Iran nuclear

Iran's past shows regime needs to develop a nuclear weapon to have chance at survival, expert says

According to Zisser, Iran now believes nuclear weapons are essential for regime survival after repeated Israeli and US strikes, while Washington's push for a new deal may reinforce Tehran's strategy.

 People wave flags next to an Iranian missile on display during the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025.
Motorists drive vehicles past a billboard depicting Iran's formersupreme leader Ali Khamenei kissing the slain IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani near the shrine of Imam Hussein Iraq's holy city of Karbala, displayed on the facade of a building in Tehran on June 29, 2026.

Frozen Iranian funds will not be released until Tehran fulfills MoU, US official tells ‘Post’

 Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani walks near an Iranian missile during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran, in this picture obtained on February 17, 2024.

The current state of Iran’s nuke, ballistic missiles threat post MoU - exclusive

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf walks down the stairs of an airplane after arriving at Muscat Airport in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026; illustrative.

US agreed to Hezbollah presence in Lebanon, Iran's Ghalibaf says as talks continue in Doha


No deal in sight if US insists on discussing nuclear issue, Iranian FM spokesperson says - report

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed that US demands aimed at tempering Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “unreasonable” and “excessive."

IRAN'S FOREIGN Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei attends an interview, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2026.

Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Iranian sources say

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's order could further frustrate US President Donald Trump and complicate talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

 A banner depicting Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is displayed on the side of a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026.

Trump was 'an hour away' from a decision on Iran before being called to wait

US President Trump said that he was "an hour away" from making the decision to attack Iran today before several Middle Eastern governments called to ask him to wait several days for negotiations.

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks about health care costs and affordability from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, DC, US, May 18, 2026.

Iran giving mixed signals on deals, US open to 20 year halt to enrichment deal, Trump says

“We really had the confines of a deal….every time they make a deal, the next day it’s like we didn’t have that conversation,” Trump said. 

US President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One following his trip to China at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, May 15, 2026.

Trump 'not going to be much more patient,' says Iran can make deal or 'get annihilated'

After talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump asserted that the two leaders agreed that Iran should not have nuclear weapons.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) on the sidelines of a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, May 15, 2026.

Trump says stopping Iran's nuclear program outweighs Americans' economic pain

"The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon," US President Donald Trump said before departing the White House for a trip to China.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press, ahead of departing the White House for Joint Base Andrews en route to Beijing, China, in Washington, DC, US, May 12, 2026.

Iran insists latest proposal is 'generous' despite Trump’s rejection

"Our demand is legitimate: we are calling for an end to the war" said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei.

IRAN'S FOREIGN Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei attends an interview, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2026.

War with Iran not over, enriched uranium needs to be removed, Netanyahu tells 60 Minutes

When asked how Iran's supply of enriched uranium could be removed from the country, Netanyahu replied simply that "You go in, and you take it out."

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu on 60 Minutes.

Iran's enriched uranium under US surveillance, will be extracted 'at some point', Trump says

“If anybody got near the place, we will know about it, and we’ll blow them up,” Trump said. 

US President Donald Trump listens to reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 8, 2026.

Israel, US focused strikes on nuclear weaponization over enrichment during Iran war - report

According to the Institute for Science and International Security's analysis, facilities related to the weaponization of enriched uranium, such as development sites, were specifically targeted.

A SATELLITE image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility with new building damage, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Natanz, Iran, March 2, 2026.