Putin backs ‘zero enrichment' for Iran's nuclear capabilities: Report
Putin privately communicated his stance to President Trump and Iranian officials, sources told Axios.
Iran has long insisted it should retain the ability to enrich uranium, while both the US and Israel have demanded the Islamic Republic completely abandon its enrichment capabilities — the biggest hurdle in striking a deal.
Advertisement
'Putin would support zero enrichment. He encouraged the Iranians to work towards that in order to make negotiations with the Americans more favorable. The Iranians said they won't consider it,' one European official with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios.
3 Putin has reportedly told both the US and Iran in private that a deal should not allow Tehran to enrich uranium.
MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
Iran rejected such limitations.
Advertisement
'In any negotiated solution, the rights of the Iranian people on the nuclear issue, including the right to enrichment, must be respected,' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told diplomats in Tehran Saturday.
'We will not have any agreement in which enrichment is not included.'
3 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Saturday Iran has a right to enrichment.
via REUTERS
Russia walks a diplomatic tightrope in the Middle East, maintaining warm relations with Israel even as it deepens military and economic cooperation with Iran.
Advertisement
The reports stand in stark contrast to the views the Kremlin has adopted publicly as Iran's main backer on the nuclear issue.
No later than this week, Moscow's top diplomat said Russia was ready to refill Iran's depleted uranium stocks. And last month, Putin said he had sent 200 Russian experts to work at an Iranian nuclear plant.
3 Tehran and Washington had been engaged in talks since April, but those were disrupted by the attacks.
Getty Images
Tehran and Washington had been engaged in talks since April, but those efforts were disrupted when Israel launched a surprise June 13 attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, just two days before a planned meeting in Oman, and 61 days after US President Donald Trump set a 60-day deadline for talks.
Advertisement
Araghchi meanwhile, says Tehran is open to new talks on a deal.
'We are examining its timing, its location, its form, its ingredients, the assurances it requires' he said.
With wires
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
A Vision of 1984: Social Injustice and Its Enemies
Chadwick Lane Murray Issues a Scholarly, Soul-Shaking Clarion Call on Injustice-Rooted in History, Reaching Toward the Future With an eye on Orwell and a finger on the pulse of generational upheaval, Chadwick Lane Murray's A Vision of 1984: Social Injustice and Its Enemies is not merely a book; it is a reckoning in print. Combining personal discovery with public inquiry, this genre-defiant work dissects war, racism, economic inequality, and planetary decline through the prism of history, sociology, and unapologetic moral urgency. Launched in 2025, A Vision of 1984 arrives at a time when public discourse has never been louder-nor truth more elusive. The echoes of the past are impossible to ignore; from soldiers' personal letters smuggled through trenches in Verdun to the dusty protest pamphlets of 1968's Paris uprisings, Murray excavates the forgotten margins of history to illuminate our present. The narrative threads converge into a singular message: systemic injustice isn't accidental; it's by design. 'The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.' – Steve Jobs A Book Anchored in Humanity-and Armed with Numbers Structured into four critical sections-Arbitrariness, Inequitable Distribution, Defective Correctives, and What Can Be Done-the book provides a rigorous framework for understanding how injustice operates across cultural, institutional, and economic lines. Murray doesn't simply ask what went wrong; he asks who made it so. Arbitrariness explores how imperialism, racism, and military conflict create environments where suffering becomes predictable; the author draws on personal family archives, including letters from the Battle of the Somme and Khe Sanh. Inequitable Distribution traces the legacy of wealth hoarding and monopolistic behavior; referencing post-war boom statistics, Murray cites that by 1982, the top 1% of Americans controlled 33% of national wealth-a number eerily similar to current figures. Defective Correctives critiques modern education, judicial, and political systems. As early as 1980, voter confidence in Congress had dropped below 30%; it has yet to meaningfully recover. What Can Be Done proposes moral advocacy over institutional neutrality; a radical thesis for a radical age. His prose is often poetic; his analysis, razor-sharp. There is a method behind the heartbreak. 'Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.' – Bill Gates The Ghost of Orwell Meets the Algorithm Age By resurrecting Orwell's prophetic spirit in the age of misinformation, A Vision of 1984 speaks not just to policy experts or historians, but to anyone questioning the trajectory of modern civilization. Murray juxtaposes the rigidity of bureaucracy with the chaos of human longing; he paints portraits of those ground down by economic gears too large to see. The book is both a historical synthesis and a sociological sermon. And there's data behind the drama. Murray pulls from the digital archives of post-war Britain; he examines U.S. labor participation trends since 1945; he even references the founding of Silicon Valley itself, noting that by 1984-the year Orwell imagined totalitarian surveillance-the seeds of the tech-industrial complex were already blooming in Palo Alto. In fact, by 1984, over 40% of the world's semiconductors were being produced in Santa Clara County; as Murray notes, 'Surveillance didn't come from the government; it came from an IPO.' It's this interweaving of ideology and infrastructure that makes the book both timeless and timely. The Rise of Humanistic Sociology-And the Moral Reckoning Ahead Inspired by the 'new sociology' and thinkers such as Morris Ginsberg, Murray refuses academic detachment. He considers objectivity overrated when facing systemic violence. Instead, he urges action; he views sociology not as a lens but as a lever. Readers will find themselves challenged-emotionally, intellectually, even ethically. 'This is not a bedtime story; this is a wake-up call,' said Ovais Riaz, who represents Murray. 'It challenges every reader-scholars, students, and citizens-to choose whether they want to be part of the solution or simply spectators to decline.' If Orwell gave us a dystopia to fear, Chadwick Lane Murray gives us one to recognize. Book Details Title A Vision of 1984: Social Injustice and Its Enemies Author Chadwick Lane Murray Publication Date 2025 Format Paperback; eBook Genre Nonfiction; Sociology; Political Science; History Availability Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Independent Retailers About the Author Chadwick Lane Murray is an independent scholar, essayist, and human rights advocate. Raised between libraries and living rooms filled with war stories, his worldview was shaped not by ideology, but by testimony. He studied the intersections of history and sociology at the University of [Insert], and later worked in urban planning and policy research before devoting himself fully to writing. His passion for justice is more than theoretical; Murray has conducted oral history interviews with veterans of World War II, organized educational outreach in post-industrial cities, and contributed to policy whitepapers addressing economic inequality. His work is known for fusing raw human emotion with empirical rigor-making him a rare voice in a world of noise. Amazon Author Page Disclaimer This original article was independently researched and published by the author with the editorial team of the Evrima Chicago News Bureau. It has not appeared in any previously published form and is presented as a digital-first feature on the sociopolitical relevance of contemporary literary works. The piece is intended for educational, editorial, and syndication purposes across the World Wide Web, news distribution networks, and academic referencing channels. Endorsed by the Author The perspectives, interpretations, and contextual framing expressed herein are those of the Evrima Chicago editorial team and are officially endorsed by Chadwick Lane Murray, author of A Vision of 1984: Social Injustice and Its Enemies . Publication Standards This piece qualifies as an official web syndication under W3C-recognized digital content frameworks and follows metadata tagging standards for news archives, search engine discoverability, and citation integrity. It is timestamped and licensed for redistribution under academic fair use and professional editorial guidelines. No Liability for Moral Reckonings Evrima Chicago assumes no responsibility for existential crises, civic awakening, or spontaneous acts of justice that may result from reading A Vision of 1984 . Proceed with caution; moral clarity is not always reversible. Publisher Note Evrima Chicago is an independent research and media outlet producing editorial content spanning literature, political thought, accessibility (A11Y), digital futures, and journalistic integrity. We aim to create thought-leading narratives rooted in credibility, depth, and meaningful public discourse. PR & Media Contact General Inquiries / Interview: PR@ PR & Media Contact: waasay@ SOURCE: Visions: Social Injustice & it's Enemies. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Putin's friend Gergiev set to conduct as Italy breaks ban on pro-Kremlin artists
Russian conductor Valery Gergiev has been barred from European stages ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A close ally of Vladimir Putin for many years, the director of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Russian state theatres has never spoken out against the war. But a region of southern Italy has now invited Gergiev back to Europe, signalling the artist's rehabilitation even as Russia's attacks on Ukraine intensify. Vincenzo de Luca, who runs the Campania region, insists that the concert at the Un'Estate da RE festival later this month will go ahead despite a growing swell of criticism. "Culture… must not be influenced by politics and political logic," De Luca said in a livestream on Friday. "We do not ask these men to answer for the choices made by politicians." The 76-year-old local leader has previously called Europe's broad veto on pro-Putin artists "a moment of stupidity – a moment of madness" at the start of the war and announced that he was "proud" to welcome Gergiev to town. But Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, has told the BBC that allowing Gergiev's return is "absolutely unacceptable". She calls the star conductor a "cultural mouthpiece for Putin and his crimes". Ukrainian human rights activist and Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk said the invitation by the regional government was "hypocrisy", rather than neutrality. Russian opposition activists have also condemned the director's sudden return. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wants his concert cancelled and is calling on Italy's interior ministry to ban Gergiev's entry to the country. Before Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, the virtuoso Gergiev was a regular visitor to stages in Italy and across Europe, despite his closeness to Putin. His long and illustrious career includes stints at the London Symphony Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic. But the invitations to Europe stopped abruptly on 24 February 2022. Hours before the first Russian missiles were launched at Ukraine, Gergiev was on stage at Milan's La Scala opera house. Urged then by the city's mayor to speak out against the war, Gergiev chose silence. He was promptly dropped from the bill. Abandoned by his manager, despite calling Gergiev "the greatest conductor alive", he was then fired as chief conductor in Munich and removed from concert schedules across the continent. That's why the invitation from Italy is so controversial. Pina Picierno, who is from the Campania region herself, says her call to stop the event is not Russophobic. "There is no shortage of brilliant Russian artists who choose to disassociate themselves from Putin's criminal policies," she told the BBC. The European MP, who says she has received threats for her work exposing Russia's hybrid warfare, warns that allowing Gergiev to perform would be both wrong and dangerous. "This is not about censorship. Gergiev is part of a deliberate Kremlin strategy. He is one of their cultural envoys to soften Western public opinion. This is part of their war." The cultural controversy erupted in a week when Italy was hosting heads of state from all over Europe to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and discuss how to rebuild the country once the war is over. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been a strong and consistent critic of Vladimir Putin from the start. But her culture ministry is one of the backers of Un'Estate da RE, which has invited Gergiev. A senior MP from Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, Alfredo Antoniozzi, has described Gergiev as "simply a great artist". "If Russians have to pay for the mistakes of their president, then we are committing a kind of cultural genocide," he argued. Last month, Canada formally barred Gergiev from entry and declared it would freeze any assets. But the European Union has shied away from formal sanctions against the conductor, who has avoided voicing open support for the war. Gergiev has been a vocal supporter of Putin since the 1990s, later campaigning for his re-election and backing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. He was handed management of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, in addition to the Mariinsky Theatre, taking over from a director who signed an open letter against Russia's war. Gergiev is a state employee, but in 2022 an investigation by Alexei Navalny's team uncovered properties in several Italian cities that they say he never declared. They also alleged he used donations to a charitable fund to pay for his own lavish lifestyle. The activists argued that was Gergiev's reward for his public loyalty to Putin. The BBC has so far been unable to reach the conductor for comment. A spokeswoman for the European Commission, Eva Hrncirova, has clarified that the Un'Estate da RE festival is not receiving EU cash: it is financed by Italy's own "cohesion funds". But she added that the commission urged European stages not to give space "to artists who support the war of aggression in Ukraine". In Campania, the artistic director who crafted this year's festival programme declined to comment. A spokesman was confident Gergiev's performance would go ahead, though – despite the controversy. "Yes," he assured the BBC. "For sure." Additional reporting from Rome by Davide Ghiglione. Putin's favourite conductor to run Bolshoi Russian conductor resigns Edinburgh Festival post
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump defends Pam Bondi hours after FBI boss Kash Patel squashed ‘conspiracy' resignation rumors over Epstein files uproar
President Trump came to the defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi Saturday night — just hours after FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed resignation rumors amid growing tensions over the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein probe. Despite reports of internal turmoil and mounting calls for Bondi's resignation, Trump praised the work of his attorney general and urged Americans to stop wasting 'time and energy' on Epstein. 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!' Trump, wrote on Truth Social. 5 FBI Director Kash Patel shot down rumors that he would resign. AP 'We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happened. We have a PERFECT administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,' the president continued. 'LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB – SHE'S GREAT! One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World. Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' Trump's remarks come on the heels of reports of a fiery showdown between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Bondi at the White House earlier this week. 5 FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is weighing whether to resign after four months on the job. Getty Images The explosive exchange erupted after a Justice Department review of the late pedophile's case found no smoking-gun evidence about his death or the notorious 'client list' officials now say never existed. Bongino – who had long speculated there was more to the Epstein file than officials were telling before entering government service – took a personal day Friday to consider resigning after less than four months on the job, a source familiar with the matter told The Post. 5 Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. US District Court for the Southern District of New York/AFP via Getty Images The source added that his relationship with Bondi is now beyond repair – and warned that if he walks, Patel might not be far behind. But Patel took to social media Saturday afternoon to squash those 'conspiracy theories.' 'The conspiracy theories just aren't true, never have been,' Patel posted on X. 'It's an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump – and I'll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.' 5 Attorney General Pam Bondi. REUTERS Internal matters came to a head after the Department of Justice concluded a probe into the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death at the Metropolitan Correctional center on Aug. 10, 2019, weeks after being charged with sex trafficking dozens of girls. The investigation included a pile of documents that Bondi told Fox News in February were on her desk at the Justice Department 'to be reviewed,' appearing to confirm those papers included the perv's infamous 'client list.' 5 Right-wing influencers on social media were welcomed to the White House and handed binders titled 'The Epstein Files: Phase 1' in February. REUTERS She also suggested the FBI's New York Field Office was 'in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.' But Bondi's department released a two-page memo Monday stating that 'systematic review' of evidence concluded that the 66-year-old died by suicide after impacting 'over one thousand victims' and there had been 'no incriminating 'client list.'' 'There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions,' the memo noted. 'We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.'
