US President Donald Trump said late Friday that Iran had not agreed to nuclear inspections or to cease uranium enrichment, according to a report published by Reuters on Saturday.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump once again claimed that Iran’s nuclear efforts have been “set back permanently,” although Tehran “could restart it at a different location.”
Trump further told the media that he would discuss the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his White House visit on Monday, as reported by Reuters.
Fresh US Sanctions Target Iranian Oil Exports
Meanwhile, the US has introduced fresh sanctions against Iranian oil exports, the first against the energy industry of Tehran since a 12-day truce with Israel was announced last month.
Asserting that Iran’s actions have caused devastation, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly said, “While it has had every chance to pursue peace, its leaders have opted for extremism. Treasury will continue to sanction Tehran’s sources of revenue and ratchet up economic pressure to cut off the regime’s access to the financial resources that power its destabilizing behavior.”
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Ceasefire Deals
After a June 24 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Trump suggested that China could be permitted to continue purchasing Iranian oil, but that too changed eventually.
In a social media post, the US president declared that he “immediately dropped all work on sanction relief” after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared victory over Israel.
Trump also insisted that his timely intervention helped stop Israel from trying to kill Khamenei, saving him from a “VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH.”
The Israel-Iran Conflict
Israel hit Iran on June 13, attacking military and nuclear facilities, leading to retaliatory missile strikes against Israel and key US air bases in Qatar and Iraq.
Trump later claimed that US airstrikes “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities, with Pentagon estimates suggesting that Iran’s program was held up by “one to two years.”
Iran Pushes Back Through Diplomacy
Iran enacted a law last month to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear agency, the IAEA, in protest of US and Israeli attacks.
Tehran has denied direct talks with Washington, although Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei indicated via Qatar and Oman that Iran is looking at pursuing a diplomatic course.
In an interview with Sky News last month, Baghaei had said, “Diplomacy should not be manipulated by abusing it or using it as a tool for trickery or even for mere kind of psychological war against their enemies,” while adding that Iran felt its diplomatic efforts were “betrayed”.
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