Trump taking the “Oath of Office” without placing his left hand on the Bible – Courtesy of Time Magazine
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
I don’t often post media stories from You Tube, but this one is a live press interview all about both the Ukraine and Iran war situation and strategies and anticipation that left me speechless.
So, after listening to this full opening segment about today’s world situation I leave it up to you, the reader/listener, to make your own personal opinions about Trump himself and his view of the world situation today. I only have one question if you make it through the entire interview, and it is this:
Do you think Trump is capable of leading our Country after listening to his constant repetitions of his thoughts and, given that, is he mentally well enough to have any idea what he is doing or saying? ~llaw
Notice: You Tube has taken the live stream down as I was preparing it for Posting, but this is, I believe a complete replay of the press interview . . . If this doesn’t work you can go to You Tube and find other media outlets that have transcribed the entire press conference.
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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.
It is the exact opposite of what the world knows now as “nuclear power” — a fission reaction that splits atoms. Nuclear fusion has far greater energy …
Ginna Clean Energy Center’s nuclear power plant will test its sirens. The public notification is an emergency warning system. It includes the sounding …
(See “AXIOS” article below to see description and photo credits ~llaw)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
This “AXIOS” update that continues to muddy the water with Sunday’s latest contradictions — from both Iran and the U.S. — although Iran still insists on maintaining their present nuclear program regardless of any future agreement and Trump seems to talk out of both sides of his mouth, saying “the goal of the negotiations with Iran is to achieve “full dismantlement” of Tehran’s nuclear program”, and then saying they can have a nuclear program, but they would have to buy nuclear fuel rather than create their own refined grade (enrichment) of fuel for their power plants, an idea put forth by Secretary of State Rubio, which Israel’s Netanyahu also favors.
Either way, what Trump is saying because it is impossible to have the “full dismantlement” that Trump is insisting on and still have an Iranian “nuclear program”. Once again, or so it seems to me, Trump’s contradictions are making an actual “deal” leading to a nuclear agreement impossible to achieve. One would think he knows the difference between “total disarmament”, “total dismantlement”, and an ongoing “nuclear program”, but, based on his weekly conflicting demands, he doesn’t seem to understand the differences.
And that scenario is a scary state of affairs, not only in this case, but everything “nuclear” or any other kind of crisis that our country may have to deal with in the future. ~llaw
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to graduating students at the Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 01, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trump’s remarks come the day before commencement ceremonies. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Trump said the goal of the negotiations with Iran is to achieve “full dismantlement” of Tehran’s nuclear program.
Why it matters: Trump’s remarks in an “Meet the Press” interview aired Sunday are the first time he’s publicly announced the ambitious goal since nuclear talks began with Iran a month ago.
GOP senators, evangelical leaders and other Trump supporters have called on the president in recent days to make his position clear regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
What they’re saying: “Total dismantlement. Yes, that is all I would accept,” Trump told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.
“I want Iran to be really successful, really great, really fantastic. The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. If they want to be successful, that’s okay. I want them to be so successful,” Trump said.
“I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon because the world will be destroyed,” he added.
Trump said he is open to hearing arguments in favor of Iran having a civilian nuclear program, which is something that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also said he supports.
“There’s a pathway to a civil, peaceful nuclear program if they want one,” Rubio said last month on the “Honestly with Bari Weiss” podcast.
Between the lines: Trump’s statement settles an internal debate within the administration about what the goal of the talks with Iran should be.
The more hawkish voices in the administration, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, say the U.S. must demand the full dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program and do it by military force if Iran refuses to accept it.
The other camp within the administration thinks Iran will not accept full dismantlement of its nuclear program and has suggested the U.S. agree to some uranium enrichment in order to get a deal and avoid a military strike that could lead to a war with Iran.
State of play: Iran said several times in public — and made it clear in private — during the U.S. negotiations that it will not accept full dismantlement of its nuclear program.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators are expected to meet later this week for the fourth round of nuclear talks.
Trump’s statement will likely have a significant influence on the next round of negotiations.
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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.
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Nuclear power seemed to offer a way past these tensions, as a zero emissions energy source providing baseload power. It would also have meant slowing …
Some of you have asked why I occasionally post this old “Alley Oop” cartoon on LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest. It’s because dinosaur bones are a small part of the geological exploration for uranium — the highly radioactive fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs — because significant leaching of radioactive soil into petrified bones is often an indication of economical high-grade uranium deposits. So it might be said that the fear of dinosaurs, even today, has never quite gone away. ~llaw
In order to keep abreast of the weekend nuclear news, I will post Saturday and Sunday’s news, but without editorial comment. If a weekend story warrants a critical review, it will show up on Monday’s posts . . .
If you are not familiar with the daily blog posts, this is how the nuclear news post works . . . 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:
All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
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Nuclear War
Nuclear War Threats
Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available on this weekend’s Saturday 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 comments represent one of the most explicit threats of nuclear retaliation made by a senior Pakistani official against India in recent years. “We …
Putin’s nuclear threats. It is important to note that Russia has repeatedly threatened Ukraine with nuclear weapons since the start of the full-scale …
Apparent uranium conversion facility In Iran ~llaw
Important alert: I will defer some, but not all, of my opinions until hopefully Monday, but maybe only ‘til tomorrow, to comment on two very important headlines in today’s nuclear news. First is the apparent Iran canceling all remaining “nuclear talks” involving a future agreement with the United States. The second infers a potential nuclear war brewing between Pakistan and India that may be immanent.
The first, from “You Tube”, is directly related to what my last several opinion posts have been about: The potential breakdown of the nuclear talks between the United States and Iran that appears to now have come to a predictable absolute halt — which I have suspected may happen since the very first preliminary discussion that began the weekly pile-on of more and more demanding advance requirements injected by Trump that were absolutely disrespectful, unnecessary, and possibly illegal, including his “bombing” of their nuclear facilities threat if Iran did not comply with Trump’s so-called “deal”.
This entire “nuclear discussion” fiasco, from beginning to now, has been an entirely one-sided Trumpian brow-beating show of disrespect to Iran before the “talks” could even begin. The whole world is watching Trump make a fool of himself and our country that was once a highly diplomatic, courteous, and honorable nation. ~llaw
The second, a brief article from “The London Free Press”, concerns the fear that India and Pakistan, that have been in conflict for several years, and with both countries now having nuclear weapons could ignite a nuclear war that would likely instantly expand to an international nuclear war, better known as WWIII.
I have added the links to both stories here in order to find them easily because they are both extremely important to the entire world. ~llaw
In order to keep abreast of the weekend nuclear news, I will post Saturday and Sunday’s news, but without editorial comment. If a weekend story warrants a critical review, it will show up on Monday’s posts . . .
If you are not familiar with the daily blog posts, this is how the nuclear news post works . . . 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
Nuclear War
Nuclear War Threats
Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available on this weekend’s Saturday 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 U.S. intelligence community views China as the United States’ “most capable strategic competitor,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard …
(See the Newsweek article below for a description of this image and photo credits. ~llaw)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
This is a bit more detailed update from yesterday’s post in an attempt to clarify why Trump and the U.S. are “using” Yemen and oil shipments as an excuse to postpone the talks concerning a much more important nuclear agreement to ensure world peace — especially among Middle East (including Israel) and the United States.
Although not much is new, the dissension seems to be caused by Trump himself and his “Secretary of Defense”, Hegseth, who is making some very harsh and threatening threats (no doubt ordered by Trump) described in the article that were not available in yesterday’s news.
To my mind these delays seem to be an excuse for Trump to continue to postpone the talks, intentionally causing more dissension between the two nations so that Iran will back away from the talks, thereby allowing an excuse for Trump to carry out his threat to “bomb” Iran’s nuclear facilities rather than reach an agreement. The entire idea of talks, originally proposed by Trump, is on the verge of being canceled with no future talks or agreements in sight.
Trump is telling the world that Iran cannot have “a nuclear weapon”, yet he is the one causing all the weekly delaying excuses and negotiation alterations for the talks that appear now close to the point of Iran refusing to continue because they don’t trust Trump. And given the weekly multiple accusations and negotiation add-ons coming from Trump, who can blame them? ~llaw
Iran War Threat Grows as U.S. Nuclear Talks Falter
Published May 02, 2025 at 4:30 AM EDT
00:59
Trump Says Iran Will Be In ‘Great Danger’ If Direct Talks Fail
Afourth round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran has been postponed amid rising tensions and the threat of military action from President Donald Trump, casting doubt on the future of diplomatic efforts to avoid war.
Talks originally scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday are now on hold, with no new date confirmed.
The postponement follows fresh U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil networks and warnings from Washington about Tehran’s alleged support for Yemen’s Houthi forces. Iran has criticized the U.S. for what it describes as contradictory and provocative behavior.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and Iran’s foreign ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The collapse or continued delay of U.S.-Iran talks could escalate tensions in the region and derail efforts to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program. The Rome talks were the latest attempt to revive a deal that would curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
U.S. military strikes on Houthi forces, who are aligned with Iran and control parts of Yemen, have intensified in recent weeks, complicating negotiations. Iran maintains that the Houthis act independently, but U.S. officials hold Tehran responsible for supporting attacks on Red Sea shipping and backing militant activity.
President Donald Trump waves as he walks from the Oval Office to depart on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP Photo
What to Know
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning that “any country or person” purchasing oil or petrochemicals from Iran would be subject to U.S. sanctions with immediate effect.
The post, published on his Truth Social platform, declared that violators “will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.” The move ramps up pressure on Tehran, particularly targeting buyers such as China, which is widely considered Iran’s largest oil customer.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Iran over its support for Yemen’s Houthi militants, stating, “You will pay the consequence at the time and place of our choosing.” In a post on X, he added, “We see your lethal support to the Houthis and know exactly what you’re doing. You’ve been warned.”
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing military actions against Hamas following its October 2023 attack. Since mid-March, the U.S. has launched over 1,000 airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. Iran says the group acts independently and has denounced the strikes as destabilizing.
Uncertainty Over Talks
Iranian officials have said that the next round of discussions would be rescheduled only “depending on the U.S. approach.” Omani officials, who have been mediating the sessions, said the postponement was for logistical reasons.
On Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reiterated his intention to pursue “just and balanced deal.” But the rising threat from Washington, combined with renewed economic pressure, raises questions about the viability of continued engagement.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote: “ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!”
Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated: “We are more determined than ever to achieve a just and balanced deal: guaranteeing an end to sanctions, and creating confidence that Iran’s nuclear program will forever remain peaceful.”
What Happens Next
A new date for the nuclear talks remains uncertain as Iran awaits changes in the U.S. approach. Any progress may hinge on Washington’s stance as it continues its current policy of increasing pressure.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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IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only) Please note there is no IAEA Weekly news today.
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.
For the second year in a row, the IAEA has been invited to collaborate with the G20 on work related to nuclear power. The cooperation resumed under the presidency of South Africa at meetings this week in Cape Town, kicking off with a side event on the role of nuclear energy in clean energy transitions. Read more →
Chadia Rizk learned the importance of radiation in medicine in her 20s when her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the immune system. Read more →
Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA speak to the media on non-proliferation and nuclear weapons at a stakeout after a private meeting of the UN Security Council on 28 April 2025 in New York. Read more →
To address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands, the IAEA’s Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution initiative has partnered with Ecuador’s Oceanographic Institute of the Navy and Polytechnic School of the Coast to build microplastic monitoring and analytical capacity. Read more →
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
So it is — by now easily predictable — that Trump has introduced another last minute issue into the the pile of “mind changes” that now has Iran on the verge of cancelling the talks altogether, but they are being held hostage by Trump that if they don’t reach a deal he will bomb their existing nuclear facilities.
This is the kind of delay and ‘rule changing’ game 4th grade kids play on the school playground, which seems to me to be about the level of Trump’s “art of the deal” because of which countries, allies and enemies alike, around the world are unwilling to take Trump and the U.S. seriously about much of anything that is concerned with international politics and avoiding war.
This delay issue is a last minute Yemen problem that Trump’s under fire defense secretary was described this way in the BBC article below: It comes after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday warned that Iran would “pay the consequence” for its support of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Washington has also announced sanctions this week on companies it says have links to Tehran.
Is this an excuse for another delay? I think it’s obvious that it is. And Iran has already been told they would “pay the consequence”, not for supporting Yemen rebels which is an add-on for what appears to simply create another delay of Trump’s ability to to actually honestly sit down and negotiate the deal rather than add questionable issues every few days which are all over the place — sounding like nothing more than unknown excuses for delaying talks and negotiations.
Trump seems about to bow out of a futile effort to negotiate a peaceful compromise that he said as just another campaign lie he could resolve between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours, then said after the his election it’s “gonna take a little longer”, and now appears it can’t be done. He came up with nothing more than the “laughable” idea that Ukraine should just give it all back to Russia and “forget about it”.
Perhaps that will be what happens in the Iran/U.S. nuclear talks as well . . . ~llaw
US President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in March, offering to begin nuclear talks. See “BBC” article below for photo credits. ~llaw
Next round of Iran-US nuclear talks postponed
1 hour ago
Kasra Naji & Maia Davies
BBC News
Reuters/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in March, offering to begin nuclear talks
A fourth round of Iran-US talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme has been postponed.
The foreign minister of Oman, facilitating negotiations, said Saturday’s talks in Rome were being rescheduled because of logistical reasons, adding that a new date would be set when agreed by all sides.
It comes after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday warned that Iran would “pay the consequence” for its support of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Washington has also announced sanctions this week on companies it says have links to Tehran.
President Donald Trump pulled the US out of a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and five other world powers in 2018, and has long said he would make a “better” deal.
Trump has previously warned of military action if these new talks, which began in April, do not succeed. Both sides described the first round of talks in Oman’s capital Muscat as “constructive”.
Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed that latest stage of talks had been postponed, but Washington is yet to officially comment.
However, an unnamed US source told the Reuters news agency that Washington “never confirmed” its participation in the fourth round of talks, nor had their timing been confirmed.
The delay is unlikely to mean that the talks have broken down, with both sides eager to avoid war.
But reports from Tehran have described growing doubt about the usefulness of the talks, pointing to the new sanctions and what Tehran calls contradictory positions from the US delegation.
Part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy toward Tehran, the sanctions announced on Wednesday target entities said by the US to be involved in the illicit trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals.
The US State Department said in a statement: “The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in the Middle East, advance its nuclear program, and support its terrorist partners and proxies.
“Today, the United States is taking action to stem the flow of revenue that the regime uses to fund these destabilizing activities.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the latest sanctions were “further proof of the American decision-makers’ contradictory behaviour and lack of good faith”.
Media reports in Iran also pointed to Hegseth’s post on X earlier on Thursday, which was reposted by Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff who has been leading the US delegation.
“Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to the Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing,” the post read.
The Houthis have declared themselves part of an “axis of resistance” of Iran-affiliated groups against Israel, the US and the wider West -along with armed groups such as Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.
The US has launched several deadly strikes on Houthi targets in recent months in response to the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which began in November 2023 in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Trump has said that he is looking for a solution that would close Iran’s pathways to build a nuclear bomb. But there are those in his administration who are pushing for the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme.
They are also pushing for Iran to stop support for its proxies in the region, including the Houthis.
Iran says its programme is peaceful and that it has a right to enrichment. It is hoping for a deal to limit, but not dismantle, its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
After Russia, Iran has been under the most extensive set of sanctions in history – the sanctions that the US has imposed on the country.
President Massoud Pezeshkian has centred Iran’s economic policies on the promise of the lifting these sanctions.
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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) Please note there is no IAEA Weekly news today.
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.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service noted that radiation levels remain within normal limits following a Russian drone strike on the shelter of Unit No 4 …
None of the remnants of other Yellowstone-related eruptions has as much lithium. To find out why, Kathryn Watts at the US Geological Survey in Spokane …
Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Bushehr, southern Iran, on November 10, 2019.
Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua/Getty Images
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
This is the last day of media reporting before Saturday’s next round of talks between Iran and the United states regarding Iran’s nuclear program(s, now apparently to be held in Rome tomorrow after much unclear confusion and contradiction.
This CNN report is a comprehensive recap of the effort leading up to the agreement for these talks as well as predictions about what’s next , but to add to the Trump-caused confusion, CNN has described that Israel’s Prime Minister, Netanyahu, was surprised and unhappy that Trump announced the talks without even the courtesy of consulting or advising him of the decision. The U.S. has contradicted the Prime Minster, who would like to “nuke” Iran, but this kind of arbitrary Trump decisions are typical throughout this entire effort to eventually reach an agreement. Iran has referred to Trump’s constant contradictions or his habit of “flip-flopping”, saying Trump has a history of “backtracking”. This is certainly obvious to me in this case, and is typical of Trump’s apparent mental illness of habitually lying.
It frightens me that these talks will not go well and that they will cause far more threats of nuclear war around the world, including the Middle East, than ever before.
The US and Iran are set to meet for a second round of nuclear talks. Here’s what we know
By Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN
7 minute read
Published 1:01 PM EDT, Fri April 18, 2025
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
AP/Getty Images
CNN —
The United States and Iran are due to hold their second round of nuclear talks on Saturday, as what both sides are looking for in a deal begins to take shape.
Delegations from both countries met in Oman last weekend for talks mediated by the Gulf Arab nation. The next round is being held in Rome.
Since last weekend’s talks, which both parties described as “constructive,” remarks from various members of the Trump administration have flip-flopped, oscillating between maximalist demands that Iran has said were “red lines” and a more conciliatory approach the Islamic Republic may concede to.
This comes amid threats by President Donald Trump that the US will resort to military strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, with Israel’s help, should Tehran fail to reach a deal with its interlocutors.
Here’s what we know about the talks.
How the two sides got here
A nuclear deal was reached in 2015 between Iran and world powers, including the US. Under the deal, Iran had agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
That agreement was, however, abandoned by Trump in 2018 during his first presidential term. Iran retaliated by resuming its nuclear activities and has so far advanced its program of uranium enrichment up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
Last month, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal, making it clear that Iran had a two-month deadline to reach an agreement, a source familiar with the letter’s contents told CNN.
Days later, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the US. He said however that Iran’s response, delivered by Oman, left open the possibility of indirect talks with Washington.
What does Trump want and what are the key issues?
Trump has said that the deal he seeks with Iran would not be similar to the 2015 agreement inked under the Obama administration.
“It’ll be different, and maybe a lot stronger,” he said.
Comments from Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who represented the US last weekend, have suggested differently as of late.
Iran has in recent weeks been vocal with its concerns about striking a nuclear deal with Trump, who it says has a history of backtracking. The Islamic Republic has also voiced objections to any deal that fully dismantles its nuclear program, as opposed to only limiting its uranium enrichment to civilian-only use – as was stipulated under the 2015 agreement.
Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal ensured through a number of mechanisms that Iran’s nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful.
But conflicting remarks from US officials before and after last Saturday’s meeting have muddied Washington’s demands.
Witkoff, who represented the US last weekend, said that moving forward, talks with Iran would be about verification of its nuclear program, but stopped short of mentioning a demand to fully dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, as other US officials have said in the past. In other words, indicating a deal that would be similar to the Obama-brokered agreement.
Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Bushehr, southern Iran, on November 10, 2019.
Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua/Getty Images
“The conversation with the Iranians will be much about two critical points,” Witkoff told Fox News on Monday. The first is verification of uranium enrichment, “and ultimately verification on weaponization, that includes missiles, type of missiles that they have stockpiled there, and it includes the trigger for a bomb.”
However, Witkoff later reversed his position in a statement on X in which he said any final deal with Iran would require it to “stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”
Asked to explain Witkoff’s apparent reversal, an administration official told CNN: “It’s the most recent elaboration of policy.”
Other officials have been hawkish on what the US expects from Iran. On Sunday, a day after Witkoff started talks with Iranian negotiators in Oman, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Tehran to fully dismantle its nuclear program.
“Iran, come to the table, negotiate, full dismantlement of your nuclear capabilities,” he said on Fox News.
Iranian officials have dismissed that proposal as a non-starter, accusing the US of using it as a pretext to weaken and ultimately topple the Islamic Republic. Tehran is entitled to a civilian nuclear energy program under a UN treaty.
The UN nuclear watchdog has however warned that Iran has been accelerating its enrichment of uranium up to alarming levels.
What is Iran saying?
Iran this week doubled down on its right to enrich uranium and accused the Trump administration of sending mixed signals.
“Iran’s enrichment (program) is a real and genuine matter, and we are ready to build trust regarding potential concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Wednesday, state-run Press TV reported.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei weighed in early Thursday on X, likening the shifting US position to “a professional foul and an unfair act in football.”
“In diplomacy any such shifting (pushed by hawks who fail to grasp the logic/art of commonsensical deal-making) could simply risk any overtures falling apart,” he wrote. “It could be perceived as lack of seriousness, let alone good faith. … We’re still in testing mode.”
Iranian media has reported that Tehran had set strict terms ahead of the talks with the US, saying that “red lines” include “threatening language” by the Trump administration and “excessive demands regarding Iran’s nuclear program.” The US must also refrain from raising issues relating to Iran’s defense industry, Iranian media said, likely referring to Iran’s ballistic missile program, which the US’ Middle Eastern allies see as a threat to their security.
Meanwhile, Iran’s highest leadership has approached the talks with extreme caution.
In his first comments on the issue since the Iranian and American negotiators met in Oman, Khamenei said Tuesday that Tehran is “neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic” about talks with the United States over its nuclear program.
Where does Israel stand?
Israel has been among the staunchest advocates for Iran to fully dismantle its nuclear weapon and never acquire a nuclear bomb.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement defending his aggressive policy towards Iran, saying, “Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.”
A source familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday that Witkoff spoke with Ron Dermer, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs and Netanyahu’s closest confidant, about the first round of US-Iran talks in Oman.
Dermer was sitting beside Netanyahu in Washington last week when Trump suddenly announced the US-Iran talks would begin imminently. The surprise revelation of the start of negotiations appeared to startle Netanyahu, who has increasingly pushed for a military option against Iran.
Sources familiar with the matter had previously told CNN that news of the US-Iran nuclear talks were “certainly not” to Israel’s liking, and it remains unclear if Netanyahu was given advance notice of the negotiations or if he was consulted ahead of time, the sources said.
Sitting beside Trump at the Oval Office earlier this month, Netanyahu touted a Libya-style nuclear deal between the US and Iran, which in 2003 dismantled the North African nation’s nuclear program in the hopes of ushering in a new era of relations with the US after its two-decade oil embargo on Moammar Gadhafi’s regime.
After relinquishing its nuclear program, Libya descended into civil war following a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Gadhafi’s regime and led to his killing. Iranian officials have long warned that a similar deal would be rejected from the outset.
Dermer and Mossad director David Barnea met Friday with Witkoff in Paris ahead of the second round of Iran talks.
Earlier this year, US intelligence agencies warned both the Biden and Trump administrations that Israel would likely attempt to strike facilities key to Iran’s nuclear program this year, according to sources familiar with the assessments.
However, The New York Times reported Wednesday that Trump had urged Israel not to strike Iran’s nuclear sites as soon as next month in order to let talks with Iran play out, which could impact planned engagements for Trump’s national security team in the coming days.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not deny the veracity of the article, instead asserting that Israel’s actions have delayed Iran’s nuclear program.
Responding to the New York Times’ report that he’d waved off Israeli strikes, Trump said on Thursday: “I wouldn’t say waved off,” but “I’m not in a rush to do it because I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death.”
“I hope they (Iran) want to talk, it’s going to be very good for them if they do, and I’d like to see Iran thrive in the future, do fantastically well.”
CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou, Alex Marquardt, Kevin Liptak, Kylie Atwood, Michael Williams, Alayna Treene, Alireza Hajihosseini, Pauline Lockwood, Eyad Kourdi, Dalia Abdelwahab, Betsy Klein, Oren Liebermann and Abbas Al Lawati contributed reporting,
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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.
It goes against everything they say they want to do. CHANG: That is Dr. Don Ingber of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. Thank you so much for …
One historian believes we would avoid nuclear war, only to face an equally grim outcome. … Thankfully threats from the east haven’t materialised into …
Iran and the US are set to hold a second round of talks in Rome about Tehran’s nuclear programme … Asked about US President Donald Trump’s threats to …
In the eighty years that nuclear weapons have existed, they have only been used in one conflict: World War II. Moreover, the relevance of this case to …
See “Al Jazeera” article for image description and photo credits . . . ~llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
Following in the “Al Jazeera” article is the apparent last-minute Trump-imposed confusing and contradictory second thought stymy that thus far most likely makes these USA/Iran nuclear talks impossible to reach an agreement.
The problem stems from Trump contradicting himself from one day to the next — forcing his friend and Real Estate magnate spokesman to likewise renege on what he had previously informed Iran during talks that limited nuclear production would be allowed. (The old Obama agreement, by the way that Trump dumped.)
That “mistake” demonstrates, along with other inconsistencies, that Trump absolutely has no intention of negotiating with decency nor honest debate relative to anything like “The Art of the Deal”, his ghost-written book from several years ago:
Trump’s Realtor/Negotiator Witkoff (a day after being corrected by Trump):
“Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponisation program,” Witkoff wrote on the social platform X. “It is imperative for the world that we create a tough, fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”
In response, Araghchi issued a warning to the US.
“Enrichment is a real and accepted issue, and we are ready for trust-building about possible concerns,” Araghchi noted. “But losing the right to enrich at all “is non-negotiable”, he said.
Iran confirms next round of nuclear talks with US set for Rome on Saturday
The announcement comes as chief of nuclear watchdog IAEA arrives in Tehran for talks that may revolve around accessibility for inspectors.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi meets with Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi upon Grossi’s arrival in Tehran, Iran [WANA via Reuters]
Published On 16 Apr 202516 Apr 2025
Iran has confirmed that its next round of nuclear talks with the United States this weekend will be held in Rome after earlier confusion over where the negotiations would be conducted.
Wednesday’s announcement on Iranian state television came as Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian formally approved the resignation of one of his vice presidents, who had served as Tehran’s key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, also arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks that could include negotiations over what access his International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors can get under any proposed deal.
The state TV announcement said Oman will again mediate the talks on Saturday in Rome. Oman’s foreign minister served as an interlocutor between the two sides during negotiations last weekend in Muscat, the Omani capital.
On Monday, some officials initially identified Rome as hosting the negotiations, only for Iran to insist early on Tuesday that its team would return to Oman. US officials so far have not said publicly where the talks will be held, though US President Donald Trump did call Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Tuesday while the ruler was on a trip to the Netherlands.
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The negotiations come amid soaring tensions between the US and Iran over the latter’s nuclear development.
Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash air strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear programme if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly have warned that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
‘Like a puzzle’
Grossi arrived in Tehran for meetings with Pezeshkian and others, which will likely be held on Thursday.
Shortly before his arrival, Grossi warned that Iran was “not far” from possessing a nuclear bomb.
“It’s like a puzzle. They have the pieces, and one day they could eventually put them together,” Grossi told French newspaper Le Monde in an interview published on Wednesday.
Attacks in Sudan’s Darfur kill at least 300 as grim anniversary passes: UN
Since the nuclear deal’s collapse in 2018 with Trump’s unilateral withdrawal of the US from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its programme, and enriches uranium to up to 60 percent purity – near weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.
Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agency’s most experienced inspectors. Iranian officials have also increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons, something that Western countries and the IAEA have been worried about for years.
Any possible deal between Iran and the US likely would need to rely on the IAEA’s expertise to ensure Tehran’s compliance. And despite tensions between Iran and the agency, its access has not been entirely revoked.
‘Non-negotiable’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday warned the US about taking contradictory stances in the talks.
His remarks came after comments from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who this week initially suggested a deal could see Iran go back to 3.67 percent uranium enrichment – like in the 2015 deal reached by the administration of former US President Barack Obama. Witkoff then followed up by saying, “A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.”
“Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponisation program,” Witkoff wrote on the social platform X. “It is imperative for the world that we create a tough, fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”
In response, Araghchi issued a warning to the US.
“Enrichment is a real and accepted issue, and we are ready for trust-building about possible concerns,” Araghchi noted. But losing the right to enrich at all “is non-negotiable”, he said.
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:
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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.
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LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
This professed to be high-level-conference- between the United States and Iran has become an absolutely ridiculous fiasco. It is now virtually impossible for Iran to comply with Trump’s own inconsistent demands, and the confused mess he and his administration in preparation by Trump for his Real Estate spokesman doing the early negotiations in Onan, makes America, as it deserves, look like utter fools who have no idea what they are doing, and Trump is leading the confusion, turning the entire conference into chaos even before it gets started. And it only took 12 hours to completely make Iran’s side of the agreement impossible unless they abandon their nuclear power plans altogether, which was not the original purpose of the meeting at all.
Does this mean that Trump simply goes ahead and acts on his constant threats to “bomb” Iran? He has said over and over again that if an agreement, a “deal” in his words, is not reached, he will “bomb” Iran. At this point one has to ask himself which nation is the peaceful, honest, negotiator.
In addition to this latest SNAFU, the previous location scheduled for Rome, has been changed to remain in Onan. There is so much wrong with Trump’s contradictions and the sudden denying of possible use of low-grade refined uranium fuel, now being turned into “none”, that, to me at least, the U.S. side of the meetings was based totally on Trump’s typical pathological lying, which I have suspected all-along. This kind of “deal-making” cannot stand, and his two-faced methods of making dishonesty a function of “diplomacy” is absolute insanity.
The entire world, including what’s left of the “free world”, have lost faith and no longer trust America to be a fair-dealing International State. Many have already begun the planning for building their own nuclear weapons of mass destruction inventories because they can’t rely on America to continue to support NATO — that the U.S. originated, by the way, as the “Washington Treaty” — and other responsible peaceful nations. Trump is creating fear, chaos, and pandemonium around the entire world . . . This cannot stand! ~llaw
Trump envoy demands Iran eliminate nuclear programme in apparent U-turn
Steve Witkoff’s switch from saying low-level production could continue seen as example of chaotic US foreign policy
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has announced Iran must totally eliminate its nuclear programme, seeming to reverse the policy he had articulated on Fox News only 12 hours earlier that would have allowed Iran to enrich uranium at a low level for civilian use.
The switch to a more hardline policy is likely to make it much harder for the US to reach a negotiated agreement with Tehran, bringing back the threat of an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
In a further switch, it was agreed that the next round of indirect US-Iran talks, due to start on Saturday, will continue to be in Oman and the venue would not switch to Italy as proposed by the US.
In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday Witkoff said: “A deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal. Any final arrangement must set in place a framework for peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East – meaning that Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponisation program. It is imperative for the world that we create a tough fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”
The previous day on Fox News, the special envoy had said “the conversation with the Iranians” would concern uranium enrichment at 3.67 % for civil nuclear purposes.
“In some circumstances they are enriching at 60% and at others at 20%. That cannot be,” he said. “You do not need to run, as they claim, a civil nuclear programme where you are enriching past 3.67%. This is going to be much about verification on the enrichment programme and then ultimately verification on weaponisation – that includes the type of missiles they have stockpiled there and the trigger for a bomb.”
Witkoff’s two positions are hard to reconcile – unless he is trying to distinguish between an interim deal that reduces Iranian uranium enrichment to civilian levels and a final agreement that eliminates its nuclear programme entirely.
It also possible Trump has faced a backlash from Iran hawks who warned that Witkoff’s negotiating stance was largely re-establishing the nuclear deal Barack Obama had agreed with Iran in 2015, from which Trump withdrew the US in 2018 saying it was unenforceable.
Witkoff’s apparent volte face may also be seen as another example of chaotic foreign policymaking, in which the administration battles behind the president’s back and he either does not focus on the policy details or does not understand the choices he is allowing to be made on his behalf.
Witkoff, a man with no diplomatic experience and charged with producing diplomatic breakthroughs in Gaza, Ukraine and Iran, has never tried to portray himself as anything than Trump’s messenger. He would have thought the proposals he aired in the weekend talks in Oman and on Fox News were those of the president.
Iran has repeatedly demanded the right to maintain a civil nuclear programme, meaning the latest iteration of US thinking will cause consternation in Tehran and could strengthen hardliners, who maintain the US cannot be trusted.
A rare consensus had broken out in Tehran that the talks between Witkoff and the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, could result in some US sanctions being lifted as part of the most positive development in relations between Iran and the US in a decade.
The head of the UN nuclear inspectorate, Rafael Grossi, is due to visit Iran this week to see if progress can be made on improving his inspectors’ access to Iran’s nuclear sites.
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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.
… nuclear reactor vessel to provide emergency power for coastal communities. A workboat, then – but LR’s Mark Tipping told The Loadstar that a nuclear …
… war threat. It comes after the US and Iran finished their first round of … IRAN is believed to have accelerated its nuclear weapons development and is …
(See “Axios” article below for description and photo credits ~llaw
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
First of all you might be wondering: Who is Steve Witkoff? He is a “friend” of Trump’s who is now somehow the chief U.S. representative in the so-called Iran/USA nuclear talks. In case you don’t know, here is a brief background excerpt from “Wikipedia”: OMG!
Steven Charles Witkoff is an American real estate investor, lawyer, and diplomat who serves as the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East. He is the founder and chairman of the Witkoff Group. He began his career as a real estate attorney, before transitioning to property investment and development. ~Wikipedia
Does the left hand have any idea what the right hand is doing in Trump’s White House? We have a Real Estate lawyer negotiating with Iran over the strength of Uranium fuel — whether it’s far enough below military grade or not, but Trump says they can’t be producing nuclear fuel at all to satisfy the proposed nuclear agreement. Evidently the next meeting/talks are supposed to be in Rome this coming Saturday, but maybe somewhere else. llolloll!
And so the confusion, stupidity, and ignorance continues on . . . I do know it’s not funny, but it is ridiculous. ~llaw
Trump delivers remarks alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Apr. 10, 2025. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump held a meeting on Tuesday morning in the White House situation room about the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations with Iran, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios.
Why it matters: The high-level meeting with all of the Trump administration’s top national security and foreign policy officials present was focused on discussing the U.S. position in the next round of talks planned for Saturday, the sources said.
Ahead of the meeting Trump spoke on the phone with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq and discussed the Omani mediation between the U.S. and Iran.
“The two leaders discussed ways to back these negotiations to achieve the desired outcomes,” the Omani state news agency said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “emphasized to the Omani Sultan the need for Iran to end its nuclear program through negotiations.”
Behind the scenes: Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe and other top officials participated in the situation room meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting took place amid intense debate within the administration over the way forward in the negotiations and the compromises the U.S. should or shouldn’t make.
Vance and Witkoff think diplomacy could lead to a nuclear deal and think the U.S. should be ready to make some compromises in order to get it.
Other senior members of the administration, including Rubio and Waltz, are highly skeptical and support a maximalist approach to the negotiations.
Trump himself is sending mixed messages. He has said he wants a deal and thinks the nuclear crisis is solvable through diplomacy but has alsothreatened Iran with a military strike.
The White House declined to comment on the meeting. Leavitt told reporters that “the maximum pressure campaign on Iran continues but the president made it clear he wants to see dialogue and discussion with Iran while making clear Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Driving the news: On Monday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran has to move fast in the negotiations and stressed that Iran “might be tapping us along” in the nuclear talks.
Trump threatened again to use military power against Iran. “If we have to do something very harsh we will do it,” he said.
On Monday evening, Witkoff said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News that the first round of talks with Iran last Saturday in Oman was positive.
Zoom in: Witkoff said the U.S. position is Iran would have to stop enriching uranium to the level of 20% and to the near weapons-grade level of 60%, but didn’t rule out that the Iranians would be able to continue enriching uranium to the level of 3.67% that is needed for a civilian nuclear energyprogram.
Witkoff added that any nuclear deal would have to verify Iran’s enrichment levels and that it doesn’t build ballistic missiles that can deliver a nuclear weapon or build triggers that can detonate nuclear bombs.
Witkoff’s remarks were very different from what Waltz said in recent weeks about the need to dismantle the entire nuclear program.
His remarks also contradicted what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his meeting with Trump last week about the need to fully dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, like what he claimed happened in Libya in 2003.
On Tuesday morning, Witkoff clarified his remarks and wrote on X that “any final arrangement must set a framework for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East — meaning that Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”
The other side: Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday during a meeting with top government officials in Tehran that the first round of talks with the U.S. was “satisfactory.”
Khamenei said he is “neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic” about the negotiations and stressed he is “very skeptical of the other party, but confident in our own capabilities.”
What to watch: The next round of talks between the U.S. and Iran on Saturday was supposed to take place in Rome.
The U.S., Iran and the Italian government confirmed it and visas have been issued for the Iranian delegation.
But on Monday evening the Iranian foreign ministry said the venue for the next round of talks has been moved back to Muscat. U.S. officials haven’t confirmed the change in location.
Sources with knowledge of the issue said one of the reasons for moving the talks from Rome was that Vance is expected to be there over the weekend and the White House wanted to avoid the overlap.
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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.
The meeting included a Sixth International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX-6) topical session on the long-term recovery phase following 26 countries …
… nuclear weapon or face a possible military strike on Tehran’s atomic facilities … Israel and Hamas at War · Japan · Middle East · Ukraine and Russia …
… Yellowstone region. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
