US inks Bahrain nuclear deal, cites support for peaceful programs
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday signed a nuclear cooperation deal with Bahrain and in an apparent reference to Iran said Washington was ready to back peaceful nuclear programs which do not menace neighbors.
“This is an important signing. It serves as the first step toward deeper civil nuclear cooperation — an example that the United States is prepared to be a partner with any nation on earth that wants to pursue a civil nuclear program,” he said.
Bahrain's activities, Rubio added, are “clearly not geared toward weaponization or threatening the security of its neighbors.”
A Shi'ite majority island kingdom ruled by a Western-backed Sunni monarchy, Bahrain has long been suspicious of Tehran's policies in the region. It is host to major US and British military bases.
“I want to restate our deep appreciation and backing for President Donald Trump's tireless work toward achieving ceasefires, building confidence, and ultimately creating a secure region where all its peoples can live in peace and prosperity,” Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said.
Iran’s nuclear program has long been a source of unease for its Persian Gulf neighbors. US President Donald Trump started talks with Iran in April, giving a 60-day deadline to reach a deal. On the 61st day, Israel launched a surprise military campaign against Iran.
A June 24 ceasefire paused the 12-day war, which was capped by US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.
The United States had demanded that Iran end domestic uranium enrichment but said Tehran could pursue a civilian nuclear program.
Iran’s parliament on Wednesday demanded that the government halt all new negotiations with the United States unless strict preconditions are met, citing what lawmakers called Washington’s use of diplomacy as cover for military escalation.
“When the US uses negotiations as a tool to deceive Iran and to cover for sudden military attacks by the Zionist regime, talks cannot continue as before,” members of parliament said in a joint statement read during an open session by MP Ahmad Naderi, according to state media.
While the tone of the statement points to demands such as security assurances, respect for sovereignty, and a fundamental change in US conduct, lawmakers did not outline any specific or actionable preconditions.
The declaration came one day after US President Donald Trump said he was in “no rush” to resume talks and pointed to last month’s airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as leverage. “They would like to talk. I’m in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site,” Trump said Tuesday.
Parliament says no new talks without guarantees
The lawmakers said any new diplomatic engagement must be conditional and guided by Iran’s top leadership. “Preconditions must be established, and until they are fully met, no new negotiations should take place,” they said.
They accused the US of deliberately using the appearance of diplomacy to enable Israeli military action and warned that Iran would no longer engage under the same terms. “The American president, while pretending to favor diplomacy, authorized a direct attack on our nuclear infrastructure,” the statement said.
Lawmakers framed the issue as part of a larger campaign to undermine Iran’s sovereignty. “The goal is to weaken and divide the country,” they said. “But our response must be unity under the commands of the Supreme Leader.”
Iran faces pressure as Europe moves toward snapback
The warning came amid growing pressure from the US and its European allies, who on Monday set an end-of-August deadline for Iran to return to the nuclear deal or face the reimposition of full UN sanctions under the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism, Axios reported.
The snapback mechanism, created under UN Security Council Resolution 2231—which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal—allows any party to the agreement to reimpose sanctions if Iran is found non-compliant. If no resolution is passed within 30 days to continue sanctions relief, all prior UN measures automatically come back into force.
The US, France, Britain, and Germany said Iran could avoid snapback only by providing new assurances over its nuclear activities. A US official told Axios that Trump was frustrated by Iran’s refusal to return to talks and wants any future discussions to be direct.
“The snapback is leverage,” the official said. “And Witkoff has told the Iranians clearly: no intermediaries this time.”
Parliament defends law limiting IAEA access
In the statement, Iranian lawmakers also defended their recent vote to restrict cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying it was a response to security threats following the June airstrikes.
“The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed,” the lawmakers said.
Tehran says it has not ended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency despite the new legislation. Instead, future coordination with inspectors will be managed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier this month.
“Iran remains committed to the NPT and its Safeguards Agreement,” Araghchi wrote on X, rejecting reports of a full suspension as “fake news.”
He said the shift in procedure was necessary due to rising security concerns. “Under the new law, all cooperation with the IAEA must go through the Supreme National Security Council,” he wrote.
Lawmakers target IAEA and Western states
Iranian lawmakers accused the IAEA of legitimizing military aggression by sharing sensitive information with hostile governments. They also criticized Germany and other European states for backing US and Israeli actions.
“The IAEA and its partners must understand that until Iran is assured of no further violations, no new information will be handed to spies and aggressors,” the statement said.
The IAEA said inspectors remain in the country and await clarification from Tehran. But tensions have continued to rise, with a senior Iranian judicial official recently threatening the IAEA chief with trial in absentia.
Iran signals no retreat from enrichment
The Pentagon said last month’s strikes had degraded Iran’s nuclear program by up to two years. “We have degraded their program by one to two years, at least,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Araghchi confirmed “serious and heavy damage” to the Fordow facility but said Iran would not halt enrichment. “Enrichment is a matter of national pride and glory,” he said.
Lawmakers echoed that stance. “We will not allow anyone to use the language of pressure and expect submission,” they said. “Diplomacy is not surrender—it is another front in the war.”
The United States is in no hurry to enter talks with Iran, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, pointing to last month’s American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as a source of leverage.
“They would like to talk. I’m in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site,” Trump told reporters.
The US president made the remarks shortly after returning from Pittsburgh, adding that Washington remained in control of the diplomatic timeline.
Iranian lawmakers responded Wednesday by urging the government to set firm preconditions before entering any new negotiations with the United States.
“When the US uses negotiations as a tool to deceive Iran and to cover for sudden military attacks by the Zionist regime, talks cannot continue as before,” a statement read during parliament’s open session said, according to state media.
The declaration called for a fundamental shift in Iran’s approach to diplomatic engagement. “Preconditions must be established, and until they are fully met, no new negotiations should take place,” the statement said.
Axios reported Tuesday that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for Middle East affairs, had conveyed a message to Iranian officials: any future discussions must take place directly, without intermediaries.
“Witkoff has made it clear to the Iranians that any future talks must be direct, rather than mediated by a third party, to avoid misunderstandings and expedite the process,” the outlet quoted a senior US official as saying.
Iran’s foreign ministry has not confirmed any progress toward such talks. Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday that no time or location had been agreed for a meeting between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff.
“So long as we are not assured of the effectiveness of diplomacy and the negotiation process, we will not enter such a process,” Baghaei said.
United Nations sanctions on Iran will be restored via the so-called "snapback mechanism" if no nuclear deal is reached by end of August, the US, British, French and German foreign ministers agreed in a Monday call, according to a report by Axios.
The European countries now plan to engage with Iran in the coming days and weeks with the message that Iran can avoid the snapback sanctions if it takes steps to reassure the world about its nuclear program, the report said citing two informed sources.
The snapback mechanism is part of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. It allows any participant in the nuclear agreement to reimpose sanctions if Iran is deemed non-compliant. If no resolution to maintain sanctions relief is passed within 30 days, all previous UN measures return automatically.
The Trump administration supports activating snapback mechanism and sees it as leverage in the talks with Iran, the report added citing a US official.
The US official said Trump is highly frustrated that the Iranians haven't come back to the table yet, adding that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has made it clear to the Iranians that any future talks must be direct, rather than mediated by a third party, to avoid misunderstandings and expedite the process.
The FBI on Tuesday added three alleged Iranian intelligence officials including Tehran's current ambassador to Pakistan to its Most Wanted list over their alleged role in the disappearance of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who is believed to be dead.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office identified the three individuals as Reza Amiri Moghadam, Taghi Daneshvar and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia.
All three are linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), according to the FBI, which the United States has labeled a key player in hostage-taking operations and plots targeting Americans abroad.
The individuals were already under US sanctions and listed in connection with cases of alleged hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of American nationals in Iran.
“The FBI is leading the way in holding Iran accountable for the abduction of Bob Levinson, a devoted father and patriotic American,” Senator Jim Risch wrote on X.
“These new posters are seeking information related to his kidnapping. We will never forget Bob and his family, and we will hold those responsible to account for their crimes.”
Levinson disappeared in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission to Iran’s Kish Island. US officials believe he died in Iranian custody, although Tehran has never acknowledged detaining him and continues to deny any involvement.
In 2020, Levinson’s family released a statement saying they had concluded, based on information from US officials, that he had died while in Iranian custody.
Iran may now decide to develop nuclear weapons following the US attacks on its main nuclear sites last month, former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview.
“To the best of our analysis, Iran had not decided to weaponize. Now the danger is they might — burying the program deep underground and choosing to weaponize,” Blinken told Christiane Amanpour’s podcast on Tuesday.
Blinken said Iran had been rendered weaker than ever by the attacks, paving the way for a diplomatic breakthrough, but the situation could be even worse than before the conflict if Tehran decided to weaponize its nuclear activities.
“The strike that President Trump ordered clearly set back the program. But here’s the question — for how much, how long, and in what ways?” Blinken said.
The US attacked the Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow nuclear sites with long-range bombers and submarine-launched missiles on June 22, in strikes Trump said "obliterated" the program.
“Every analysis we and previous administrations conducted suggested that, if military action was taken, it might delay Iran’s nuclear program by up to two years — maybe less," Blinken said. "And during that time, Iran could decide to move the program deeper underground and make the decision they’ve so far avoided."
Blinken said that past intelligence assessments concluded Iran had not yet decided to build a nuclear weapon.
The administration under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden initially sought to bring Iran back into the nuclear deal, aiming for a longer, stronger agreement. However, nearly two years of indirect negotiations failed to yield results.
Blinken revealed that, prior to the Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Tehran had presented a series of proposals to European officials — including reducing uranium enrichment to below one percent and opening talks on its ballistic missile program.
“They should put those offers back on the table,” Blinken said. “In fact, I think President Trump now has an opportunity to secure the better deal he wanted from the beginning.”
Negotiations under the Trump administration began with a 60-day ultimatum to Iran. On the 61st day, Israel launched a surprise military campaign.
On June 13, Israel began a series of strikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing senior commanders and hundreds of civilians. In response, Iranian missile attacks killed 27 Israeli civilians.
