iran Has Rejected Direct Negotiations With the U.S., Trump– time.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran’s first response to a letter that U.S. President Donald Trump sent to the country’s supreme leader.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran’s response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. However, such talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

In the years since, regional tensions have boiled over into attacks at sea and on land. Then came the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which saw Israel target militant group leaders across Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance.” Now, as the U.S. conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Iran’s nuclear program remains on the table.

Trump’s message shakes the pillars of Khamenei’s regime– www.americanthinker.com

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Trump’s message shakes the pillars of Khamenei’s regime– www.americanthinker.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

On March 17, 2025, Donald Trump issued a significant statement on his Truth Social account. This firm and threatening message explicitly holds Khamenei’s regime accountable for the actions of the Houthis in Yemen, aiming to exert direct pressure on Iran’s leadership. Trump’s statement carries several key aspects.

In his statement, Trump wrote:

 

Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN. Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there. Iran has played ‘the innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control. They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘Intelligence.’ Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!