Israel believes they can end the Iranian regime, says Council of Foreign Relations' Steven Cook
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UPI
a day ago
- UPI
U.N. nuclear inspectors depart Tehran after Iran ends cooperation
July 4 (UPI) -- U.N. nuclear inspectors on Friday departed from Iran two days after the Middle Eastern nation suspended cooperation with the program and weeks after the United States and Israel bombed nuclear sites. Rafael Grossi, the inspector general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had aimed to assess the uranium-enrichment facilities and see whether alleged nuclear bomb efforts had been set back. IAEA hasn't reported the inspectors findings. They remained in the capital, Tehran, during the conflict between Israel and Iran. "An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict," the U.N. agency posted Friday on X. "IAEA Director General rafaelmgrossi reiterated the crucial importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as possible." On Wednesday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian signed legislation that halts cooperation with the agency, blocking oversight of Iran's nuclear program. Inspectors will not be allowed to visit nuclear sites without approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Iranian lawmakers gave two conditions for resuming cooperation, according to state media. The safety of its nuclear program and scientists is secured, and an acknowledgment about its right under international law to enrich uranium. The spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Iranian law was "obviously concerning." "I think the secretary-general has been very consistent in his call for Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, and, frankly, for all countries to work closely with the IAEA on nuclear issues," Stephane Dujarric told reporters. Iran has been critical of a resolution on June 12 by the IAEA that accused Iran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations. This was one day before Israel attacked. Iran and the United States had been engaged in talks for a nuclear deal. The U.S. used B-2 bombers to send missiles deep underground. "We are for diplomacy," Iran's deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told NBC News on Thursday, adding the U.S. government needs "to convince us that they are not going to use military force while we are negotiating. That is an essential element for our leadership to be in a position to decide about the future round of talks." President Donald Trump, who doesn't want Iran to be enriching uranium, said that the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites "obliterated" the program. Grossi earlier said that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains unaccounted for, and the program may have been delayed only a few months, and not years. "It can be, you know, described in different ways, but it's clear that what happened in particular in Fordo, Natanz, Isfahan, where Iran used to have and still has, to some degree, capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree," Grossi said in a CBS News interview on Saturday. "Some is still standing. So there is, of course, an important setback in terms of those of those capabilities." Iran has contended its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes but the agency reported in May that Iran stockpiled about 900 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% purity, enough to build nine bomb. That's up 50% since February. In December, the IAEA said Iran was rapidly moving closer to the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade material. In 2018, Trump unilaterally exited the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and reimposed harsh sanctions during his first term in office. In 2015, Iran reached a deal with the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Russia, China and the European Union.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
A Real New Middle East Is Emerging
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With the White House leading the charge to bring about a long-term ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the hostages, and following the cessation of open and direct conflict between Israel and Iran, there is hope for optimism in a region where pessimism is the default setting. Despite the heavy toll of the recent conflicts, a new geopolitical landscape is taking shape in the Middle East—one that holds the promise of lasting transformation. Call it cautious optimism, or even premature—but the signs are difficult to ignore. In many ways, Israel's confrontation with Iran, along with the war that began on October 7, marks a tectonic shift in Middle Eastern dynamics. It began with a fateful decision by Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza—a decision that set off a cascade across the so-called axis of resistance. What seemed like an isolated, if brutal, escalation now looks more like the first domino in the unraveling of an entire regional alignment. President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, 2025. President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, 2025. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images Even if the Islamic Republic of Iran remains intact, the aftermath of these conflicts will likely leave it severely weakened. Iran may emerge stripped of the vast arsenal it has invested in for decades—its nuclear program, its long-range missile capabilities, and its sprawling proxy networks in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Gaza, and Yemen. Trillions of dollars in regional influence may now be lost. For Israel, the immediate imperative is to bring the Gaza war to a close and secure the return of the hostages. But even that task is now shaped by a dramatically altered regional risk landscape. The deterrence equation has changed, as has Israel's room for strategic maneuvering. Far more significant, however, is the opportunity this moment presents for long-term realignment. The tectonic plates of the Middle East are shifting. The weakening of Iran and its allies creates space for an expanded circle of normalization. The Abraham Accords may soon include Saudi Arabia—and potentially even states long considered out of reach, like Syria and Lebanon. Deprived of Iranian sponsorship, Hezbollah may find itself facing a reckoning. Once a dominant destabilizing force, it will now have to recalibrate its role within Lebanon's fractured political system—perhaps even face pressure to disarm or integrate politically in ways it has long resisted. Should the ultimate turning point occur—if the Iranian regime were to collapse and be replaced by a fundamentally different leadership—Iran itself could reenter the regional stage, not as a spoiler, but as a potential partner in a new, post-theocratic era. In such a scenario, Israel would find itself in a position never before imagined: fully integrated into the region, not only diplomatically but economically. Trade, infrastructure, and innovation partnerships could stretch from the mountains of Afghanistan to the beaches of Tel Aviv. One need only imagine the economic potential of such a corridor. And what of the Palestinians? The hardline factions, stripped of external backing, would be isolated. For the rest, a long-term interim arrangement offering full political autonomy and semi-sovereignty, and guaranteed civil rights could become the most realistic path forward. In such a regional climate, the possibility of Palestinian prosperity—alongside Israeli, Saudi, Emirati, and even Iranian growth—would no longer be a fantasy. This is not naïve utopianism. It is a recognition that sometimes, out of protracted conflict, new possibilities arise. The Middle East has been here before and squandered such moments. But this time, perhaps, the pieces are falling into place for something more durable. Dr. Shuki Friedman is the director-general of the Jewish People Policy Institute and a senior lecturer in law at the Peres Academic Center. He is former chairman of the Israeli government committee on the Iran sanctions, and headed the international and foreign law department of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
American Military News
3 days ago
- American Military News
New bill may let Trump give Israel B-2 bombers, ‘bunker buster' bombs
A new bill proposed by a pair of bipartisan lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives would provide President Donald Trump with authorization to give Israel B-2 stealth bombers and GBU-57 'bunker buster' bombs if Iran continues to develop a nuclear weapon following the U.S. military strikes on Iran's three main nuclear facilities. According to Fox News, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) have proposed the Bunker Buster Act to give the president the ability to 'take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon.' 'Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, and one of America's top enemies, can never have a nuclear weapon,' Gottheimer said in a statement obtained by Fox News. 'That's why I strongly supported our military actions earlier this month. Iran has killed scores of Americans, including our service members, and repeatedly attacked our key democratic ally, Israel. Israel must be able to defend herself against Iran, and ensure that Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear capabilities.' READ MORE: Video: Massive intel operation that led to Iran strikes revealed by top Pentagon official According to Fox News, U.S. B-2 bomber pilots launched 14 GBU-57 'bunker buster' bombs against Iran's major nuclear facilities last month. Trump previously claimed that the result of the military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities was 'total obliteration' and suggested that Iran's nuclear program was set back by 'decades.' While Israel conducted numerous strikes against Iran and eliminated a significant number of the Middle Eastern nation's military leaders and military infrastructure, Fox News reported that the U.S. ally does not currently have any GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, which are the 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs that were developed by the U.S. Air Force to destroy Iran's capability of producing a nuclear weapon. According to Fox News, while the United States had 19 operational B-2 stealth bombers as of last year, the United States does not provide any of its allies with the stealth bombers. In a statement obtained by the outlet, Lawler said, 'This bill gives the President the authority to equip Israel with the tools and training they need to deter Tehran and make the world a safer place.'
