TOP STORIES
Trump Says the US and Iran Have ‘Sort Of’ Agreed on the Terms for a Nuclear Deal | Associated Press
Trump, in an exchange with reporters at a business roundtable in Doha, Qatar, described talks between American envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as “very serious negotiations” for long-term peace and said they were continuing to progress. . . . “Iran has sort of agreed to the terms: They’re not going to make, I call it, in a friendly way, nuclear dust,” Trump said at the business event. “We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran.”
Without offering detail, he signaled growing alignment with the terms that he has been seeking.
Iran Nuclear Program at Dangerous Threshold amid US Diplomatic Efforts | Fox News
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the United States faces a critical moment with Iran to curb the Islamic Republic’s efforts to develop a nuclear weapon and limit its uranium enrichment. . . . "They are at the threshold of a nuclear weapon. If they decided to do so, they could do so very quickly. If they stockpile enough of that 60 percent enriched, they could very quickly turn it into 90 and weaponize it. That's the danger we face right now. That's the urgency here." He [Rubio] added: "They are fairly close. Too close for comfort, to a nuclear weapon."
Iran Using Criminal Gangs for Hit Jobs Abroad, Court Papers Show | BBC News
There has been a sharp rise in plots by the Iranian regime to kidnap or assassinate dissidents, journalists and political foes living abroad, according to reports by Western intelligence agencies. These attempts have escalated dramatically since 2022, with even US President Donald Trump among the alleged targets. . . . And court documents from Turkey and the US—seen by BBC Eye Investigations and BBC Persian—contain evidence that Iran has been hiring criminal gangs to carry out killings on foreign soil, allegations the Iranian regime has previously denied.
UANI IN THE NEWS
The Iranians “like to draw the United States into a very protracted negotiating period,” the policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, Jason Brodsky, tells the Sun. “The negotiating process is a shield from pressure, and that’s as important as the product, if a deal is inked in the end.” Tehran, he adds, “has been consistent at maintaining a domestic enrichment capability, retaining their nuclear infrastructure, no negotiations over limitations of its missile and drone programs, and no negotiations over their support of terror proxies.”
Data from the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) organization indicate that in April 2025, Iran's total oil exports were around 1.6 million bpd, down from March.
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
The US gave Iran a written proposal for a nuclear deal during the fourth round of talks between the two countries earlier this week, a US media outlet reported Thursday. Tehran denied receiving such a document. . . . A senior Iranian official told Reuters that they had not received a fresh proposal from Washington, adding that Tehran would only ship its highly enriched uranium abroad if US sanctions were lifted “verifiably and effectively.”
Iran, European Powers to Hold Nuclear Talks in Turkey | Agence France Presse
Iran is set to hold talks with Britain, France and Germany in Turkey on Friday, after US President Donald Trump said a nuclear deal with Tehran was “getting close.” The Istanbul meeting follows Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's warning of “irreversible” consequences if the European powers move to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran that were lifted under a 2015 deal.
The emerging agreement between Iran and the US seems problematic for Israel, Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. . . . Two Western officials told the Post that progress has recently been made in the talks between the US and Iran. They added that several options related to enrichment facilities and the broader issue of uranium enrichment are currently being considered. This effectively means that the US is not automatically adopting Israel’s position that the enrichment facilities must be dismantled.
Suddenly, both US President Donald Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei do not merely want to cut a nuclear deal and avoid a larger conflict; they are now both desperate for such a deal. . . . What are some creative new concessions that Trump could say he got, and the Obama administration failed to get, but that Khamenei could also live with?
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran Set for Soaring Inflation and Near-Zero Growth, Grim IMF Outlook Finds | Iran International
Iran is facing one of its bleakest economic outlooks in years, data published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests, with inflation surging, fiscal deficit growing and nominal economy shrinking—all indicators of potential long-term instability.
US Treasury Warns Hong Kong Banks Over Funding Iran Oil Trades | Bloomberg
A US Treasury delegation met with Hong Kong banks to warn them against facilitating Iran oil shipments to China in April, just a month before sanctioning nine non-bank entities in the city allegedly involved in such trades, according to people familiar with the matter. . . . Banks were asked to take action to reduce the flow of funds supporting Iranian oil shipments and other illicit transactions, the people said. They were asked to look beyond the front companies to uncover the ultimate beneficial owners and flag suspicious transactions conducted in non-dollar currencies, the people added.
Long-Delayed Law May Ease Iran’s Way Out of Financial Isolation | Iran International
Iranian officials and media have welcomed a piece of legislation required for compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), though the path to removal from the watchdog’s black list remains uncertain. On Wednesday, the Expediency Council gave final approval to the bill that enables Iran to join the Palermo Convention, formally known as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. However, the legislation includes several conditions that could raise concerns for the FATF. Officials say the Expediency Council is expected to review the second remaining bill, required for joining the Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Convention, next week.
HOSTAGES
France Says It Will File a Court Complaint Against Iran over Citizens’ Detention | Reuters
France will file a legal complaint on Friday against Iran at the International Court of Justice for violating the right to consular protection, foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said on Thursday. Two French citizens, Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, have been held in Iran for three years. France is accusing Iran of keeping them in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Iranian Activist Assaulted by Security Forces in Tehran | IranWire
Security forces of the Islamic Republic physically assaulted media and political activist Hossein Razzaq outside his home on Thursday, IranWire reports. Witnesses said about twenty security personnel attempted to force entry into Razzaq's building without presenting any legal documentation. When Razzaq exited the building, security forces beat him, leaving his clothing bloodied. The officers identified themselves as members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS
Iran Sees Trump as Soleimani’s ‘Murderer,’ Says Top Revolutionary Guards Commander | Reuters
The top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that the Iranian nation considered him the “murderer” of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
Iran’s Air Defenses Around Nuclear Site More ‘Brittle’ Than Expected | Breaking Defense
At a time when President Donald Trump is threatening military action to curb Iran’s nuclear program, a new open-source analysis has found that air defense systems around one of Iran’s most crucial nuclear sites may be less networked and more “brittle” than expected. The research, shared exclusively with Breaking Defense, comes from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, which used what analysts said was a rare Iranian operational security slip-up to get a look at radar information around Natanz, a key Iranian nuclear site.
Iran Issues Fiery Response to Donald Trump’s Military Threats | Newsweek
Iran issued a sharp response Thursday to U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Tehran could suffer significant military consequences if a nuclear deal isn't reached soon. . . . Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Thursday that the U.S. has not engaged in military action and is choosing diplomacy because Iran's military is serving as a deterrent. “If the other side—whether during the earlier talks with the P5+1 or now with the United States—were able to destroy our nuclear facilities through military means, they would have done so,” Araghchi said. “They came to the table because they cannot impose their will by force.” White House special envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the talks from the U.S. side.
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Sex Work Blessed by Religion: Inside Iran’s Temporary Marriage Network | Iran International
Online platforms for temporary marriage, or sigheh, in Iran give men access to an underground sex economy that - far from totally contradicting the ruling theocracy - flourishes with a certain religious blessing.
EUROPE & IRAN
Convicted Rapist Has Fled to Iran, Court Told | Times of London
A rapist who was convicted in his absence of carrying out a sex attack on a sleeping university student has fled Scotland for Iran, a court has heard. Omed Hassan failed to appear at the High Court in Edinburgh for the final day of his trial in March when the jury was deliberating on its verdict.
Iran Diplomat Says Discussed Status of US Talks with European Powers | Barron's
Iranian senior diplomat Kazem Gharibabadi said Friday that the latest status of the Iran-US negotiations was discussed during talks with European powers in Istanbul.
SYRIA & IRAN
Having Lost Syria, Iran Watches As ‘Axis’ Lynchpin Turns Toward US | RadioFreeEurope / RadioLiberty
US President Donald Trump's historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, has not gone over well with hard-line media in Iran. Moderate outlets largely stuck to straight reporting of the meeting, but conservative media upset over Syria's exit from Iran's orbit criticized Trump for meeting with the insurgent-turned-president.
IRAQ & IRAN
Iran’s Secretive Head of Quds Force Travels to Iraq | Seth Frantzman in the Jerusalem Post
The Iranian head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, travelled to Iraq this week. He is arriving in Baghdad ahead of an Arab summit. Iraq is one of Iran’s last allies in the region, and Iran wants to show its clout in Iraq and pressure Baghdad. The arrival of Qaani coincides with Iranian pressure on Iraq to crack down on dissident groups that oppose the Iranian regime. It also comes as Iraq’s Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani met with key Iranian-linked leaders in Iran, including Hadi al-Amiri and Qais Khazali.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
Iran, Taliban to Cooperate on Afghan Gemstone Mining & Trade | Afghanistan International
Gholam Hossein Mozaffari, governor of Iran’s Khorasan province, has announced a new initiative for cooperation with the Taliban on the extraction and processing of Afghanistan’s precious and semi-precious stones. . . . In recent years, ties between Iran and the Taliban administration have deepened, particularly under the direction of the Iranian president. Tehran has prioritised strengthening economic and trade relations with the Taliban, especially across border provinces.
MISCELLANEOUS
On his tour of Iran’s Arab neighbors, US president Donald Trump lashed out at Tehran while hinting a deal was close—warning and wooing at once, and raising as many questions as he answered about the prospects of his transactional diplomacy.