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◢ Israel began sharing an intelligence trove on Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions Tuesday, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced accusations his televised unveiling of it lacked evidence a 2015 accord had been violated. The presentation that included props, video and slides immediately led to accusations from some that the White House and Netanyahu coordinated it as Trump considers whether to pull out of the nuclear deal he has harshly criticized.
◢ The UN's nuclear watchdog reiterated Tuesday it had "no credible indications of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009", citing its assessments from 2015. The statement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he said was new "proof" that Iran's nuclear weapons program could be reactivated at any time.
◢ Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran is keen to develop ties with the rest of the world, which is "not merely" the United States and European countries. The powerful leader's remarks, published on the khamenei.ir website, come with the United States threatening to quit a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with the Islamic republic.
◢ Iran's telecoms minister said Tuesday it was "impossible to block citizen's access to information", a day after the conservative-dominated judiciary banned the hugely popular Telegram messaging app. The move follows a presidential directive banning all government workers from using foreign messenger apps to communicate.
◢ Russian President Vladimir Putin and French leader Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for the "strict observance" of the current Iran nuclear accord, with US President Donald Trump still deciding whether to scrap the agreement. The statement was released after Macron called Putin to inform him of his talks with Trump in the United States.
◢ Iran on Monday dismissed "unfounded" accusations by new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over its "ambition to dominate the Middle East." Pompeo lashed out at Tehran on Sunday during a rapid tour of Middle East allies ahead of a crucial White House decision on whether to quit a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
◢ The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have reiterated their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal "as the best way of neutralizing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran", Downing Street said Sunday. Prime Minister Theresa May talked by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and Sunday.
◢ The head of Iran's reformist newspaper Shargh was freed Sunday, a day after being arrested over a report on "prostitution" in a northeastern city that angered residents, Iranian media said. Mehdi Rahmanian, the director of the newspaper, was released in the afternoon after paying bail of 500 million rials (USD 9,000), the ILNA news agency reported.
◢ Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said no decision had been made on whether the United States is going to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. President Donald Trump is due on May 12 to announce his decision about whether America will stay in the historic pact, as US and European diplomats work on a supplemental deal to address his concerns.
◢ German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits US President Donald Trump on Friday for a last-ditch European effort to prevent a transatlantic trade war and save the Iran nuclear deal. Merkel's working trip is expected to be far more business-like than this week's pomp-filled state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has built a warm rapport with Trump despite stark policy differences.
◢ China warned the United States on Thursday against harming trade after a report that US authorities had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by China's Huawei Technologies. A US Justice Department probe would come on the back of subpoenas issued to the company by the US Commerce and Treasury Departments.
◢ Donald Trump may well pull out of the Iran nuclear deal for domestic political reasons, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, after he and his American counterpart held talks addressing the agreement's future. Macron told US media that while he did not know specifically what Trump will decide, he believes the US leader "will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons."
