Iran's President Gives Major Update on Nuclear Talks
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Iran is open to dialogue and is seriously pursuing diplomacy, President Masoud Pezeshkian said, as he set out his aim for a resumption of nuclear talks while warning that Iran would defend the "natural rights" of its people.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
Iran's president signaled a more diplomatic tone amid heightened tensions and distrust over nuclear negotiations weeks after both Israel and the United States launched strikes aimed at ending Iran's nuclear program. His remarks suggest Iran is looking to ease international pressure and avoid escalation.
Resuming talks is key to enabling verification of Iran's nuclear program after it suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.
A man walks past traffic near a billboard depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei displayed in the centre of Tehran's Valiasr Square on July 13, 2025.
A man walks past traffic near a billboard depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei displayed in the centre of Tehran's Valiasr Square on July 13, 2025.
ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images
What To Know
Pezeshkian, in a message to Iranians living abroad, said his government was determined to follow a diplomatic solution.
"The path ahead is clear for us, and the government will spare no effort in opening diplomatic doors and expanding horizons," Pezeshkian said.
"We still believe that the window for diplomacy is open, and we are pursuing this peaceful path with determination and by mobilizing all political capacities," he said, according to the presidential website.
Pezeshkian emphasized that his administration would "utilize all political and diplomatic resources" to prevent war, while continuing to defend what he described as the "natural rights of the Iranian people."
Prospects for talks following Israel's 12-day bombing campaign and the U.S. strikes on three nuclear facilities last month have been in doubt given skepticism on all three sides and worries about renewed hostilities.
Pezeshkian, in an interview with Tucker Carlson last week, said he believed U.S.-Iran tension could be resolved through talks but warned that a lack of trust remained a key obstacle.
"While we were negotiating in good faith at the request of the U.S., Netanyahu dropped bombs - literally - on diplomacy. Israel torpedoed the talks and killed peace. The world should remember who derailed the process," he said.
Despite significant damage to Iranian nuclear sites, it is not clear if key facilities have been put out of action. Iran says it continues to enrich uranium and develop advanced centrifuges, maintaining its nuclear ambitions.
Iran has rejected a U.S. demand that it cut its uranium enrichment activity to zero and has called for the lifting of sanctions. It has also demanded compensation for damage caused by the U.S. bombing.
What People Are Saying
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: "To open new horizons, we must critically reflect on the past. What leads us toward a better future is the reconstruction of hope, readiness to learn, change, and create a new path through consensus, solidarity, and rationality."
President Donald Trump said during a White House dinner with Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu last week: "They want to meet. They want to work something out. They're very different now than they were two weeks ago."
What Happens Next
No date has been set for the resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S. and Iran's military has warned against any more attacks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
22 minutes ago
- CBS News
FBI releases new images of Iran intel officers allegedly involved in Robert Levinson abduction
Federal authorities on Tuesday released new images of three Iranian intelligence officers allegedly involved in the abduction of retired FBI special agent Robert Levinson. Each attached to a seeking information poster, the images of Reza Amiri Moghadam, Taghi Daneshvar and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia are part of an extensive investigation into Levinson's disappearance in 2007, the FBI's Washington field office said. Moghadam is the current Iranian ambassador to Pakistan and previously led the operations unit of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security in Tehran, an agency whose members the FBI has accused of helping orchestrate Levinson's abduction. Daneshvar is described by the FBI as a high-ranking officer in the Iranian intelligence ministry involved in counterespionage activities. Around the time Levinson disappeared, he allegedly oversaw the work of Mohammad Baseri, another Iranian intelligence officer whom the United States government has accused in the abduction. Mohammadnia is a senior deputy in the intelligence ministry who served as the Iranian ambassador to Albania in 2016, before being expelled from Albania two years later for "damaging its national security," according to the FBI. The U.S. agency said Mohammadnia led an initiative to blame Levinson's disappearance "on a terrorist group in Pakistan's Baluchistan region to shift blame away from the Iranian government." "These three intelligence officers were among those who allegedly facilitated Bob's 2007 abduction and the subsequent cover-up by the Iranian government. Bob likely later perished in captivity far away from his family, friends, and colleagues," said Steven Jenson, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington office, in a statement. "The FBI will continue its relentless pursuit to hold anyone involved in his abduction to account for their reprehensible actions." The U.S. has maintained a view since Levinson vanished that the retired agent was kidnapped during an unauthorized CIA mission in Iran, and subsequently detained wrongfully by the Iranian government. Levinson was believed to be alive for years, until U.S. officials in 2020 said intelligence indicated he may actually have been dead "for some time." Moghadam, Daneshvar and Mohammadnia were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in March for allegedly playing a role in Levinson's "abduction, probable death, and Iran's efforts to cover up or obfuscate their responsibility," the federal agency said in an announcement at the time. The latest seeking information posters followed two others released by the FBI in December, for Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, both Iranian senior intelligence officers thought to be responsible for Levinson's abduction, detention and probable death. Federal authorities have described the men as high-ranking officers in the Iranian intelligence ministry. Both also were sanctioned by the U.S. government.
Newsweek
32 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump's Favored Pollster Advises Republicans to Adopt Obamacare Policy
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The GOP pollster used by President Donald Trump during some of his presidential campaigns found that swing-district Republicans can boost their standing ahead of the midterms by supporting a key measure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Why It Matters Republicans are hoping to thwart losses in the 2026 midterm elections as President Donald Trump's approval rating has taken hits in recent public opinion surveys. Historically, the party in the White House suffers losses during their first midterm. During Trump's first midterm in 2018 for instance, Democrats picked up 41 seats in the House of Representatives. Healthcare is likely to be a major issue ahead of the midterms, especially following Medicaid cuts in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." A new survey from Trump pollsters Tony Fabrizio and Bob Ward found that Republicans in the most vulnerable districts may be able to build support among voters by adopting the premium tax credit, one part of the ACA, which has been generally opposed by Republicans since its inception in 2010. What to Know The poll asked voters in 28 swing districts, which were evenly divided in 2024, whether they would support a generic Democrat or Republican, and found Democrats up by three. Among highly motivated voters, Democrats were up seven. But it found that supporting the extension of the premium tax credit, set to expire at the end of 2025, is one way Republicans could win back support. The tax credit allows lower-income Americans to purchase healthcare in the ACA marketplaces and obtain healthcare coverage. "Republicans can position themselves ahead of Democrats in these districts by extending the premium tax credit and using the individual market as a landing spot for working age adults on Medicaid," the poll report, first reported by Politico, reads. Health care activists rally in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2017. Health care activists rally in Washington, D.C. on September 26, found that Republican candidates who support that policy would lead Democrats by six points overall and by four points among the most motivated voters. Seventy-nine percent of respondents, including 68 percent of those who voted for Trump, supported tax credits "that make it more affordable for working families and individuals to purchase health insurance directly through or state exchanges," the poll found. The poll, notably, did not use the terms "Affordable Care Act" or "Obamacare" in its questioning. If the tax credit is not extended, Republicans could pay a price, the poll found, as the three-point deficit would expand to a 15-point deficit. Republicans can also "benefit" by using the tax credit as a "landing spot for working aged Medicaid enrollees.". The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from June 7 to July 10, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Congressional Republicans have opposed the ACA and sought to repeal it during Trump's first term, but those efforts were blocked by GOP Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and John McCain. Fabrizio worked as Trump's 2024 pollster and has previously issued warnings to the GOP about voter concerns around the economy and healthcare. Newsweek reached out to Fabrizio Ward for comment via the firm's contact form. What People Are Saying The poll report noted: "Unlike recent changes to Medicaid which do not go into effect until after the midterm elections, voters on the individual insurance marketplace, who voted for Trump by 4-points, will begin getting notices of significant premium hikes this fall. The incentive is to act on extending the tax credit soon." A Peterson-KFF report from June said: "The enhanced premium tax credits are now set to expire at the end of 2025. Unless the premium tax credits are extended, consumers can expect increases in both the net premium payments and gross premiums." What Happens Next Whether or not the GOP-controlled Congress will vote to extend the tax credits remains unclear at this point. Republicans in these key districts are already facing criticisms from Democrats over healthcare ahead of the midterms.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Millions of Americans Could See Credit Scores Drop
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A federal judge in Texas has reversed a Biden-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule which barred medical debt from appearing on credit reports, a move that is set to negatively affect millions of credit scores across the country. In his opinion, Judge Sean Jordan of the US District Court of Texas Eastern District said that the bureau had overstepped its authority in enacting the rule under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which "authorizes creditors to consider such information when making credit decisions." Newsweek has reached out to the CFPB via email for comment. Why It Matters The credit scores of millions of Americans are weighed down by medical debt. According to the CFPB, the rule would have eliminated an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of some 15 million Americans. Fotostand / Schmitt/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images As a result of the decision, these unpaid bills will continue to weigh on Americans' creditworthiness. One expert told Newsweek that, "for many Americans, even a relatively small dip in their credit score can be significant," affecting their ability to buy homes, secure loans, or even rent apartments. What To Know The CFPB's rule was finalized in January, weeks before Trump's inauguration, and was set to go into effect in March. In addition to prohibiting reporting agencies from including medical debt information in credit reports, it would have barred creditors from considering medical debt when making loan decisions. At the time, the Bureau expected the rule to "lead to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional, affordable mortgages every year," and that Americans with medical debt on their credit reports could see scores increase by 20 points on average. However, the idea drew pushback from GOP lawmakers. In a letter to then-CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in August, several Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee warned this could "weaken the accuracy and completeness of consumer credit reports." Upon being finalized, it was swiftly challenged by the Consumer Data Industry Association and Cornerstone Credit Union League, who filed a lawsuit against the CFPB over the rule. The pair were later joined by the Trump administration and the CFPB itself, which, under new leadership, joined with the plaintiffs in opposition in April. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) director Rohit Chopra testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on December 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) director Rohit Chopra testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on December 11, 2024 in Washington, Americans owe over $220 billion in medical debt, per a 2024 estimate from health policy-focused research group KFF. However, a study by the CFPB found that medical debt is an unreliable indicator of overall creditworthiness, given this is often incurred due to unexpected health emergencies. "Medical debt may be less predictive of whether a consumer will pay a future loan, because medical debts can occur and are collected through unique circumstances and practices," the Bureau wrote in a separate 2024 study. "For example, consumers often have limited ability to control the timing and types of medical services that are required." "I understand the rationale behind including medical debt in credit reports," said Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree. "Lenders want as complete a picture as possible of the financial situation of the people that they lend to." "However, medical debt is a different animal from other common types of debt," he told Newsweek. "For one, the dollars involved can be enormous. Also, medical bills often contain errors that can take a really long time to resolve because of how ridiculously complex and confusing the American healthcare and insurance businesses are. "That means many Americans may find their credit damaged unnecessarily, and that's a big deal." Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman told Newsweek that, despite the ruling, voluntary changes adopted by major credit bureaus over the past few years – which worked to remove many forms of medical collection data from credit reports – mean that the impacts on credit scores may not be catastrophic. "In 2022 and 2023, the major credit bureaus voluntarily removed most medical debt from credit reports," he said. "They took off paid medical collections, medical debts that had been in collections for less than a year and medical collections under $500. This removed about 70% of medical debt from credit reports. "While this policy has been struck down by a judge, my understanding is that the voluntary changes will stick and most medical debt still won't appear on credit reports," he added. What People Are Saying Rohit Chopra, then-director of the CFPB, said in January: "People who get sick shouldn't have their financial future upended. The CFPB's final rule will close a special carveout that has allowed debt collectors to abuse the credit reporting system to coerce people into paying medical bills they may not even owe." LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz told Newsweek: "There's no question that this will hurt some Americans' credit scores in the long run." "There's very little in life that is more expensive than having crummy credit. It can cost you literally tens of thousands of dollars or more over the course of your life in the form of higher interest rates and fees on mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and other things. It can push your insurance premiums higher and even keep you from getting that apartment you're looking for. For many Americans, even a relatively small dip in their credit score can be significant because it could drop them from very good to good credit, for example, or from good to fair. Those things matter a lot." Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman told Newsweek: "If you have medical debt and you can't pay it off right away, try to work out a payment plan with the doctor or hospital. This is likely going to be a lot more affordable and better for your credit score than if you finance it with a credit card." "Many doctors and hospitals offer low- or no-interest payment plans and these have the added advantage of keeping the debt as medical debt (which is treated more favorably by the credit bureaus than credit card debt)," he added. What Happens Next? Judge Jordan's ruling is unlikely to be challenged or appealed by the CFPB, given the Bureau's decision to side with the plaintiffs and its current leadership, now overseen by Trump appointee Russell Vought.
