Trump says US will 'probably' reach deal with Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that its Mideast arch-foe Iran was seeking to reach a deal and that his administration would "probably" achieve one.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that its Mideast arch-foe Iran was seeking to reach a deal and that his administration would "probably" achieve one.
In his address to a US-Saudi business forum in Washington DC with visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in attendance, Trump said US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June had protected Riyadh.
"We took the Dark Cloud away from your country, it was called Iran and its nuclear capability, and we obliterated that very quickly and strongly and powerfully.
But that was a real cloud over the whole Middle East," he said.
"Now they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal. They want to see if they can work out a deal with us, and we'll be doing that probably. But that was a terrible cloud that you had to live with for a long time."
At a joint appearance in the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the United States was talking to Tehran, which he said "very badly” wanted a deal with Washington.
Tehran flatly denied any such talks were underway earlier on Wednesday.
“There is no process of negotiation between Iran and the United States,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran.
“Talking to a side that does not believe in mutual respect and takes pride in military aggression against Iran has no logical justification.”
Iran has denied seeking a nuclear weapon and has rejected US demands that it end domestic enrichment, rein in its missile program and cut off help for its armed Mideast allies.
The impasse over the disputed program festers despite Trump's assertion that the US attacks had "obliterated" it.
In his opening statement to the IAEA Board of Governors, UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said the agency urgently needs access to Iran’s inventories of low-enriched and high-enriched uranium, which have not been checked for five months.
Grossi said he is in regular contact with Iranian officials following a September agreement in Cairo that set inspection procedures after the attacks, but added that “further constructive engagement is needed” to implement the deal in full.
The remarks come as the United States and three European allies have submitted a draft resolution demanding that Iran promptly restore cooperation and provide comprehensive nuclear-material accountancy.
Diplomats told Reuters on Tuesday that the measure is expected to pass at the board meeting later this week.
The text calls on Iran to grant the agency “all access it requires” and to fully implement the Additional Protocol without delay.
Tehran has warned that such a resolution could undermine the September understanding reached with Grossi.
Earlier this week, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Western push would compromise the agreement, while Iranian officials have linked stalled access to the reimposition of UN sanctions in late September under the snapback mechanism.
Iran has yet to allow inspectors to visit the facilities damaged during Israeli and US strikes in June, according to a confidential IAEA report seen by Reuters earlier this month.
The report said the agency has not been able to verify Iran’s enriched-uranium stockpile since the attacks, when inspectors last confirmed about 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity.
Access granted to unaffected sites
Grossi told the board on Wednesday that establishing the status of Iran’s enriched material “needs to be addressed urgently,” warning that extended gaps in verification increase risks to the safeguards system.
“It is critical the agency be able to verify this material as soon as possible,” he said.
The IAEA chief added that Iran has facilitated access with advanced notice to “almost all unaffected facilities,” calling this step welcome but insufficient.
The renewed push for cooperation follows a turbulent year in which Israeli and US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities during the 12-day war in June left parts of the program damaged.
Iranian officials say the strikes undermined the credibility of the IAEA and have accused the agency of failing to condemn the attacks.
The IAEA board will continue discussions this week as Western governments seek to pressure Tehran back into full compliance, while Iran argues that sanctions and security concerns must also be addressed.
"We have informed their families, and the vessel is now free to resume normal operations," Reuters quoted the manager as saying.
The Guards said on Saturday that rapid-reaction units intercepted the tanker near the Makran coast under a judicial order to confiscate its cargo. State media quoted sources saying the vessel carried about 30,000 tons of petrochemical products owned by Iran that were being transferred illegally to Singapore.
Fars news agency said the ship was directed to an Iranian anchorage for inspection and was found to be in breach of rules on transporting unauthorized goods. The Guards said the operation was carried out under legal authority “to protect national interests.”
Vessel diverted from UAE waters
The Talara, operated by Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement and owned by Pasha Finance, had been sailing from Sharjah to Singapore with a load of high-sulphur gasoil when contact was lost on Nov. 15. Maritime security firm Ambrey said the tanker was about 22 nautical miles east of the UAE port of Khor Fakkan when small boats approached and the vessel changed course toward Iranian waters.
Iran has stepped up maritime enforcement in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz in recent months, citing efforts to curb fuel smuggling. The seizure came amid continuing legal cases involving other foreign vessels detained by Iranian forces in past incidents.
The operator said on Tuesday the ship and crew were in good condition and that the Talara would soon resume normal operations.
