TOP STORIES
Iran and US Resuming Nuclear Talks with Uranium Enrichment a Key Issue | Associated Press
Iran and the United States prepared for a fifth round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program Friday in Rome, with enrichment emerging as the key issue. U.S. officials up to President Donald Trump insist Iran cannot continue to enrich uranium at all in any deal that could see sanctions lifted on Tehran’s struggling economy. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi early Friday insisted online that no enrichment would mean “we do NOT have a deal.” “Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” Araghchi wrote on the social platform X. “Time to decide.”
Iran Threatens to Move Nuclear Material to Secret Sites to Thwart Israeli Strike | Axios
Iran threatened on Thursday to move its nuclear material to undeclared sites to protect it from a potential Israeli military strike. . . . The IAEA is currently able to access and monitor Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles, which are stored in declared sites. If that material is moved, it will be much harder to know whether Iran is building a nuclear weapon or not.
Iran Warns Israel, US Against Any Attack on Its Nuclear Sites | Reuters
The United States will bear legal responsibility in the event of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday . . . In a separate statement released on Thursday, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards warned Israel would receive a “devastating and decisive response” if it attacks Iran.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran Says It May Take ‘Special Measures’ to Defend Nuclear Sites from Israel | Associated Press
Iran’s top diplomat warned Thursday that his country would take “special measures” to defend its nuclear facilities if Israel continues to threaten them, raising the stakes further ahead of a new round of talks with the United States. The comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered no specifics on what Tehran would do, but international inspectors already have seen their access limited to Iran’s program.
US Demands Iran Site Inspections, Iraq Pullout—UAE Outlet | Iran International
Iraq’s foreign minister recently conveyed a message from US President Donald Trump to Iranian officials demanding the withdrawal of Iranian forces from positions in Iraq within two weeks and requesting access to dozens of Iranian military and nuclear sites, Iraqi diplomatic sources told UAE-affiliated Erem News. According to the sources, the message delivered by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein during a visit to Tehran included a request for Iran to open 31 military, nuclear and research facilities for inspection by US experts in the coming weeks.
Iran Says Open to ‘More Inspections’ of Its Nuclear Sites | Agence France-Presse
Iran is open to its nuclear sites undergoing more inspections, its foreign minister said Thursday on the eve of a new round of talks with the United States on its nuclear programme.
U.S., Iran Meet in Rome with Nuclear Talks Under Strain | Wall Street Journal
U.S. and Iranian officials are set to begin a fifth round of nuclear negotiations Friday, with Tehran warning that talks could collapse if the two sides can’t overcome a pivotal clash over the shape of a deal. Washington insists that Tehran can’t continue to enrich uranium under a deal, warning that Iran’s ability to do so opens the way for the country to ultimately attain a nuclear weapon, which President Trump has vowed to prevent. . . . Former Western officials say another proposal discussed in previous negotiations could be worth resurfacing. It would see Iran stop enriching uranium but be fitted out with the ability to fabricate nuclear fuel for civilian reactors, using imported enriched uranium.
Iran has multiple major sites associated with its rapidly advancing nuclear program, now the subject of several rounds of negotiations with the United States. The sites across the country, including one in the heart of Tehran, the capital, show the breadth and history of the program. One in particular, Iran’s Natanz enrichment site, has been targeted several times in suspected sabotage attacks by Israel amid tensions between the two Mideast rivals.
Iranian Cleric Rejects Direct US Talks, Says Indirect Negotiations Continue | IranWire
A senior Iranian cleric has ruled out direct negotiations with the United States while saying that indirect talks are ongoing under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s supervision. . . . On Iran’s nuclear program, [Tehran Friday prayer leader Ahmad] Khatami acknowledged the link between uranium enrichment and weapons capability while reaffirming Tehran’s official stance against developing atomic bombs. “We take our orders from Islam, not America,” the cleric said.
Iran Labels Trump a ‘Madman’ as Nuclear Talks Enter Critical Phase | Newsweek
Ahmad Khatami, a senior hardline Iranian cleric, has said that President Donald Trump “portrays himself as a madman so that nations will fear him.”
Iran Doesn’t Believe a Nuclear Deal is Likely, Sources Say, as Talks with US Set to Resume | CNN
Iran and the United States are set to begin a fifth round of high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome on Friday amid growing skepticism in Tehran about the chances of a deal as Washington hardens its position. Two Iranian sources have told CNN the talks seem unlikely to lead to an agreement, with the US insisting that Tehran dismantles its uranium enrichment program – a demand Iranian officials say would cause the nuclear negotiations to collapse.
Is Tehran Shutting the Door on Nuclear Talks or Just Shifting Tracks? | Iran International
A speech by Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday left many in and outside the country wondering whether negotiations with Washington are about to come to a screeching halt—but will they? . . . [H]as Khamenei really pulled the plug on diplomacy, or is he just shifting focus from one track to another?
Iranian Lawmaker Says No Loss If Talks with US Fail | Iran International
An Iranian lawmaker warned Friday against tying the country’s economic future to the outcome of nuclear talks with the United States, saying Tehran must prioritize solving internal issues. Ali Akbar Alizadeh, a member of parliament from Damghan in northeastern Iran, said negotiations are only one aspect of the Foreign Ministry’s responsibilities and should not dominate the country’s overall strategy.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Teachers' Union Demands Information on Missing Labor Activist in Iran | IranWire
An Iranian teachers' union expressed concern on Friday over the whereabouts of a labor activist who was detained during a rally in May, saying authorities have provided no information about his condition for the past 22 days. Mehdi Farahi was arrested on May 1 during International Workers' Day gatherings in Iran, according to the Coordinating Council of the Iranian Teachers' Union.
Iranian filmmaker Saeed Roustaee had the afternoon competition slot at the Cannes Film festival for his latest movie Woman and Child, which got an 10-minute ovation after it screened Thursday. . . . Roustaee, who also wrote the screenplay for Woman and Child, was last in the Cannes Film Festival Competition with Leila’s Brothers in 2022. That film resulted in a six-month prison sentence and a five-year filming ban for Roustaee as imposed by the Islamic regime. The star of that movie, Taraneh Alidoosti, was sentenced to five years in prison after publishing a photo of herself without her hijab. In both cases, the sentences were eventually lifted. According to the Cannes festival, for Woman and Child, Roustaee complied with certain restrictions, but maintains that he has not made a propaganda film, rather a film about social resistance.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
‘What About the Workers?’: Iran Port Explosion Survivors Left Behind in Recovery Efforts | IranWire
The explosion that tore through the port's dock on April 26 lasted only seconds, but its psychological aftershocks continue to reverberate through the lives of hundreds of survivors. While official figures record “hundreds dead and wounded,” they cannot quantify the invisible trauma gripping those who lived to tell the tale—workers who now flinch at every sound, families still desperately searching for loved ones who may never be found, and an entire community grappling with a collective wound no reconstruction can heal. For surviving workers, returning to the port has become a daily confrontation with horror.
Iran’s Energy Exports Rise as Domestic Grid Falters | Iran International
Despite worsening energy shortages at home, Iran has increased its gas and electricity exports over the past year, official data shows. . . . Over the past three years, Iran’s electricity and gas output have grown by just 2% annually—while consumption has surged more than threefold, driven by population growth, subsidies, and inefficiency.
Newspapers in Iran Challenge Gag Order, Back Talks with US | Iran International
Several Tehran outlets defied a state-imposed ban on Wednesday by publishing commentary on ongoing nuclear talks with Washington, some striking an optimistic tone that diverged from the Supreme Leader’s skeptical message a day earlier.
Parliament Speaker Faces Ultra-Hardliner Backlash Before Leadership Vote | Iran International
Tensions are mounting among Iran;s conservative factions as supporters of the Parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and his ultra-hardline rivals engage in an escalating war of words ahead of a key leadership vote. A vote for the parliament’s presidium is due to be held on May 27 to [choose] the speaker, his two deputies and six secretaries. The officials are key to running parliament, managing its sessions and deciding what to put on its agenda. . . . Ultra-hardliners’ criticism of Ghalibaf has intensified following his transmission of the controversial Palermo legislation to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration for enforcement on Wednesday. The law, conditionally approved by the Expediency Council on May 14 after years of delay, enables Iran to join the Palermo Convention—a key step toward removing the country from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) black list.
EUROPE & IRAN
UK Police Working with Iran International to Counter Threats, Commander Says | Iran International
British counter-terrorism police commander told parliament's human rights chiefs on Thursday that they are working closely with Iran International to safeguard its journalists. . . . In two separate operations on May 3, eight men including seven Iranians were arrested by the British counter-terrorism police. On Saturday, three of the Iranian nationals were charged with offences under the National Security Act, accused of acting on behalf of Iran’s intelligence service and carried out surveillance targeting Iran International journalists.
ISRAEL & IRAN
Netanyahu and Trump Discuss Iran, Gaza, and Embassy Attack in Washington
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on Thursday. “The Prime Minister and President Trump agreed on the need to ensure that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons,” the announcement said.
Slain Israeli Embassy Staffer had Expressed Solidarity with Iranian People | Iran International
Yaron Lischinsky, one of two Israeli embassy employees killed in a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, had publicly expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and participated in events supporting democracy in Iran. Lischinsky, who served as a Middle East affairs advisor at the Israeli embassy in Washington, was killed alongside his fiancée, Sarah Lynn Milgrim, by a lone gunman who opened fire on a group leaving a diplomatic event on Wednesday night.
GULF STATES & IRAN
Iran Issues New Threat Against Google over Persian Gulf Name | Newsweek
Iran is planning to take legal action against Google for labeling the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf” on its map application. . . . Google Maps may display the alternative name “Arabian Gulf” when users search from the Middle East, but it shows both names when searched for the region from elsewhere.
CENTRAL ASIA & IRAN
Iran Launches Attack on Azerbaijan-Israel Ties: ‘Two Nations, One State’ | Jerusalem Post
Iran’s Fars News Agency, which is closely affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), launched an attack this week on Azerbaijan and Israel, using the Eurovision song contest to fuel anti-Zionist rhetoric. In a report published this week, the agency condemned what it called “disgraceful and secretive ties” between Azerbaijan and the “Zionist regime,” pointing to the two countries’ participation in the competition as proof of growing cooperation. The trigger for Tehran’s ire: Azerbaijan was represented by a Jewish singer, while Israel’s contestant was of Azerbaijani heritage — a symbolic crossover that Fars labeled a betrayal of Islamic unity. “The bitter truth is out,” the agency wrote. “Not one nation in two countries, but two nations in one state — a state that divides the Islamic world.”