TOP STORIES
Trump Says ‘Very Good Things Happening’ with Iran After Latest Nuclear Talks | Times of Israel
US President Donald Trump says that there are “very good things happening” with Iran, a day after Washington held a fourth round of nuclear talks with Tehran. “They can’t have a nuclear weapon, but I think that they are talking intelligently,” Trump says during a White House press conference. “We’re in the midst of talking to them, and they’re right now acting very intelligent.” “We want Iran to be wealthy and wonderful and happy and great, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump says.
Iranian Military Front Company Masked Identity to Sell Oil, Documents Show | Iran International
A Tehran-based company working on behalf of the Iranian military has spawned a network of shell companies to sell sanctioned Iranian oil to Asia and did business with a Netherlands-based firm that was aware of its government ties. Business documents and emails obtained by Iran International reveal a layered network of shell companies used to mask the military links and channel the sanctioned oil through foreign intermediaries.
The U.S. State Department is sanctioning three Iranian nationals and one Iranian entity with ties to Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, also known as SPND, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday. Those sanctioned are involved in activities that currently or could potentially “materially contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” Rubio stated, adding that the sanctions are intended to “delay and degrade” SPND’s ability to research and develop nuclear weapons.
UANI IN THE NEWS
Iran Talks Stall as Regime Hardens Stance | ILTV Israel News
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Policy Director Jason Brodsky joins ILTV Israel News to discuss the latest round of nuclear talks and what Tehran’s aggressive rhetoric signals about its negotiation strategy.
4th Round of US-Iran Talks Ends as Trump Set to Embark on Historic Middle East Tour | WFIW Radio
Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital that “The Iranians, like last round, sound more downcast than the U.S. side, describing talks as difficult.” . . . Brodsky said “The original sin of U.S. decision-making on Iran’s nuclear program was when the Obama administration changed the U.S. position from zero enrichment to tolerating enrichment at 3.67%. That laid the groundwork for Iran to retain the capability to continue to use its nuclear program to extort the United States and ultimately build a nuclear weapon.” The nuclear expert noted, “That should end today, and recent comments from President Trump, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Secretary Rubio hopefully signal that this era is over. House and Senate Republicans were also very clear on this point over the last week. The Iranians say they want a durable deal. But a JCPOA 2.0—tolerating enrichment at 3.67% and no dismantlement of nuclear facilities—would not be one. The Iranians are engaged in all kinds of gimmicks to dress up a variation of the same concessions they offered to President Obama. That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.”
President Donald Trump departed for Saudi Arabia on Monday (May 12). Before that, Tehran’s critics took a captured Shahed-136 drone to Capitol Hill to draw the attention of lawmakers to the Iranian military threat. The nonprofit organization United Against Nuclear Iran hosted the event. The organization was established to respond to the threat posed by Tehran.
Trump told Fox News on Monday about the talks: “I think they're talking intelligently. We're in the middle of negotiations and they're talking very intelligently right now. We want Iran to be rich and wonderful and happy and great, but they can't have nuclear weapons. I think they understand that.” However, the Iranians were much more cautious in their assessment, said Jason Brodsky, director of the United Against Nuclear Iran platform: “The Iranians, just like in the last round, sound much more downbeat than the American side.”
NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Iran May Accept Temporary Uranium Enrichment Limits, Official Says | IranWire
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Monday that Tehran may accept temporary restrictions on its uranium enrichment program as a confidence-building measure. “We have announced that, for a limited period, we can accept certain restrictions regarding the level and capacity of enrichment,” Takht-Ravanchi told reporters in Tehran.
Iran Warns Europeans That Reimposing Sanctions Could Have Irreversible Consequences | Reuters
Iran's foreign minister warned Britain, France and Germany on Monday that a decision to trigger a U.N. mechanism reimposing sanctions on Tehran could lead to an irreversible escalation of tensions. Under the terms of a U.N. resolution ratifying a 2015 nuclear pact, the three European powers could reimpose United Nations sanctions against Tehran before October 18, known in diplomatic circles as the “snapback mechanism.”
Iran Lawmaker Urges Nuclear Breakout If US Talks Fail | Newsweek
Amid ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, an Iranian lawmaker has called on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to reconsider the country's nuclear weapons ban should talks fail to yield sanctions relief, according to state media. Nadergholi Ebrahimi's remarks, delivered during a parliamentary session on Monday, come as U.S. President Donald Trump embarks on a Middle East tour, focusing on economic partnerships while regional tensions escalate.
Iran’s Nuclear Chief Says Atomic Industry is Non-Negotiable | Iran International
Iran’s nuclear chief said that the country’s nuclear industry will not be subject to any form of negotiation or compromise, describing it as a pillar of national power. . . . “We have paid a heavy price to achieve nuclear knowledge, and nuclear technology is the key to progress in all fields of science and engineering,” he added. . . . Earlier on Tuesday, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Tehran will not give up uranium enrichment under any potential agreement with the United States, stressing that enrichment levels of up to 20%—or at least 5%—will be maintained on Iranian soil.
A Regional Nuclear Consortium: New Hope for an Old Idea in Iran Talks | Iran International
Iranian commentators are floating a long-standing proposal to break the impasse in its nuclear negotiations with Washington: the formation of a regional nuclear consortium involving Iran, Arab states and the United States. If Tehran has indeed introduced this idea in the fourth round of talks, it may represent new flexibility on the sticky point of enrichment and explain the positive assessment of both Iranian and American officials on the latest round of talks.
Sunday’s fourth meeting between US President Donald Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi didn’t end with a framework agreement, as reports before the meeting indicated it could. But sufficient progress was apparently made that negotiations will continue, and the sides may have gotten closer together on key differences. . . . If Iran and the United States ultimately bridge these differences and reach a deal, how will we know if it’s a good one?
SANCTIONS, SHIPPING, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran to Slash Four Zeros from Currency in 2025, Chief Banker Says | Iran International
Iran will implement a long-delayed redenomination of its national currency this year, Central Bank Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin said on Monday, reviving a plan to strike four zeros from the rial and formally replace it with the toman in a bid to simplify transactions. . . . Critics argue that striking zeros from the currency without addressing Iran’s underlying economic challenges—such as fiscal imbalances, monetary instability, and international sanctions—may prove cosmetic. “The problem is not the four zeros, but the persistent inflation and monetary mismanagement,” economist Jamshid Assadi said in an earlier analysis. “Without reforms to central bank independence, fiscal discipline, and financial transparency, the redenomination will not have a lasting effect.”
Iran's Economy is Sensitive to Trump Headlines but its Problems Run Deeper | Iran International
Commentator in Tehran are warning that Iran’s economy has become too dependent on news from Washington, with markets reacting sharply even to personnel changes in the US president’s inner circle. Iran's official strategy to jumpstart a sputtering economy must look beyond talks with Washington and address root problems, several analysts and editorials have said.
PROTESTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Woman Among Seven People Executed in Iran on Monday | IranWire
Seven prisoners were executed on Monday across multiple prisons in Iran, according to human rights monitors. The executions took place in the prisons of Gorgan, Karaj, Isfahan, and Arak.
Kill With Impunity: How Iran’s Laws Enable ‘Honor’ Killings | IranWire
Across Iran, fathers, husbands, and male relatives continue to kill their daughters, wives, and family members with near impunity, protected by laws that treat the crimes as family matters rather than acts of violence. The killers often receive short sentences and return to their lives, while their victims are buried and forgotten. IranWire’s investigation into several recent cases reveals a chilling pattern: brutal murders, family involvement, and a justice system that consistently fails to protect the most vulnerable.
MILITARY/INTELLIGENCE MATTERS & PROXY WARS
The US military is replacing its B-2 bombers with another type of bomber at a base in the Indo-Pacific that was seen as being in an ideal location to operate in the Middle East, US officials told Reuters on Monday, as the American bombing campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebel group came to an end with a ceasefire reached earlier this month. . . . The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the B-2 bombers were being replaced by B-52 bombers.
As Trump Arrives, Iran Highlights Its Armed Forces | Jerusalem Post
Iran is highlighting its armed forces as US President Donald Trump arrives in the Middle East. Iranian state media has said that Iran’s top general, Major-General Mohammad Baqeri, said that the Armed Forces were fully prepared for any threats during an inspection of Iranian forces based in southern Iran.
CONGRESS & IRAN
Amid murky nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, a group of Republican senators has drawn a line in the sand on enrichment. Sens. Katie Britt (R., Ala.), Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) last week introduced a resolution demanding the “complete dismantlement and destruction of Iran’s nuclear program” in any agreement struck between Washington and Tehran—a condition President Donald Trump may not attach to a new deal.
RUSSIA, UKRAINE, & IRAN
Iran Is Preparing for Russian President Vladimir Putin to Visit, Tehran Says | Reuters
Iran is preparing for a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran's government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani was quoted by Russia's state RIA news agency as saying on Monday. “Putin's trip to Tehran is currently being worked out, preparations are underway,” Mohajerani was quoted as saying by RIA.
GULF STATES & IRAN
After Driving Down Oil, Saudi Arabia’s MBS Looks for Trump Dividend | Bloomberg
Critically, [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] wants to steer Trump away from Israeli plans to strike Iran, two people familiar with the situation said.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs [of the United Arab Emirates], held talks with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Abu Dhabi on Monday aimed at bolstering ties between the nations and supporting efforts to maintain regional stability. Sheikh Abdullah and Mr Araghchi discussed the importance of talks between the US and Iran in strengthening security and preserving international peace.