End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
Jun 12, 2025
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
Key Points
- 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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TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS DIGEST, Thursday, (06/12/2025)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
World Bank Ends Its Ban on Funding Nuclear Power Projects – The New York Times
The New York Times
Because those countries have nuclear energy companies that are partly or wholly state-owned, and which control everything from fuel to financing to …
Many nuclear experts agree that the US needs new capabilities. Now they need to convince …
Atlantic Council
The United States and the West face a revisionist Russia that is a peer nuclear … All rights reserved. Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Terms and …
Trump wanted an Iran nuclear deal fast. Now he may get military confrontation – CNBC
CNBC
… 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 …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Trump wanted an Iran nuclear deal fast. Now he may get military confrontation – CNBC
CNBC
… nuclear weapon states to build peaceful nuclear energy programs. … nuclear power program. But Iran’s uranium enrichment has reached 60 …
World Bank to end ban on nuclear energy projects, still debating upstream gas | Reuters
Reuters
The World Bank’s board has agreed to end a longstanding ban on funding nuclear energy projects in developing countries as part of a broader push …
World Bank Ends Its Ban on Funding Nuclear Power Projects – The New York Times
The New York Times
Casting nuclear power as an essential replacement for fossil fuels, more than 20 countries — including the United States, Canada, France and Ghana — …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Another nuclear renaissance, even as San Onofre is torn down? – Orange County Register
Orange County Register
… emergencies has shrunken considerably. “With the reactors retired … nuclear power includes even small nuclear reactors. While Edison does …
Dominion Energy
Report Other Emergencies Downed Power Lines Streetlight Outage … Our nuclear power plants generate clean energy through a closed-loop .
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Iran threatens nuclear escalation after UN watchdog board finds it in breach of obligations
CNN
Up next. Trump tells Netanyahu to end Gaza war and stop Iran threats, source says, as US ramps up pressure on Israel. Jun 11, 2025. 4 minute readmin …
US to pull some personnel from the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran | Reuters
Reuters
Officials cite ‘heightened security risks‘ for decision · US has previously threatened to strike Iran · US military dependents authorised to leave …
Israel Appears Ready to Attack Iran – The New York Times
The New York Times
But many top Israeli officials already consider Iran’s progress to be unacceptable and have openly threatened military action against its nuclear …
Nuclear War
NEWS
How Nuclear War Could Start | CNAS
CNAS
Suspicious activity around nuclear weapons bases could spin a conventional conflict into a nuclear one. Military officers who routinely handle nuclear …
Iran says it will target US bases if conflict breaks out over nuclear enrichment – France 24
France 24
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Washington “cannot have a say” on the issue, as US President Donald Trump threatened that the US …
Ending nuclear weapons, before they end us | Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases
Nature
The first atomic bomb exploded in the New Mexico desert 80 years ago, in July 1945. Three weeks later, two relatively small (by today’s standards), …