Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Tehran has responded to President Trump’s letter proposing nuclear talks that was sent to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni.
“The official response comprises a letter wherein our viewpoints regarding the status quo and Mr. Trump’s letter have been fully laid out and relayed to the other side,” Araghchi said, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency.
Araghchi said the message was delivered through Oman, which has a history of mediating between the US and Iran. He reiterated Iran’s opposition to direct talks with the US in the face of Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign,” which has involved increasing sanctions and threats of military action.
But Iran is leaving the door open to negotiations through intermediaries, something Aragchi also reaffirmed. “Indirect negotiations, though, can continue, as they existed in the past,” he said.
According to Axios, Trump’s letter to Khamenei gave Iran a two-month deadline to reach a deal with the US. If an agreement isn’t reached in that time, the threat of US or Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear program would rise significantly.
Despite all the hype around Iran’s nuclear program, US intelligence agencies reaffirmed in their annual threat assessment that there’s no evidence Tehran is working toward a nuclear weapon.
The hype over Iran’s nuclear program revolves around the enrichment of some uranium at 60%, the highest level Iran has achieved but still lower than the 90% needed for weapons-grade. Iran first took the step to enrich at 60% in response to a 2021 Israeli sabotage attack against its Natanz nuclear facility, which was meant to sabotage talks between the Biden administration and Tehran.
Iran is still a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it won’t enrich uranium beyond the 60% level.
Amid increasing US and Israeli threats about its nuclear program, Iran has recently pointed out that Israel has a secret nuclear weapons stockpile, and its nuclear program is not subject to IAEA inspections since Israel is not a signatory to the NPT.
So… will Israel denuclearize thanks to the abracadabra of "talks"? Will the USA renounce to its nuclear arsenal?
Hi Maju.
It is worth a try, some do think, as do I…. The way things are presently heading is a frighteningly bad choice!….
Let us all move forward properly and on the correct footing!…
Worth a try? USA and Israel are amoral liars and nobody trusts them anymore: reaching any agreement with then is totally worthless.
I wouldn’t even bother with “talks” unless they’re mediated by another great power of greater respectability who guarantees whatever is signed, because making concessions in exchange of absolutely nothing (that’s what is worth the US word) is just all kinds of dumb.
I was victim of bullying in my childhood and I learned one thing: bullies only understand their own language, they must be hit back with sheer determination.
A tad cynical yet I understand entirely Maju.
Angry rather than cynical, really.
Anyway, maybe some sort of UNSC sponsored negotiation and deal could do. In any case I would condition any nuclear deal on the denuclearization of Israel: nobody can in the whole region (including Europe, which was already threatened at least once) feel even semi-safe with nuclear and terrorist Israel around, really. Israel must be deactivated for any peace to happen in the region, there’s no way around that.
… particularly when, as I just alluded to, the popular and confident position is that, in the event of imminent collapse & destruction of the State of Israel, its nuclear arsenal will launch against every capital city in range; European ones high on the list.
I am less confident in the assertion that many ASI embassies have a nuclear device hidden on the premises as part of this plan. But I'd bet money the basic Samson Option is real.
Nah, that’s just bluffing. In fact it’s quite possible that all or most of that talk about Israel’s nukes is bluffing. There may be something but anyhow they can only have around 16 effective warheads, enough to cause much damage unless intercepted (rumor was that Russia downed an Israeli warplane with a nuke, with US intel aid, last year) but not enough to destroy the world.
Anyway, it all depends on how Israel is ended too: they can’t nuke Palestine or really anywhere in the Levant unless they want to suffer the radioactive effects themselves. If Palestinians are armed, Israel can do nothing but surrender to the overwhelming majority of its subjects (14 million Palestinians vs 7 million Israeli J’s, at most).
And nope: Israel won’t attack Europe, it would be pointless and self-destructive. That’s not the threat (and remember that European powers also have nukes or can develop them almost overnight, much faster than Iran). We’re talking serious middle sized powers here vs a tiny cusader beach head smaller than Albania. Seriously, don’t overestimate that colonial statelet: they’re only dangerous because of US unconditional support (and also secondarily British and German), on their own they are mere bug to stomp on by anyone, they don’t even have a proper navy!
You people have just been dazzled by Zionist propaganda. Israel is nothing!
Which begs the question: why are our political parties, media, members of our armed forces (flag officers) so afraid of that country?
Can anyone explain that to me?
Well, Israel, the Israeli Lobby, the ZioMafia… are influential. But that’s only a small part of the issue: the USA is an Empire and has been the global hegemon for almost a century already. There was once upon a time when that imperial hegemony was based on gold reserves but they were exhausted and, in the 70s, a new system emerged based on so-called “fiat money”. But the US dollar is not mere fiat money, it’s largely supported by its role as international currency, which was initially backed by gold but, since the early 70s, has been backed by Arab oil.
For that and other reasons (as global hegemon, the USA needs to control large parts of Eurasia and Africa, where the resources are primarily) the USA needs to control West Asia (or much of it at least) and Israel is instrumental in that imperial control of the “province” they call CENTCOM. Why? Because it’s not Arab, because pan-Arabism is the main threat to US (or previously British) imperial control of the Arab World.
They will use anything against pan-Arabism: in the middle 20th century it was a bloc organized around Turkey, Iran and Israel, as well as division within the Arabs via puppet monarchies. In the 80s however that shifted with the Iranian Revolution and the US manipulation of militant Sunni Islamism (Al Qaeda, etc.), with the help of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan first, later also Turkey and Qatar, etc.
Israel has specific values associated to finances, fanatic messianic ideologies, etc. But it’s ultimately a tool of mostly Anglosaxon Christians, who were the ones to invent Zionism as Protestant variant of crusading and is ultimately just a pawn of Anglosaxon designs for that key geoeconomic hub of the Middle East.
US government runs by corporations at least economically and seldom politically… And who are most of the CEOs of those corporations…?! You guessed correctly… Israeli Americans…! They influenced the government to fully support Israel…!
The Vanguard Group controls Black Rock (and everything else). Its CEO is a WASP.
Otherwise don’t look at mere CEOs (managers) but at major stockholders: those are the ones who actually rule the companies. That’s not possible in the case of Vanguard because “it’s owned by its customers” and customers are protected by privacy. The only thing I know about this critical post-corporation (“one ring to rule them all”?) is that years ago the forcibly reduced their Chinese customers. So it’s not the Chinese who rule the West (although they may have been close at some point).
So nope: I did not guess correctly because I do not know, the data supports a privileged status of Jpeople but not a dominant one.
“…they can’t nuke Palestine or really anywhere in the Levant unless they want to suffer the radioactive effects themselves.”
Bah, who has radioactive fallout ever harmed ? (Sarcastic)
“14 million Palestinians vs 7 million Israeli J’s, at most.”
I’m reminded of that story, probably apocryphal, about a German talking to a Swiss, WW1 or WW2 era – “What will your army do, if 2 million German soldiers marches into your defenses of only 1 million men ?” To which the Swiss replies, “Shoot twice & go home.”
“Israel won’t attack Europe, it would be pointless and self-destructive”
You miss the objective of the Samson Option. It is not to be pointless or win a war or even to attack. It’s a doomsday act. In the scenario, the State of Israel IS destroyed, the enemy is within the walls and destruction is imminent.
And in a glorious F**k You from the very last of the Chosen People Israelites to the “heathens that surround (them)”, the State of Israel takes as many others down with them as they can.
“You people…”
Ay-oh, oh-ay, pally ! What’s this “you guys yous” rhetoric lumping everybody what agrees with you in with thems what don’t ? Ma’donn !!
You haven’t really been following the “successes” of the terrorist IDF in Gaza, right? The ones who could say that, if any, would be the Palestinians, who fight like lions even at great disadvantage.
Israel is done. It won’t survive to the end of this decade.
Israel has more influence on America than one can imagine.
Here we are, a country with the population of 330 million, bossed around by a country with less than 10 million, a country that led us into the Iraq war fiasco.
There will be peace in the world when the MIC decides that there will be peace rather than wars to make more $$$$. That will never happen, unless this country is attacked directly and decisively.
I pray that will never happen. The stupidity in D.C., by both political parties, worries me to no end.
But it’s “Israel as project” not “Israel as state”, i.e. it is not Israel as such but Zionism which is extremely influential. And that’s, as I explain to you in another comment mostly for the reason of keeping the Middle East, especially the Arab World of Greater Arabia divided and subjugated to the Anglosaxon Empire (formerly led by Britain, later by the USA). It was the WASPS who created Zionism, look it up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism
Absolutely! The artificial Israel that was created in 1948 has to be dismantled. Jews simply have to be assimilated into the Middle East or move back to the EU or USA. The "Greater Israel" the Christians keep talking about never existed on a map with borders.
All states are “artificial.” And most of them are either agglomerations of previous states (like Germany or Italy) or carved out of the territory of other/prior states. Israel is no different from most states in that particular respect.
70% of Israeli Jews are native Palestinians. They can’t “move back to” the EU or USA because they never “moved from” those places.
All states are “artificial.” And most of them are either agglomerations of previous states (like Germany or Italy) or carved out of the territory of other/prior states. Israel is no different from most states in that particular respect.
70% of Israeli Jews are native Palestinians. They can’t “move back to” the EU or USA because they never “moved from” those places.
All states are “artificial.” And most of them are either agglomerations of previous states (like Germany or Italy) or carved out of the territory of other/prior states. Israel is no different from most states in that particular respect.
70% of Israeli Jews are native Palestinians. They can’t “move back to” the EU or USA because they never “moved from” those places.
What country in the wide, wide world has used nuclear weapons on another country?
Should that country have the right to tell another country, one that is not developing a nuclear weapon, to not make one, or else?
That country tore up an agreement between it and the other country, one that was working. So, should the other country trust the former to honor a new agreement?
You only need One Reason not to trust another country…!
The USA is the only country to ever use nuclear weapons in war, of course.
Yes, I agree with what you say here.
I don't think the ASI will EVER give up its nuclear arsenal – even if everyone else dismantles theirs. The Apartheid State of Israel is a culture built on persecution-complex and paranoia. Everyone's "out to get us" because "our Book tells us so" this retaining the Samson Option until (and likely beyond when) their Messiah shows up is seen as critical to furthering their own existence.
That said I'm sure Israeli society holds the same percentage of nuclear-weapon-abolitionists as every other nation on Earth; simply that their government is more dependent on the weapons for ensuring the country's continuance at any cost.
When you get arrested, the pocket knife is taken from you. Israel is not a sovereign state but a US colony or protectorate, the real issue here is Uncle Sam, not that tiny crusader beach head.
Books are just abracadabra, religions are meaningless gibberish, you guys are totally mesmerized by medicine men and spin doctors babbling nonsense. 7 million is the population of… Laos or Hong-Kong. You don’t go on imperialist rampage as Hong-Kong, really: you bow, obey and adapt, you have no choice.
Israel is an illegal "state". In 1948, the requisites for its "statehood" were not there.
An illegal state? Seriously. And what are the requisites for a nation?
In order for it to be a legal state, vlp1730 has to like it.
I agree but tell that to the judge, whoever it is.
Legality, power is ultimately in the barrel of a gun, as Mao tried to explain.
Indeed, tho it is seldom clear which is the head and which is the tail of the snake.
Certainly without American welfare payments (both money, weapons, and international political cover) the ASI wouldn’t last long as it is.
But the Americans, and I really do think because they believe 2/3rds of the Abrahamic religions are real, seem to have a deep mythological investment in the continuance of the State of Israel. Nothing about US obsessive pandering to the ASI reads as guilt about the Holocaust or thousands of years of actual, historical antisemitism; it all looks like Washington DC trying to score points with a god.
Indoctrination.
Every single bullet and bomb, every single weapon of genocide, is paid by the USA.
As for gods and religions, every other simpleton has one, even I in odd days do. But I often say to those who pray: “gods do nothing, people do”. Every single person is roughly the same: the rich and powerful also bleed.
Bibi and Al Houthi both recite “with the help of God”… but both know well that for good (the latter) or for bad (the former), it’s people who make things happen, not legendary beings nobody has ever seen.
Never. They didn’t renounce Israel for stealing nukes from the US in the first place.
This shows this is how Trump deals with people even in his own real estate business…! Plenty of evidence proves that…! Put enough pressure on the other side to sign a deal…!
"that Israel has a secret nuclear weapons stockpile" It is not much of a secret.
It's OFFICIALLY a "secret". With a wink and a nod. One of those things most prevalent today that's really "there" but we tacitly pretend that it isn't. Or ISN'T actually there, but we pretend that it is (like the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Or Putin's plan to recreate the USSR).
It's like their own "Area 51". It's this great big secret….but everybody knows about it.
Why are we NOT honoring all the Deals Obama made with Iran? Granted; those deals were illegal; and made at the detriment of America; but they WERE deals made by America none the less. How does that make us look on the world stage. The same as the deals we made with Russia concerning Ukraine; back in 2014; that we reneged on.
Because those deals were made by another administration…! In US, different party administrations are considered to be different countries…! Called it USD and USR if you wish…! So much about the meaning of the United States…! The States may be united… but not with federal government…!
Good luck with that. The American people have been left with only one option to save this country. Their cowardess guarantees our failure.
Why is the safety, security, happiness, and survival of the 8,000,000,000 human inhabitants of planet Earth; entirely contingent; on the will, whims, and personal sadistic satisfaction; of .2% of the world's population? The only possible hope of saving Legitimate human society is; the complete, total, elimination of that .2% from the face of the Earth. I believe it is centuries overdue.
Those lunatics probably make up .00002 percent of population, the rest of us want to grow old and die peacefully. Trump and Bibi are going to have us all killed. Any full scale war with Iran will lead directly to World War 3.
Those two are included in the aforementioned .2%.