Mardo Soghom
Iran International
Iran International
The devastating port blast on Iran’s southern coast has prompted comparisons to the Chernobyl disaster, with some Iranian thinkers seeing echoes of the Soviet Union’s final days in their own country’s unraveling.
Diplomatic sources told Iran International this week that President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, “welcomed a three-stage proposal presented by the Iranian side” during the first round of negotiations in Oman on April 12.
US envoy Steve Witkoff, who on Monday appeared to signal that Washington might tolerate limited uranium enrichment by Iran, clarified in a Tuesday tweet that Tehran "must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program."
While most semi-official media outlets in Iran and many political figures have expressed support for what they describe as indirect talks with the United States, hardline clerics loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are voicing sharp opposition.
In a new twist to Iran’s nuclear saga, the official government newspaper - Iran - said on Monday that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s alleged fatwa against atomic weapons does not necessarily ban their production – only their deployment and use.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that the removal of US sanctions could serve as a confidence-building measure to pave the way for negotiations with Washington.
President Donald Trump has made one point clear: he is determined to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons power. However, he has yet to outline the specific conditions or steps he would require from Tehran to achieve that objective.
The Iranian year 1403 ending on March 20 marked one of the most challenging yet for the country’s ruling elite, which has been beset by economic malaise at home and historic setbacks abroad.
Less than a week before the start of the new Iranian year, the government has yet to set new wages, which are adjusted annually for tens of millions of public and private sector workers.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday reiterated that Tehran has not received a letter from US President Donald Trump, who said it was sent last week requesting talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
