The UN atomic watchdog said on Monday it has no indication that Iran’s nuclear facilities were damaged in recent military attacks, even as Tehran’s ambassador to the agency said the Natanz enrichment site was targeted a day earlier.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American forces had begun “major combat operations” in Iran, launching what he described as a massive and ongoing campaign to eliminate nuclear and missile threats from the Iranian regime.
Reports in major outlets that Tehran has floated a “commercial bonanza” to the Trump administration should be understood less as an investment roadmap than as a survival strategy.
The UN nuclear watchdog warned it will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful unless Tehran restores access to key facilities, according to confidential reports seen by Bloomberg and the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Iran, including his State of the Union address and frustration with ongoing nuclear talks, signal a shift beyond diplomacy to national security and human rights concerns, analysts told Eye for Iran.
US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva ended on Thursday without any achievements, with Iran rejecting key US demands while Washington maintaining military readiness and top officials signaling a hardline stance, according to Iranian and Western media reports.
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on more than 30 individuals, companies and vessels linked to Iran, escalating economic pressure a day before a third round of talks between Washington and Tehran in Geneva.
Iran said on Monday it does not support an interim agreement in talks with the United States and is seeking a swift, result-oriented deal focused on lifting sanctions and addressing nuclear issues, as the two sides prepare for another round of negotiations within days.
A sharp increase in US military deployments to the Middle East has intensified uncertainty in Tehran, where analysts and officials are debating whether the buildup signals imminent conflict or a bid to gain leverage in nuclear negotiations.
Satellite images published by Reuters on Wednesday show Iran repairing and reinforcing key military and nuclear‑linked sites amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States and an expanding US military presence in the region.
The second round of Iran–US nuclear talks was met with a muted and often critical reaction in Tehran, where official outlets questioned Washington’s commitment after American negotiators left Geneva within hours despite Iran’s offer to continue discussions.
Iran, the United States and their Omani mediators struck cautiously optimistic notes on Tuesday after a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva, with officials on all sides pointing to progress while emphasizing that significant hurdles remain.