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America Must Stand Up to Iran’s Nuclear Threat — Before It’s Too Late
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 25, 2025. Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
The specter of a nuclear-armed Iran looms larger than ever, with Tehran aggressively advancing its uranium enrichment program and openly defying international pressure.
Despite previous diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions, Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain unchecked, posing a dire threat to regional stability and global security. At the heart of this crisis lies an urgent question: will the United States stand firmly against this threat — and stand firmly beside its closest Middle Eastern ally, Israel, to prevent an existential catastrophe?
Iran’s nuclear program has entered a dangerous new phase, with intelligence reports indicating uranium enrichment nearing weapons-grade levels. The Islamic Republic has long claimed that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The fact that Iran continues to develop ballistic missile technology — capable of carrying nuclear warheads — only reinforces the fears of its adversaries.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed military threats against Iran’s nuclear facilities, asserting that “Iran’s nuclear program cannot be destroyed through military operations. .. this is a technology that we have achieved, and the technology is in the brains and cannot be bombed.” Such rhetoric reflects Iran’s growing confidence in its ability to defy the international community, while steadily advancing its nuclear capabilities.
Israel has never shied away from taking decisive action against hostile nations seeking nuclear weapons. In 1981, Israeli fighter jets carried out Operation Opera, destroying Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. A similar strike was executed in 2007, when Israel bombed Syria’s nuclear reactor in Deir ez-Zor. These operations were not just acts of military aggression, but calculated moves to protect Israel’s very survival — and the security of the entire region.
Now, with Iran inching closer to nuclear breakout capacity, Israeli officials are signaling that time is running out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, even if it means launching a unilateral military strike. The stakes are clear: a nuclear-armed Iran would embolden its proxies — Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations — to escalate attacks on Israel, destabilizing the entire region. And, of course, Iran has promised to destroy Israel, and complete a complete genocide against its people.
For decades, the United States has been Israel’s most steadfast ally, providing military aid, intelligence-sharing, and diplomatic backing. However, Iran’s nuclear advancements present a new test for Washington. President Donald Trump’s recent letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offering negotiations for a nuclear deal, has been met with outright rejection. While diplomatic solutions should always be explored, history has shown that Iran only responds to strength, not appeasement.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump laid out the stark choice facing Tehran. “There are two ways Iran can be handled, militarily or you make a deal,” he told Fox News. “I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people. I know so many Iranians from this country.”
However, Iran’s Supreme Leader dismissed the offer, stating that “the insistence of some bullying governments to negotiate is not to solve problems, but to impose their own expectations.” His rejection signals that Iran remains uninterested in direct negotiations with Washington, a stance that further complicates efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions.
Yet, there is a small window for engagement. Iran’s UN mission recently indicated a willingness to discuss the “militarization” of its nuclear program, while rejecting outright dismantlement. This ambiguous position suggests Tehran may be open to negotiations only on its own terms — terms unlikely to satisfy the United States or Israel.
The consequences of failing to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions extend far beyond Israel. A nuclear-armed Iran could trigger a regional arms race, with countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey seeking their own nuclear capabilities in response. This would dismantle decades of non-proliferation efforts and heighten the risk of nuclear conflict in an already volatile region.
Moreover, an emboldened Iran would pose a direct threat to American interests. Iran has already demonstrated its willingness to attack US military bases and disrupt global energy markets through proxy warfare. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, these threats would become exponentially more dangerous, as the country would operate with the ultimate deterrent against any retaliation.
The US must move beyond empty diplomatic gestures and take decisive action to counter Iran’s nuclear threat. This means strengthening Israel’s military capabilities, enforcing crippling economic sanctions on Iran, and ensuring that all options — including military intervention — remain on the table.
Backing Israel in this critical moment is not just about supporting an ally — it is about safeguarding global security and preventing a nuclear-armed rogue state from dictating the balance of power in the Middle East. A failure to act decisively now could lead to irreversible consequences, not only for Israel but for the entire world.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions must be met with an unequivocal response. The United States must do whatever it takes to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, using every means necessary to ensure Tehran does not cross the red line. While diplomacy has a role to play, history has shown that only a firm, unwavering stance backed by credible military deterrence can force Iran to abandon its nuclear aspirations. Time is running out, and hesitation is not an option.
Amine Ayoub, a Middle East Forum fellow, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco.
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Iran, US Task Experts to Design Framework for a Nuclear Deal, Tehran Says
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Iran and the United States agreed on Saturday to task experts to start drawing up a framework for a potential nuclear deal, Iran’s foreign minister said, after a second round of talks following President Donald Trump’s threat of military action.
At their second indirect meeting in a week, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi negotiated for almost four hours in Rome with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, through an Omani official who shuttled messages between them.
Trump, who abandoned a 2015 nuclear pact between Tehran and world powers during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it reaches a new deal swiftly that would prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, says it is willing to discuss limited curbs to its atomic work in return for lifting international sanctions.
Speaking on state TV after the talks, Araqchi described them as useful and conducted in a constructive atmosphere.
“We were able to make some progress on a number of principles and goals, and ultimately reached a better understanding,” he said.
“It was agreed that negotiations will continue and move into the next phase, in which expert-level meetings will begin on Wednesday in Oman. The experts will have the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement.”
The top negotiators would meet again in Oman next Saturday to “review the experts’ work and assess how closely it aligns with the principles of a potential agreement,” he added.
Echoing cautious comments last week from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he added: “We cannot say for certain that we are optimistic. We are acting very cautiously. There is no reason either to be overly pessimistic.”
There was no immediate comment from the US side following the talks. Trump told reporters on Friday: “I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.”
Washington’s ally Israel, which opposed the 2015 agreement with Iran that Trump abandoned in 2018, has not ruled out an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to an Israeli official and two other people familiar with the matter.
Since 2019, Iran has breached and far surpassed the 2015 deal’s limits on its uranium enrichment, producing stocks far above what the West says is necessary for a civilian energy program.
A senior Iranian official, who described Iran’s negotiating position on condition of anonymity on Friday, listed its red lines as never agreeing to dismantle its uranium enriching centrifuges, halt enrichment altogether or reduce its enriched uranium stockpile below levels agreed in the 2015 deal.
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Hamas Says Fate of US-Israeli Hostage Unknown After Guard Killed in Israel Strike
Varda Ben Baruch, the grandmother of Edan Alexander, 19, an Israeli army volunteer kidnapped by Hamas, attends a special Kabbalat Shabbat ceremony with families of other hostages, in Herzliya, Israel October 27, 2023 REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki
Hamas said on Saturday the fate of an Israeli dual national soldier believed to be the last US citizen held alive in Gaza was unknown, after the body of one of the guards who had been holding him was found killed by an Israeli strike.
A month after Israel abandoned the ceasefire with the resumption of intensive strikes across the breadth of Gaza, Israel was intensifying its attacks.
President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said in March that freeing Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey native who was serving in the Israeli army when he was captured during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that precipitated the war, was a “top priority.” His release was at the center of talks held between Hamas leaders and US negotiator Adam Boehler last month.
Hamas had said on Tuesday that it had lost contact with the militants holding Alexander after their location was hit in an Israeli attack. On Saturday it said the body of one of the guards had been recovered.
“The fate of the prisoner and the rest of the captors remains unknown,” said Hamas armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades’ spokesperson Abu Ubaida.
“We are trying to protect all the hostages and preserve their lives … but their lives are in danger because of the criminal bombings by the enemy’s army,” Abu Ubaida said.
The Israeli military did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Hamas released 38 hostages under the ceasefire that began on January 19. Fifty-nine are still believed to be held in Gaza, fewer than half of them still alive.
Israel put Gaza under a total blockade in March and restarted its assault on March 18 after talks failed to extend the ceasefire. Hamas says it will free remaining hostages only under an agreement that permanently ends the war; Israel says it will agree only to a temporary pause.
On Friday, the Israeli military said it hit about 40 targets across the enclave over the past day. The military on Saturday announced that a 35-year-old soldier had died in combat in Gaza.
NETANYAHU STATEMENT
Late on Thursday Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’ Gaza chief, said the movement was willing to swap all remaining 59 hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel in return for an end to the war and reconstruction of Gaza.
He dismissed an Israeli offer, which includes a demand that Hamas lay down its arms, as imposing “impossible conditions.”
Israel has not responded formally to Al-Hayya’s comments, but ministers have said repeatedly that Hamas must be disarmed completely and can play no role in the future governance of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to give a statement later on Saturday.
Hamas on Saturday also released an undated and edited video of Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot. Hamas has released several videos over the course of the war of hostages begging to be released. Israeli officials have dismissed past videos as propaganda.
After the video was released, Bohbot’s family said in a statement that they were “deeply shocked and devastated,” and expressed concern for his mental and physical condition.
“How much longer will he be expected to wait and ‘stay strong’?” the family asked, urging for all of the 59 hostages who are still held in Gaza to be brought home.
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Oman’s Sultan to Meet Putin in Moscow After Iran-US Talks
FILE PHOTO: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said gives a speech after being sworn in before the royal family council in Muscat, Oman January 11, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani/File Photo
Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said is set to visit Moscow on Monday, days after the start of a round of Muscat-mediated nuclear talks between the US and Iran.
The sultan will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.
Iran and the US started a new round of nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday to resolve their decades-long standoff over Tehran’s atomic aims, under the shadow of President Donald Trump’s threat to unleash military action if diplomacy fails.
Ahead of Saturday’s talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Following the meeting, Lavrov said Russia was “ready to assist, mediate and play any role that will be beneficial to Iran and the USA.”
Moscow has played a role in Iran’s nuclear negotiations in the past as a veto-wielding U.N. Security Council member and signatory to an earlier deal that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.
The sultan’s meetings in Moscow visit will focus on cooperation on regional and global issues, the Omani state news agency and the Kremlin said, without providing further detail.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss trade and economic ties, the Kremlin added.
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