Iran returns missile fire against Israel on Saturday. Israel asks U.S. for help in destroying Iran’s nuclear program . . . ~llaw
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
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… nuclear weapon is perhaps the only thing to make them come around. … All About Flying New 169K views · 16:50 · Go to channel. Fighter Pilot Reacts as …
Iran was engaged in talks with the US over a potential deal on its nuclear programme … All About Flying New 165K views · 14:40 · Go to channel · At 78 …
… nuclear sites appear not to be completely destroyed so there is still room … All About Flying New 166K views · 17:20 · Go to channel. Lift vs. Power …
President Trump had several times this year dissuaded Israel from launching an attack, but afterward he called the strikes “excellent.” Credit…Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times
In My Opinion (more thoughts on Monday!)
His several dissuasions (see NY Times comment above) to Netanyahu and Israel have always been because he “was close to or about to make a “deal” with Iran regarding their nuclear facilities with “controlled” nuclear enrichment that from his original invitation for talks on March 5th, which Iran accepted, has broken down at every meeting date since because of Trump’s vacillating and inconsistent demands on Iran. So this time around Israel ignored even notifying the U.S. that it was going to attack and proceeded on their own. And Trump suddenly refers to that as “EXCELLENT”?
All I can do is wonder if this man has any cognizance or understanding of what is going on in this world of nuclear insanity. Or does he fit right in as the most dangerous leader of them All? There is never a word of truth that comes out of his mouth and they always are spoken — along with his actions, — to protect the very small little world for his own personal comfort rather than the world.
And he is our “Commander in Chief”? Enjoy your military parade, Mr. Trump! ~llaw
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:
There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Emergencies
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Nuclear War Threats
Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available on this weekend’s Saturday Post.)
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
Israel has struck dozens of targets across Iran, damaging the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and assassinating top military commanders and nuclear …
… nuclear facilities and killing senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists in a major attack. … threat of a nuclear bomb”. IRAN ISRAEL ATTACK A …
… nuclear facilities, especially that of Fordow. Trump promised his MAGA constituency he would not start any so-called “forever wars” in the Middle East …
Iran citizens gather in Tehran in protest of Israel’s military attack on their country (See Al Jazeera article for information and photo credits. ~llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion
Well, they’ve gone and done it! Israel has struck Iran’s nuclear power facilities as well as possibly some Iranian military bases, evidently without bothering to concur with the USA or anyone else. Or did they let us know? What you see in this “Al Jazeera” round-up is a brief reaction from dozens of countries around the globe.
But the U.S. was and may still be apparently continuing to say that Trump preferred that negotiating a “deal” with Iran remained his preferred solution rather than war or military attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which is an extremely dangerous undertaking. Yet some other countries believe that the U.S. will join with Israel and attack Iran as well.
It all starts with these two declarations: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel that it “must expect severe punishment” following its “crime”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the military operation will continue for as long as necessary.
So it seems apparent that Israel has lost its patience with Trump and the very idea of a nuclear agreement between the U.S. with other nations concurring to such an agreement. But now it may well never happen . . .
And I think the world knows why! Trump may have played his fiddle for too long while the world was burning . . . ~llaw
How the world is reacting to Israel attacks on Iran nuclear, military sites
The Israeli army says 200 jets struck more than 100 sites across Iran in a large-scale attack.
A firefighter calls out his colleagues at the scene of an explosion in a residential compound in northern Tehran, Iran, on June 13, 2025 [Vahid Salem/AP]
Published On 13 Jun 202513 Jun 2025
|
Updated:
an hour ago
Israel’s military says it launched a wave of strikes on Iran, hitting key nuclear facilities and killing senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists in a major attack.
The assault in the early hours of Friday also hit residential sites and killed at least 78 people, according to “unofficial statistics” reported by Fars, Iran’s semi-official state news agency.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel that it “must expect severe punishment” following its “crime”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the military operation will continue for as long as necessary.
Here is how the world is reacting:
United Nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “maximum restraint” to avoid “descent into deeper conflict”.
“The secretary-general condemns any military escalation in the Middle East,” Guterres’s spokesperson Farhan Haq said. “He is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran’s nuclear programme are under way.”
The UN Security Council said later it would be holding an emergency meeting on Friday at 1900 GMT, current Council presidency Guyana announced.
The meeting was requested by Iran, and supported by Russia and China.
International Atomic Energy Agency
UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi said that nuclear facilities “must never be attacked” and called “on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation” following Israeli strikes on Iran.
“This development is deeply concerning … I reiterate that any military action that jeopardizes the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond,” Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement to board members.
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The IAEA said later that they would be convening an extraordinary meeting of its board of governors on Monday at its Vienna headquarters, two diplomats told AFP.
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NATO
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said it was “crucial” for Israel’s allies to work to de-escalate tensions.
“I think it is now crucial for many allies, including the United States, to work, as we speak, to de-escalate. I know that they are doing that and I think that is now the first order of the day,” Rutte told reporters at a news conference in Stockholm.
“This was a unilateral action by Israel,” Rutte said, while noting it was “obviously a rapidly evolving situation”.
United States
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised the US that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defence.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned Israel’s “military aggression” against Iran, saying that the wave of air strikes violated international law and threatened global security.
“The Government of the Republic of Iraq strongly condemns the military aggression launched by the Zionist entity against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement, referring to Israel.
“This act represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security.”
Iraq later filed a complaint with the UN Security Council over Israel’s “violation of Iraqi airspace” in its attack on Iran, its foreign ministry said.
“These practices constitute a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” the ministry said, calling on “the Security Council to assume its responsibilities” and act to “prevent the recurrence of such violations”.
People gather for a protest against Israel’s wave of strikes on Iran, in central Tehran on June 13, 2025 [Atta Kenare/AFP]
Oman
Oman, which has been mediating nuclear talks between the US and Iran over recent months, decried Israel’s attacks as a “dangerous and reckless escalation” that “violates the principles of international law”.
“[It] represents unacceptable and ongoing aggressive behaviour that undermines the foundations of stability in the region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Israel is responsible for this escalation and its consequences.”
Turkiye
Ankara issued a sharp condemnation of Israel’s attack, calling it a violation of international law and a reckless provocation.
“The air strike shows that Israel does not want issues to be resolved through diplomatic means,” Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
It called on Israel to “immediately halt aggressive actions that could lead to greater conflicts”, warning that such moves could push the region closer to widespread instability.
Turkiye condemned the assault “in the strongest terms”, it said.
Turkiye’s top ministers, joined by military and intelligence chiefs, later held a closed-door meeting “focussed on the process that started with Israeli airstrikes on Iran and their possible repercussions”, a foreign ministry source said.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia denounced the “heinous” Israeli attacks.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the heinous Israeli attacks against the brotherly Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X.
The ministry said Israel’s brutal offensive on Iran “violates its sovereignty and constitutes a blatant breach of international laws and norms”.
It pointed to the UN Security Council’s responsibility for immediately confronting and halting the repeated Israeli aggression.
Qatar
Qatar said it was deeply concerned over the “dangerous escalation” and called on the international community to “urgently halt these Israeli violations”.
“The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack targeting the territory of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran, considering it a flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security, and a clear breach of the rules and principles of international law,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
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United Arab Emirates
The UAE condemned the Israeli attacks and called for restraint.
“The UAE calls for the utmost self-restraint and wise judgment to prevent the conflict from expanding,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Abu Dhabi stressed that diplomatic efforts must take precedence over military responses.
Jordan
“Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict,” a government spokesperson told AFP after Jordan closed its airspace following Israel’s attack on Iran.
Lebanon
The Lebanese foreign ministry condemned Israel’s attack on Iran and said it was “continuing its contacts” to spare Lebanon from being dragged into any conflict.
President Joseph Aoun said Israel’s strikes “did not target the Iranian people alone, but also targeted all international efforts being made to maintain stability in the Middle East and neighbouring countries”.
Aoun called on the international community to “take effective and swift action to prevent Israel from achieving its goals, which are no longer hidden from anyone”.
Hezbollah
The Lebanese group Hezbollah condemned Israel’s wave of strikes on its backer Iran, warning that they threaten to “ignite the region”.
“This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire, and destruction,” Hezbollah said in a statement that condemned the strikes as a “brutal” aggression.
Houthis
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said Tehran had a “legitimate right to defend itself” following Israel’s strikes.
The Houthis said on Telegram that they backed “Iran’s full and legitimate right to … develop its nuclear programme” and that “we strongly condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirm its full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means”.
Hamas
The Palestinian group Hamas called Israeli strikes on Iran a “dangerous escalation”.
“This aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region,” said Hamas in a statement.
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1:42
Pakistan
Pakistan condemned the “unjustified” attacks.
“Strongly condemn unjustified Israeli attacks on Islamic republic of Iran,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar wrote on X. He said Pakistan, which does not recognise Israel, “stands in solidarity with the Government & the people of Iran”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later warned the Israeli strikes were “a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond”.
China
Beijing said it was concerned about the potential for serious consequences as a result of the Israeli attacks.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Friday that China was “closely following developments” and urged all actors to avoid steps that could inflame the crisis.
“China is deeply concerned about the grave consequences that the operations may cause, and urges relevant parties to avoid further escalation of tension,” Lin said.
He added that China was “ready to play a constructive role in helping to cool down the situation”.
Russia
The Kremlin expressed concern over what it called a “sharp escalation” in tensions, Russian state media reported.
“Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies.
European Union
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for all sides to “exercise restraint”.
“The situation in the Middle East is dangerous. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Diplomacy remains the best path forward, and I stand ready to support any diplomatic efforts toward de-escalation,” Kallas wrote on X.
France
France urged all sides to avoid further escalation, while reiterating what it described as Israel’s “right to self-defence”.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X that Paris remained “deeply concerned” over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and stood by Israel’s right to respond to attacks.
President Emmanuel Macron called for the resumption of US-Iran talks and said Tehran bore “heavy responsibility in the destabilisation of the whole region”.
“If Israel were to be attacked in retaliation by Iran, France, if in a position to do so, would take part in protection and defence operations,” he said, but added that Paris would not take part in any offensives on Iran.
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Germany
Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged both Israel and Iran to avoid any “further escalation”.
Both sides should refrain from steps that could “destabilise the entire region,” said Merz, adding that he had been briefed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the raids and had convened a meeting of Germany’s security cabinet.
Merz emphasised that Berlin backed “Israel’s right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens”. Germany had for years been expressing concerns about Iran’s “advanced nuclear weapons programme”, he said.
“Germany stands ready to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. The goal must remain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons,” Merz said.
Italy
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called on his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to come back to the negotiating table after Israel’s strikes on Iran.
Tajani had spoken on the phone with both Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, the Italian ministry said in a statement.
During the conversation with Araghchi, “Tajani called on Iran to avoid a military escalation in the conflict with Israel, a dynamic that would be extremely dangerous for the entire region,” the ministry said.
“We need to return to negotiation and diplomacy as soon as possible,” Tajani told Araghchi, saying it was the same message he had given Sa’ar earlier, according to the statement.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Israel’s strikes on Iran are concerning and that all parties need to step back and reduce tensions.
In a phone call with Netanyahu, Starmer said that London believes Israel has the right to “self defence”, as Britain has “grave concerns” over Iran’s nuclear programme, his spokesperson said in a statement.
“He reiterated [to Netanyahu] the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution, in the interests of stability in the region,” the spokesperson added.
Ireland
Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he was “deeply concerned by the airstrikes on Iran” in a post on X.
“I call on all in the Middle East to exercise the utmost restraint and to avoid further escalation,” said Martin, adding that “the region and the world needs stability. Diplomacy must be the only way forward”.
Sweden
During a press conference in Stockholm with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said it was already a “very serious and tense situation in the Middle East. What is now happening in an unstable region, risks making things considerably worse”.
Kristersson added that there was “a very broad consensus that Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons”, but said the issue needed to be brought back to the “negotiating table”.
“This could further increase the risk of terrorist threats and other dangerous activities,” Kristersson said.
Czech Republic
Czech Republic Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said Israel’s attacks on Iran were a “reasonable reaction”.
Iran “is supporting so many players, including the Hezbollah and Hamas movements, with the intention to destroy the state of Israel, and also seeking a nuclear bomb”, that “I see that this was a reasonable reaction from the state of Israel towards a possible threat of a nuclear bomb”.
A firetruck is seen outside a building that was hit by Israeli air strikes in central Tehran, Iran, on June 13, 2025 [Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE]
Australia
Australia said it was “alarmed by the escalation between Israel and Iran”.
“This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that will further exacerbate tensions,” said Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“We all understand the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme represents a threat to international peace and security, and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy,” Wong said.
New Zealand
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the attacks were an “unwelcome development” in the region.
“The risk of miscalculation is high. That region does not need any more military action, and risk associated with that,” Luxon said.
Indonesia
“Indonesia strongly condemns Israel’s attack on Iran,” said Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on social media.
“The attack risks exacerbating existing regional tensions and could potentially trigger a broader conflict. All parties must exercise the utmost restraint and avoid any actions that might escalate tensions or cause further instability.”
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1:06
Japan
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the use of military forces at a time of diplomacy and negotiations between the US and Iran was “deeply regrettable”.
“The government strongly condemns this action, which escalates the situation,” Iwaya said.
African Union
The African Union expressed grave concern over the attacks and escalating hostilities.
AU chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf “expresses grave concern over reports of an Israeli airstrike on Iran and the ensuing escalation of hostilities in the Middle East”, it said in a statement.
“The Chairperson calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. He pointed out that the current developments pose a serious threat to international peace and security,” it added.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said the Israeli attacks violated international law and fuelled regional insecurity.
The strikes “constitute a clear violation of the fundamental principles of international law, particularly national sovereignty”, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted in a statement on X. “The continuation of such tension-provoking actions has made the situation in the region even more fragile and worrying.”
Mujahid said the Taliban authorities, which do not recognise Israel, called for all stakeholders to “address this issue and prevent the spread of further insecurity and instability in the region”.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
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There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
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Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Emergencies
Nuclear War Threats
Nuclear War
Yellowstone Caldera & Other Volcanoes (Note: There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
“The armed forces will certainly respond to this Zionist attack,” said Iranian spokesperson, Abolfazl Shekarchi. What has the US said? US Secretary of …
List and interactive map of current and past earthquakes near Yellowstone volcano. Volcano Adventure Guide · Volcano Adventure Guide. Excellent …
IAEA Weekly News
Nothing Available to Post, but see their ‘official’ reaction and comment in the “Al Jazeera” news article above. The article is the primary information source to this Post concerning Israel’s military attack on Iran.
A picture taken on November 10, 2019, shows an Iranian flag in Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility. (See CNBC article below for photo and other credits. ~llaw)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion
This CNBC post is long, but also necessarily comprehensive, regarding the complicated situation Trump has made almost self-destructively difficult to himself, the USA, and Israel, if not Iran itself since he 1st suggested that the United States and Iran work out a “deal” concerning Iran’s nuclear operations now and on into the future on March 5th of this year.
No progress has been made and disagreements have only become further apart, louder, and more threatening between both parties along with the war-willful 3rd concerned party, Israel.
Some of those in Trump’s cabinet and his administration have voiced concern that this issue may cause Trump his presidency. Of course there are numerous other concerns that the entire citizenry of our country that could or should cause do the same thing.
To my own mind, he needs to be removed from office — either by public pressure, congressional impeachment, or criminality legal charges. ~llaw
Note
(Also, with my sincere apologies, I was unable to Post my ongoing daily “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #958 due to a case of unpredictable failure of my extensive Internet functionality that somehow destroyed itself and refused to allow me access to the usual many steps required to get from there to here every day. This morning was a mad-rush effort with my Internet provider and all was mercifully somehow repaired, including both the outside incoming lines and my office den equipment, somehow winning the battles and the war by noon today. ~llaw)
Trump wanted an Iran nuclear deal fast. Now he may get military confrontation
Published Thu, Jun 12 20258:09 AM EDTUpdated Thu, Jun 12 202510:29 AM EDT
The Pentagon has ordered the withdrawal of troops and nonessential staff from embassies in Baghdad, Kuwait and Bahrain as tensions spike between the U.S., Israel and Iran.
Iran’s defense minister expressed hope for the ongoing nuclear deal talks, but warned Tehran could strike American assets in the region if attacked.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Sunday for further discussions.
The IRGC Navy Martyr Hassan Bagheri warship and an IRGC speed boat are sailing along the Persian Gulf during the IRGC marine parade, which is commemorating the Persian Gulf National Day, near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the seaport city of Bushehr, Bushehr province, in the south of Iran, on April 29, 2024.
Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Oil prices spiked overnight on geopolitical concerns, as U.S. President Donald Trump struck a sharply more negative tone over the progress of nuclear talks with Iran and announced the withdrawal of some American personnel from the Middle East.
The developments mark a stark shift after several rounds of mostly indirect U.S.-Iran talks that were previously described as “positive” and “respectful.”
Both the Trump administration and Iran have expressed their desire to strike a deal. For Trump, it would deliver a political and diplomatic win that the previous Biden administration failed to achieve. For Iran, it would mean desperately needed relief from sanctions that have crippled its economy.
It now looks increasingly unlikely.
“They [U.S. military personnel] are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place and we will see what happens. … We have given notice to move out,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. The Pentagon ordered the withdrawal of troops and nonessential staff from embassies in Baghdad, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Speaking on a podcast with the New York Post, Trump on Wednesday accused Tehran of “delaying,” saying “I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago.”
Tehran, meanwhile, has accused Washington of not being serious in its engagement and not respecting Iran’s right to enrich uranium for what it insists are peaceful purposes.
Risk of conflict
Trump has previously warned that the U.S. or Israel could carry out airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed. In response, Iran’s defense minister expressed hope for the talks, but also warned of military retaliation if things were to go south.
“In that case, America will have to leave the region, because all of its bases are within our reach. We have access to them, and without hesitation, we will target all of them in the host countries,” the minister told Iranian press.
watch now
VIDEO02:04
Quincy Institute: Will the next round of U.S.-Iran talks happen?
On Thursday, meanwhile, the IAEA Board of Governors — the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog — passed a resolution declaring Iran in noncompliance with its nuclear safeguards obligations for the first time in nearly 20 years.
As it stands, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Sunday for further discussions.
Despite the ongoing talks, Israel is considering military action against Iran in the coming days, according to sources cited by NBC News.
The potential impact of a military conflict between Israel and Iran — a country of 93 million people that is nearly four times the size of Iraq — cannot be understated, both for the nations involved, and for global markets, political analysts and economists say.
However, multiple analysts speaking to CNBC say a military confrontation is still likely to be averted — for now. Some suggested that the recent partial evacuation orders are part of the choreography of pressure ahead of the upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.
The No. 1 roadblock
The No. 1 holdup to a deal? Domestic uranium enrichment in Iran, which can be used to generate nuclear energy for peaceful purposes — or build a bomb.
After initially showing flexibility on Iran being able to enrich uranium at lower levels for nuclear power generation, Trump has changed his tune, saying anything beyond zero enrichment in the country is unacceptable.
That’s a hard deal-breaker for Tehran, which demands its right to a civilian nuclear energy program. Iran maintains that right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, which it joined in 1970, and which allows nonnuclear weapon states to build peaceful nuclear energy programs.
watch now
VIDEO05:06
Croft: Iran wants a civilian program—not full dismantlement
But concerns abound over Iran’s actual intentions. Under the 2015 Obama-era Iranian nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, Iran committed to capping levels of 3.67% enriched uranium at 300 kilograms — enough to sustain a civilian nuclear power program.
But Iran’s uranium enrichment has reached 60% purity, according to the IAEA — a dramatically higher level that is a short technical step from the weapons-grade purity level of 90%. “A country enriching at 60% is a very serious thing. Only countries making bombs are reaching this level,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in 2021.
Potential for compromise?
Despite Trump publicly saying any Iranian domestic enrichment at all represents a red line, a number of options have been floated that would provide a sort of “compromise” for Tehran.
Those include the U.S. proposal that Iran join a regional nuclear consortium that would allow it to continue enriching uranium at low levels while committing to zero enrichment at some point in the future, and that would see it mothball — but not dismantle — its nuclear facilities.
But the U.S. proposal “is more a series of ideas than a concrete plan, and for the moment looks unworkable,” Gregory Brew, senior Iran and energy analyst at Eurasia Group, wrote in a note this week.
“Even if Iran is allowed to enrich on an interim basis, it will not accept an arrangement that does not safeguard this right in perpetuity.”
A picture taken on November 10, 2019, shows an Iranian flag in Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility.
ATTA KENARE | AFP via Getty Images
In addition, the Iranians “are also quite irritated that the U.S. has not engaged substantively with the issue of sanctions relief,” Brew said. “They are asking for clarification on that issue; the Iranians of course are chiefly interested in a deal that brings sanctions relief for their economy.”
The fact that Iran has openly threatened to directly strike U.S. assets in the region if attacked is tremendously significant, according to Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
That’s in large part because the missiles Iran deployed to strike Israel last October “actually were quite efficient,” Parsi told CNBC’s “Access Middle East” on Thursday.
“If there is a confrontation, and if the Iranians make true on their threats to target American bases, this is going to end up becoming a very, very devastating confrontation,” Parsi said.
“And supporters of Trump from his own base are very worried that he will be jeopardizing his entire presidency over this issue, when in reality, there is a diplomatic deal in reach.”Subscribed
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There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
Suspicious activity around nuclear weapons bases could spin a conventional conflict into a nuclear one. Military officers who routinely handle nuclear …
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). See article for photo credits ~llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion
It appears that negotiations to reach a nuclear use agreement between Iran and the USA are going to continue on despite all of the disgruntled threats and delays between the two nations, along with Israel in the middle apparently still salivating for war. “I told [Netanyahu] this would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution,” Trump said. Note that Trump said “solution”, not “agreement”, which could be two polar-opposing situations. We shall see . . .
Trump claims to have once again “told” Netanyahu to delay an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities because the negotiations are ongoing again. This has been going on back and forth since the 1st meeting, and I have to wonder how much longer the on-again-off again repetitions will go on without coming completely apart.
I will add that that Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expresses in this article, his deep concerns about military force being able to successfully accomplish an attempt to stop Iran’s nuclear program(s).
My thoughts are that the talks will once again break down for the same or similar reasons that Trump has caused them to be of no avail in previous conferences. ~llaw
Israeli attack could drive Iran to seek nuclear weapons, IAEA chief warns
Head of nuclear watchdog warns Israeli strike may harden Iran’s resolve on nuclear arms as diplomacy stalls.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria [Joe Klamar/AFP]
Published On 9 Jun 20259 Jun 2025
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has warned that an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities could push Tehran closer to developing nuclear weapons as indirect talks between the United States and Iran continue through Omani mediation.
Speaking to i24 News and The Jerusalem Post, Grossi said Iranian officials had cautioned him about the potential consequences of a strike.
“A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” he said in an interview that was published on Monday.
Grossi added that he did not believe Israel would launch such an operation.
“But one thing is certain,” he said, “The [Iranian] programme runs wide and deep. And when I say ‘deep’, I mean it. Many of these facilities are extremely well-protected. Disrupting them would require overwhelming and devastating force.”
He made his comments as Iran prepares a counteroffer to a US proposal for a new nuclear deal.
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Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the US offer lacked key elements and failed to address sanctions relief – a longstanding demand from Tehran.
He also criticised the IAEA’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme as “unbalanced”, accusing it of relying on “forged documents” from Israel. The IAEA had recently described Iran’s cooperation as “less than satisfactory”, particularly in clarifying past nuclear activities at undeclared locations.
The US and Iran are trying to strike a new nuclear deal after a 2015 agreement was abandoned by US President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first term.
Trump described Iran on Monday as a “tough” and skilled negotiator, as Washington continues indirect nuclear talks with Tehran.
“We’re doing a lot of work on Iran right now,” Trump said during a White House economic event. “It’s tough … They’re great negotiators.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the two leaders spoke on Monday, with Trump assuring him that negotiations with Iran would continue later in the week.
In a surprise comment last week, Trump said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to jeopardise the fragile negotiations.
“I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution,” Trump said.
It remains unclear when the next round of indirect negotiations will take place. Baghaei said talks are ongoing but did not give a date for the next meeting.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
IAEA urges Iran to cooperate amid rising concerns over nuclear enrichment
Next02:38
Russia launched large drone attacks on Ukraine’s Kyiv and the southern port of Odesa
08:42
UK, allies impose sanctions on Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir & Smotrich for inciting violence
04:09
Greta Thunberg deported after Gaza aid boat seizure, accuses Israel of dehumanising treatment
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There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
Staff at the Cook nuclear power plant in Bridgman are getting ready for a major emergency drill. · Every two years, county, state and federal agencies …
“The reality of war proves that nuclear threats are convincing only when it comes to exceptional circumstances — a threat to the very existence of the …
It should understand what such a conflict would mean for regional and global security, and specifically for the Australian Defence Force. In September …
The Yellowstone caldera, which forms the surface of the volcano, spans roughly 30 by 45 miles and covers over 1,300 square miles of land. According to …
Aide carrying the USA’s “nuclear football” containing the nuclear code that only the President can use to launch a nuclear weapon . . . Do we trust our current president to be the sole decision-maker whether or not to engage in nuclear war? ~llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion
So here we are again in another dither about Trump’s insane contradictory views on nuclear agreements, but also, even worse, is his switching between nuclear “Disarmament” as he refers to it, and turning the world loose with unlimited “Nuclear Proliferation” simply because, as NATO nations fear, he may not support other countries in the possibility of nuclear war, or even a non-nuclear war if you consider his back and forth attitude toward a possible truce between Ukraine and Russia.
We keep going down this frighteningly dangerous road of what appears to be an extremely mentally unstable American president who either can’t make up his mind about important global or even local issues or, more likely, he cannot remember his previous contradictions as opposed to his new ones. The thus far disastrous Iran nuclear talks, are a carefully followed example, indicating a short term memory as well as an extremely limited attention span.
Given these and other obvious mental issues, some of them age-related, can we trust this president to be the sole decision-maker whether or not to engage in nuclear war?
I think not! ~llaw
Why America may be triggering a new era of nuclear proliferation
Allies are less certain of the US’s ‘extended deterrence’ and some are pondering their own options. Ankit Panda explains the escalating dangers of a ‘third nuclear age’ – and how they might be avoided.
The World Today Published 9 June 2025 5 minute READ
Ankit Panda
Stanton Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Editor-at-Large, The Diplomat
In 1961, Charles de Gaulle, the French president, asked his American counterpart John F Kennedy if the United States ‘would be ready to trade New York for Paris’. His pointed question was about whether the US would be prepared to defend its European NATO allies, thereby risking a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union which had acquired intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland in 30 minutes.
No response from Kennedy would have convinced the French leader that such a sacrifice would be made. The year before France had carried out its first nuclear weapon test to become the fourth nuclear-armed power, independent of the United States.
Six decades on similar doubts are resurfacing among leaders, strategists and electorates from Warsaw to Seoul, from Canberra to Ottawa. This time, however, the cause isn’t the acquisition of a new weapon system by Washington’s adversaries, but a change in America’s temperament and approach to alliances. The result is the prospect of an alarming new nuclear age in which, after nearly 40 years of reductions in global stockpiles of nuclear weapons, their numbers may be increasing once again.
Rogue states
In recent decades, fears of proliferation have focused on non-aligned states, such as India and Pakistan, or so-called ‘rogue’ regimes such as Iran or North Korea. Today, strikingly, it is American allies who are beginning to consider nuclear weapons of their own.
That is because Donald Trump’s bid to remake America’s approach to its alliances includes the possibility that Washington may also abandon the longstanding principle of nuclear nonproliferation that has been central to its grand strategy since the mid-1960s.Trump’s bid to remake America’s approach to its alliances includes the possibility that Washington will abandon the principle of nuclear nonproliferation.
When China became the fifth country to join the nuclear club in 1964, President Lyndon B Johnson convened a task force to study the consequences of nuclear proliferation. The committee, led by Roswell Gilpatric, reported back in 1965 with a stark conclusion: ‘Preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons is clearly in the national interest despite the difficult decisions that will be required.’
For the remainder of the Cold War, America tackled these ‘difficult decisions’ by persuading its allies that nuclear weapons of their own would be costly and risky – better to accept American protection instead. This meant placing US nuclear weapons on allied territory, certifying allied pilots to deliver them and creating new forums for consultation with allies on nuclear policy. When South Korea and Taiwan tried to go nuclear in the 1970s and 1980s, Washington applied decisive pressure to ensure they remained non-nuclear.
The US also sought to persuade the Soviet Union to collaborate on promoting a global system of nuclear nonproliferation, leading to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT. It came into force in 1970 and, with 191 parties, it is among the most effective arms control arrangements in history.
Goodbye nuclear optimism
With the end of the Cold War in 1991, a second nuclear age dawned. The Russian Federation inherited the nuclear stockpile of the Soviet Union. America unilaterally and through arms control with Russia reduced the size of its nuclear arsenal, drawing back its nuclear weapons deployed to Asia and nearly all of its nuclear weapons deployed to Europe.
The 1990s, despite crises in South Asia and the Korean Peninsula, was a moment of nuclear optimism. Global governance on nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament grew stronger as the NPT was extended indefinitely and a global Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty agreed. Between the mid-1980s and 2000, the global stockpile of nuclear warheads fell from 70,000 to around 12,500, where it remains today.
That optimism is now a distant memory. Relations between Russia and the West are the worst they have been since the Cold War. Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been backed by overt and covert nuclear threats. After February 2026, when the 2010 New START strategic arms treaty between the US and Russia expires, the two countries will be without limits on the size of their nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years.
Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding its nuclear forces, aiming for an arsenal of up to 1,500 warheads, bringing it closer to parity with the US and Russia, which each possesses about 5,000 warheads. Arms control theorists continue to struggle to devise a plausible pathway to an equilibrium between Russia, America and China. A three-way arms race is likely.
The deterrence problem
In this third nuclear age, new and complex dynamics are emerging. North Korea is no longer a nonproliferation challenge, but a nuclear deterrence problem for the US. In April and May, India and Pakistan engaged in the most serious military exchange since their arrival as nuclear powers in 1998. Moreover, novel technologies, from cyber-weapons to artificial intelligence, have increased anxieties about new pathways to nuclear war.
For American allies in Europe and East Asia, these developments are leading to greater insecurity and anxiety. The world is more dangerous and, with it, the threat of conventional war between states and an ensuing nuclear conflict is higher than it has been in decades. An America that was faithful to the essential insight of the Gilpatric committee would respond to this with reassurance. Instead, at the Munich Security Conference in February, US Vice President JD Vance excoriated European values, suggesting a US administration that is uninterested in Europe’s sovereignty – perhaps even its survival. His speech echoed what Trump has long stated: that America’s allies have been taking Washington for a ride for decades, were undeserving of its protection and must ‘pay their fair share’.
At question now is America’s commitment to NATO and the Article 5 collective defence clause, including its willingness to maintain the US nuclear umbrella under which member states have sheltered. The ambivalence is underscored by Trump’s inconsistent pronouncements. Campaigning in the run-up to his first presidency, Trump suggested South Korea and Japan might need to acquire nuclear weapons, for instance. At other times he has termed the spread of nuclear weapons the ‘single biggest threat’ to the world.
At the same time, Trump has shown an interest in deep arms reductions with Russia and China, an objective that would become far more difficult should American ambivalence towards its allies push them to acquire nuclear weapons. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Germany, Poland, South Korea and Japan may be unlikely – but should it take shape and impinge upon the security interests of Moscow and Beijing, arms control and reduction among the major powers would be nigh-on impossible.
For America’s allies, these contradictions may be beside the point. America can no longer be treated as the cornerstone of their national defence, and relying on Washington for deterrence may be more of a liability than an asset. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, failed to persuade allies that their experience in Trump’s first term was an aberration and that the US was fundamentally ready to ‘repair our alliances and engage with the world once again’.
With Trump’s re-election, allies are starting to take matters into their own hands. European spending on national defence has spiked in the first months of 2025 and the continent’s two nuclear powers, Britain and France, are exploring ways to reassure European allies in order to prevent uncontrolled proliferation.
It is clear that the world can no longer take for granted longstanding principles of US grand strategy when it comes to nuclear weapons. The load-bearing pillar of American leadership in the global nuclear order is crumbling. But there are still options to avert the worst outcomes. First, Paris and London should, as a matter of urgency, seek to study the feasibility of erecting a new security architecture for Europe, built on the establishment of a new extended deterrence that incorporates their own nuclear capabilities. This is easier said than done. Neither has seriously contemplated operating in a world without US support. Also, France’s deterrent is more independent than Britain’s which relies on cooperation with the US.
Yet creative thinking and new investments – including in nonstrategic nuclear options – can show the rest of the continent that nuclear deterrence without America is not a lost cause, particularly when paired with investments by other European countries in substantial new non-nuclear defence capabilities, including long-range missiles and drones.
Second, the normative, legal and industrial barriers to the spread of nuclear weapons have grown substantially since the Cold War. For states with civil nuclear programmes, a secret weapons programme will be overwhelmingly risky and prone to detection thanks to the international system of nuclear safeguards, which has grown more robust.
Threats of preventive attacks, sabotage by adversaries, and economic sanctions are other significant considerations. States such as South Korea may consider openly pursuing nuclear weapons by invoking the NPT’s withdrawal clause citing threats to their national interests and survival. This path, understandable given North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal, would bring its own problems. Even with America’s blessing, Seoul would struggle to remain a globally integrated and prosperous state. China would impose sanctions, and wider diplomatic isolation would be a likely consequence.
As bad as matters could get with a mercurial second Trump administration, many states may conclude proliferation to be a leap into the unknown. Humanity’s coexistence with the bomb will continue to be perilous. From Europe to Asia and beyond, states interested in preserving global stability as America drifts will need to prioritize nuclear risks in their strategic calculus. While the America of old might one day return, allies and the rest of the world cannot count on that. In which case, others will need to come forward to uphold the pillars of the nuclear order
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
RASCOE: This week, there’s a new exhibit opening at the Atomic Museum, all about the photograph that might seem absurd to viewers in 2025. But in the …
Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been backed by overt and covert nuclear threats. … The world is more dangerous and, with it, the threat of …
Have you ever wondered why the U.S. and other nations with nuclear power don’t reprocess (see flow-chart above) dangerous poisonous and radioactive spent fuel, such as plutonium and other dirty bi-products, irresponsibly accumulating it all with other nuclear waste?
You probably guessed it! A quick answer is, of course, it’s all about money and to hell with the concept of saving lives of all kinds on planet Earth, including our own.
This has been going on for decades and yet still we have no national nuclear waste storage facilities, nor even one single facility, in the United States while insanely planning to build and operate even more nuclear power plants — meaning more threats to life on planet Earth — and yes, I’ll say it again —including our own. ~llaw
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There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
As Russia again raises nuclear war fears, what’s needed is public education about the dangers of weapons proliferation. People worry about everything …
… nuclear threats at states and foes that lack nuclear … As Russia again raises nuclear war fears, what’s needed is public education about the dangers …
… war — political scientist. 20:38. Ukraine faces shelter shortfall as war threats continue. 20:18. Exclusive. Russia overloads bombers in response to …
The Doomsday Clock for the “Bulletin of Atomic Scientists” continues to tick away . . .
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Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
Where do things stand there? ELVING: He is still hoping. And there’s every reason for him and the rest of the world to want both, but Trump made some …
For US nuclear strategists, the attack yielded at least four crucial lessons. … Drone threats are just one of a variety of air and missile threats to …
See article below for description of Iranian Drone image and photo credits . . . ~llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion
This is the most recent story I could find on the U.S./Israel/Iran nuclear agreement, which for all intents and purposes seems to have failed due to nearly impossible restrictions on Iran’s ability to generate, refine, and enrich uranium fuel for their existing and future nuclear power plants. The proposed U.S. restrictions are spelled out in the article, and it is doubtful that Iran will agree to what appears to be unworkable operational restrictions.
So, what is the outlook from where it stands today? Will the U.S. and/or Israel attempt to attack and destroy Iran’s existing nuclear facilities? That is the threat being held over Iran’s future if they fail to comply to what seems to be impossible compliance. That indicates to me that the U.S. has intended all along for any nuclear agreement to fail — based on Trump’s constant rule changes and other aggravations — and now we can blame any future military attack on Iran rather than uncalled for aggression by either the U.S. or Israel.
Other nations who understand the plight Trump has put on Iran’s nuclear power program, and it could well be that some of those other nations will join and support any attempt to destroy their nuclear facilities, which they have long held the right to have. Thus, it is becoming apparent that something smells in the States of Israel and the U.S.A.
This entire farce, originated by Trump and his administration, seems not to be considered what the civilized world would refer to as political ”Intrastate Cooperation and Consideration” among or between nations debating projected agreements and compacts. ~llaw
The Islamic Republic Armed Forces General Staff, Iran’s highest military authority tasked with coordinating the conventional army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued a threatening statement on June 4 amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States. The statement declared that “by standing firm against [US] threats,” the Iranian armed forces under the command of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “are ready with exemplary power to confront the enemies.”
The announcement came after Khamenei rejected Washington’s latest nuclear proposal in a June 4 sermon. He condemned the US demand for the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program, accusing the West of fixating on enrichment. “Enemies are focused on enrichment,” Khamenei said, dismissing the idea of operating “a hundred nuclear plants without enrichment” as senseless. He then issued a defiant warning. “Our answer to America is clear,” he said, adding that the “Americans and Zionist” officials behind the proposal “should know they cannot do a damn thing.”
The US proposal, delivered to Tehran on May 31, reportedly permits limited low-level uranium enrichment in Iran for an unspecified period but imposes strict conditions: dismantling key conversion infrastructure, halting centrifuge research and development, and banning new enrichment sites. It envisions a regional consortium, restricts enrichment to civilian use, caps levels at 3 percent, and renders underground facilities non-operational. Though enrichment is allowed in principle, the plan effectively requires Iran to dismantle existing infrastructure until the new consortium is in place.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Khamenei and a key figure on the nuclear file, rejected the US proposal as unserious on June 4, calling its architects “amateur.” Shamkhani criticized the absence of any reference to sanctions relief—“an essential issue for Tehran”—and firmly rejected the goal of full disarmament. “America’s objectives of dismantling its nuclear program and reducing uranium enrichment to zero would not materialize,” Shamkhani stated.
Iran has grown increasingly skeptical of the nuclear talks, which ended in Rome without progress. On May 23, Iranian state outlets reported that US envoy Steven Witkoff had left the talks ahead of schedule, while CNN reported that officials in Tehran saw little chance of a breakthrough. Khamenei reinforced this bleak outlook in a May 20 address, denouncing Washington’s demands. That message was echoed on May 22 by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who ruled out any concessions on uranium enrichment.
In line with the Armed Forces’ statement, other branches of Iran’s military escalated their rhetoric. Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh stated on June 4 that “Iran’s power deters Israel from issuing threats,” dismissing recent Israeli warnings as “baseless.” That same day, IRGC Navy Commander Commodore Alireza Tangsiri vowed a “harsh response” to any naval aggression and praised the Tehran-backed Yemeni Houthis for their ongoing attacks against Israel, which have continued almost daily since May.
State media further amplified the regime’s messaging, broadcasting a propaganda video showcasing Iran’s latest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The footage featured the Jas-313 bomber UAV, capable of flying at 45,000 feet with a top speed of Mach 0.8 and an endurance of one hour. The IRGC Navy employs the drone for both reconnaissance and strike missions, and one source claimed the Jas-313 is designed to evade radar detection.
Iran has moved beyond rhetoric and taken concrete steps to reinforce its air defense posture amid growing concerns that failed nuclear negotiations could trigger a US or Israeli military strike. The regime’s air defense network suffered significant losses during Israeli air campaigns in April and October 2024, which damaged or destroyed most of its surface-to-air missile systems, including Russian-supplied S-300 batteries and associated radar units. In response, Tehran has reportedly redeployed air defense assets around sensitive nuclear facilities such as Natanz and Fordow.
Recent public displays suggest an effort to signal readiness: during last month’s Army Day parade in Tehran, Iran displayed an S-300 launcher and radar vehicle. In military drills held in February, an S-300 system was observed firing a missile using what appeared to be an Iranian-made radar system—likely a substitute for imported systems rendered inoperable during previous strikes.
Iran’s heightened alert is driven not only by concerns over a possible US or joint US-Israeli strike but also by a growing fear in Tehran that Israel may act unilaterally. CNN reported on May 20 that US intelligence believes Israel is preparing for a potential strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi condemned the threat on May 22 and warned of “special measures” if it materializes. The same day, Iran’s UN mission submitted a letter holding Washington legally accountable for any Israeli military action. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News vowed severe retaliation, while Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri pointed to Iran’s April and October 2024 attacks on Israel as warnings of what could follow.
Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence.
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IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
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Ukraine releases dramatic FPV footage of drone attack on Russian airbases (See article)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion
So the beat goes on and the tension rises as global turmoil grows more concerning wherever there is war or threats of war. There is plenty of both, and the nuclear side of it all continues to become closer to reality rather than mere threats.
One article today pointed out that if cheap drones can virtually wipe out airports filled with multi-billion dollar military grade bombers capable of carrying the most powerful nuclear bombs, it means that the strategic value of drones in nuclear war situations can change by limiting the ability of nuclear powers to achieve their military purpose, as has recently been demonstrated by Ukraine’s successful attack on nuclear-capable but idle Russian bombers being destroyed at their bases.
Such implications of new technology and intelligent action can change the shape of a war. Like any new weapon that can successfully achieve its mission during an actual war, that weapon is going to become an integral part of any military mission, but such a weapon may also prompt a war that begins sooner rather than later in order to avoid similar future successful enemy missions that have not yet been fully developed.
And of course, there still remains the long range nuclear-warheaded ICBM missile that is capable of destroying an entire city and its surrounds, such as Washington D.C., with a single ballistic missile. How do we deal with that? No one actually knows. ~llaw
As Vladimir Putin pledges to retaliate against Ukraine for last weekend’s unprecedented drone attack, Kremlin advisers and figures around Donald Trump have told the US president that the risk of a nuclear confrontation is growing, in an attempt to pressure him to further reduce US support for Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and an important intermediary between the Kremlin and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, called the Ukrainian drone strike an attack on “Russian nuclear assets”, and echoed remarks from Maga-friendly figures warning of the potential for a third world war.
“Clear communication is urgent – to grasp reality and the rising risks before it’s too late,” Dmitriev wrote, adding a dove emoji.
Ukraine claimed that the strike damaged more than 40 Russian planes, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M heavy bombers that have been used to launch cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities throughout the war, killing thousands and damaging crucial infrastructure that delivers heat and electricity to millions more.
4:42
Ukraine releases dramatic FPV footage of drone attack on Russian airbases – video
But those planes can also carry weapons armed with nuclear warheads, and are part of a nuclear triad along with submarine and silo-based missiles that form the basis for a system of deterrence between Russia and the United States.
After a phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, Trump said: “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”
Ukraine voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994, in return for security assurances from the US, the UK and Russia.
Those skeptical of US support for Ukraine are seizing on the risks of a nuclear confrontation to argue that the conflict could possibly spin out of control.
Maga (Make America great again) influencers such as Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk have openly condemned the drone attack, with Bannon likening the strike to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and Kirk writing: “Most people aren’t paying attention, but we’re closer to nuclear war than we’ve been since this began in 2022.”
But more centrist advisers within the Trump camp – including some who have closer links to Ukraine – are also warning that the risks of a nuclear conflict are growing as they seek to maintain Trump’s interest in brokering a peace.
“The risk levels are going way up,” Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told Fox News. “When you attack an opponent’s part of their [nuclear] triad, your risk level goes up because you don’t know what the other side is going to do. And that’s what they did.”
Kellogg also repeated rumours that Ukraine had struck the Russian nuclear fleet at Severomorsk, although reports of an explosion there have not been confirmed. He said the US was “trying to avoid” an escalation.
Other current and former members of the administration skeptical of US support for Ukraine have also vocally opposed the drone strikes.
“It is not in America’s interest for Ukraine to be attacking Russia’s strategic nuclear forces the day before another round of peace talks,” said Dan Caldwell, an influential foreign policy adviser who was a senior aide to Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon until he was purged amid a scandal over leaks last month.
“This has the potential to be highly escalatory and raises the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and Nato,” he said. “US should not only distance itself from this attack but end any support that could directly or indirectly enable attacks against Russian strategic nuclear forces.”
It is not the first time that concerns over Russia’s use of a nuclear weapon have been used to try to temper US support for Ukraine.
As Moscow’s forces were routed near Kharkiv and in the south at Kherson in September 2022, Russian officials sent signals that the Kremlin was considering using a battlefield nuclear weapon, senior Biden officials have said.
National security officials said they believed that if the Russian lines collapsed and left open the potential for a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, there would be a 50% chance that Russia would use a nuclear weapon as a result.
Ukrainian officials have responded by saying that Russia has embellished its threats of a nuclear attack in order to blackmail the US from giving greater support to Ukraine.
Why you can rely on the Guardian not to bow to Trump – or anyone
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There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Emergencies
Nuclear War Threats
Nuclear War
Yellowstone Caldera & Other Volcanoes (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
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![Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on June 9, 2025. [File: Joe Klamar/AFP]](https://i0.wp.com/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85402500-49ad-4265-b49c-1c7c88f7c54a_770x513.jpeg?ssl=1 "Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on June 9, 2025. [File: Joe Klamar/AFP]")
