With US troop reinforcements underway and Iranian officials vowing resistance, Trump told Republican donors Iran's leadership privately wants a deal, but is too frightened to seek one openly.
According to US officials, the document outlined Iran’s internal nuclear energy needs and included a flow chart projecting future enrichment requirements.
The United Nations Security Council has voted not to permanently lift economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme—meaning sweeping sanctions will be reimposed on Tehran unless a new agreement is reached.
The renewed American push to broker a nuclear agreement with Iran is as bold as it is fraught. In a world teetering on the edge of multipolar disorder, this overture — delivered via Omani mediation — signals a tactical shift.
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref affirmed the country's commitment to negotiations over its nuclear program but firmly rejected any form of "paying a ransom," according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.
In a statement broadcast on state TV late on Sunday, the Iranian government said the country would no longer observe limitations on uranium enrichment, stockpiles of enriched uranium or nuclear research and development.
The government claims that it wants to tackle fuel smuggling and give cash payments to the poorest three-quarters of Iran’s 80 million population.
Tensions between the two countries have soared since Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the JCPOA in May last year and began reimposing crippling sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Besides, one can hardly overlook the fact that Bolton’s innate hostility towards Iran is shared by America’s leading allies in the Middle East, namely Saudi Arabia, Israel and the UAE.
A decision of the World Court will determine the legality of the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the Iran deal, say Joyeeta Banerjee & Rajdeep Banerjee.
