“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
Jun 27, 2025
This photo provided by the White House shows US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Situation Room at the White House on June 21. (See CNN article for photo credits) ~ llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
To paraphrase Shakespeare, “Something is rotten in the Untied States’“. Why would we bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities and then decide to secretly restart negotiations with Iran, doing an about-face and after-the-fact continue with talks about the nuclear facilities agreement if, as Trump claims, their nuclear enrichment facilities were “obliterated”?
. . . and in so doing give Iran $30 billion to contract with an outside uranium refinery (enrichment) facility to produce low-grade nuclear power plant uranium fuel to “prove” for us all that the attack on Iran’s enrichment facilities was successful, which is definitely questionable — when the the Pentagon will only say publicly that the “attack” did what it was designed to do”, and say nothing about “obliteration”.
Oh, and Israel announced that they want to attack Iran again in the future just in case they and the U.S. missed anything during the previous bombings.
If all of this makes sense to anyone, you should avoid dealing with carpetbaggers and grifters. I, myself, believe it is CYA for the president’s fictional use of that nasty and overstated word, “obliterated”. ~llaw
Exclusive: Details emerge of secret diplomatic efforts to restart Iran talks
By Zachary Cohen, Alayna Treene, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler, CNN
6 minute read
Published 12:59 PM EDT, Thu June 26, 2025
CNN —
The Trump administration has discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program, easing sanctions, and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds – all part of an intensifying attempt to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, four sources familiar with the matter said.
Key players from the US and the Middle East have talked with the Iranians behind the scenes even amid the flurry of military strikes in Iran and Israel over the past two weeks, the sources said. Those discussions have continued this week after a ceasefire deal was struck, the sources said.
Trump administration officials emphasized that several proposals have been floated. They are preliminary and evolving with one consistent non-negotiable: zero Iranian enrichment of uranium, which Iran has consistently said it needs. But at least one preliminary draft proposal, described to CNN by two sources, includes several incentives for Iran.
Some details were hashed out in a secret, hours-long meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Gulf partners at the White House last Friday, the day before US military strikes against Iran, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.
Among the terms being discussed, which have not been previously reported, is an estimated $20-30 billion investment in a new Iranian non-enrichment nuclear program that would be used for civilian energy purposes, Trump administration officials and sources familiar with the proposal told CNN. One official insisted that money would not come directly from the US, which prefers its Arab partners foot the bill. Investment in Iran’s nuclear energy facilities has been discussed in previous rounds of nuclear talks in recent months.
“The US is willing to lead these talks” with Iran, the Trump administration official told CNN. “And someone is going to need to pay for the nuclear program to be built, but we will not make that commitment.”
This photo provided by the White House shows US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Situation Room at the White House on June 21.
Daniel Torok/The White House/Getty Images
Other incentives include potentially removing some sanctions on Iran and allowing Tehran to access the $6 billion currently sitting in foreign bank accounts that it is restricted from freely using, according to the draft described to CNN.
Another idea floated last week that is currently being considered is for US-backed allies in the Gulf to pay to replace the Fordow nuclear facility – which the US hit with bunker-buster bombs over the weekend – with the non-enrichment program, two sources familiar with the matter said. It was not immediately clear if Iran would be able to use the site itself, nor was it clear how seriously that proposal was being considered.
“There are a lot of ideas being thrown around by different people and a lot of them are trying to be creative,” one of the sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.
“I think it is entirely uncertain what will happen here,” said a separate source familiar with the first five rounds of talks between the US and Iran that occurred before the Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear program.
Related articleEverything you need to know about Iran’s nuclear program
Witkoff told CNBC Wednesday that the US is seeking a “comprehensive peace agreement,” and a Trump administration official emphasized that all of the proposals are designed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The US has said that Iran may have a nuclear program for peaceful civilian purposes, but that it cannot enrich the uranium for that program. Instead, the US has suggested Iran could import the enriched uranium. Witkoff likened the potential program to that of the United Arab Emirates.
“Now the issue and the conversation with Iran is going to be, how do we rebuild a better civil nuclear program for you that is non-enrichable?” he told CNBC.
The administration may have an opportunity to present a term sheet to the Iranians. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the US and Iran would be sitting down next week – though Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said he was not aware of talks next week, and people involved in the planning said that details were still being worked out.
Sources familiar with the discussions told CNN that no dates have been set yet.
Despite the fervent diplomacy led by Witkoff behind the scenes, Trump this week publicly downplayed the necessity of a nuclear agreement, saying on Wednesday that he believed such an agreement was “not necessary.”
“I don’t care if I have an agreement or not,” he said.
While the president seemed publicly indifferent to hashing out a new deal after clinching a ceasefire agreement, many of his advisers believe the pursuit of a longer-term deal will ensure the ceasefire has longevity.
The terms that were developed in Witkoff’s secret meeting have been the subject of continued discussion between the US and Iran through regional interlocutors – primarily the Qataris – in recent days. Qatar also played a key role in brokering the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran earlier this week, and will be working very closely with the US to ensure that fighting between them will not resume, one of the sources added.
In this frame-grab made from video, missiles and air-defense interceptors illuminate the night sky over Doha after Iran launched an attack at Al Udeid Air Base on June 23.
Getty Images
US hopes strikes will prompt deal
There is hope within the Trump administration that after the events of the past two weeks Iran is more likely to accede to the US conditions and halt efforts that could bring it closer to a developing a nuclear weapon.
But Iranian experts cite the possible scenario that the Iranian regime may now decide that it needs a nuclear weapon. Earlier in the week the Iranian parliament approved legislation to end cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, signaling a desire to further conceal their nuclear program.
Prior to Israel’s military operation against Iran roughly two weeks ago, the US and Iranians had held five rounds of negotiations to try to reach a framework for a new nuclear deal. The US had presented a proposal to Tehran, and Iran was expected to respond during a planned sixth round of negotiations in Oman. Those talks were scuttled by Israel’s attacks on Iran.
On Saturday, ahead of US strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites, the Trump administration communicated with Iran through intermediaries. Their message was twofold: forthcoming US strikes would be contained, but also that the US terms for a diplomatic deal with Iran were clear and simple: no uranium enrichment, sources said.
This June 24 satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage at Fordow enrichment facility after the US strikes on June 22.
Maxar Technologies/AP
Trump has been circumspect about the prospects of a deal, telling reporters after announcing talks with Iran next week: “We may sign an agreement, I don’t know.”
“I could get a statement that they’re not going to go nuclear, we’re probably going to ask for that,” Trump said at a NATO summit on Wednesday.
The president added that his administration would be asking for the same type of commitments they sought in negotiations with Iran prior to the most recent conflict between Israel and Iran.
“The only thing we’d be asking for is what we were asking for before,” Trump said, adding that he wants “no nuclear.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, said Wednesday that any such deal would depend on Iran’s willingness to negotiate directly with the US, not through intermediaries.
“We’d love to have peaceful relations with any country in the world. And so obviously that will depend on Iran’s willingness not just to engage in peace, but to negotiate directly with the United States, not through a third-country or fourth-country process,” Rubio said at a press conference alongside Trump in The Hague.
Witkoff on Wednesday said there are “signs” that an agreement can be reached.
“We’re having conversations with the Iranians. There are multiple interlocutors reaching out to us,” he told CNBC. “I think that they’re ready.”
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TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS DIGEST, Friday, (06/27/2025)
All Things Nuclear
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Details emerge of secret diplomatic efforts to restart Iran talks | CNN Politics
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VOV.VN
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Nuclear War Threats
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The Most Significant Long-Term Consequence of the U.S. Strikes on Iran
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Nuclear Policy Program aims to reduce the risk of nuclear war. Our experts diagnose acute risks stemming from technical and geopolitical …
Israel Suggests It Could Strike Iran Again to Counter New Threats – The New York Times
The New York Times
Israel Suggests It Could Strike Iran Again to Counter New Threats … war planes bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. The war did significant …
Did Russia just threaten to give Iran nuclear weapons? – JNS.org
Jewish News Syndicate
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Nuclear War
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Pentagon emphasizes US strikes against Iran went as planned – YouTube
YouTube
… nuclear facilities in a Pentagon press conference. #CNN #News. … Nuclear War Expert: 72 Minutes To Wipe Out 60% Of Humans, In The Hands …
Experts and officials are still assessing what remains of Iran’s nuclear program – AP News
AP News
The big question following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear program is: What remains of it? U.S.. … Israel-Hamas war Russia-Ukraine war …
New Details Emerge About US Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Sites – YouTube
YouTube
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Plan addresses thermal explosions and earthquakes at Yellowstone National Park – KRTV
KRTV
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Tourists Watch Kilauea Volcano Spew Orange Lava Into The Air – MSN
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