US and Iran Hold Nuclear Talks Amidst Tensions

Iran and the US held a second round of nuclear talks in Rome, agreeing to meet again next week, amid mixed messages and threats from both sides. US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of its options: a deal or war, while also stating he prefers diplomacy. Iran insists it returned to talks due to the US limiting its demands to nuclear issues, not fear of military action. The talks come as Iran has stockpiled enough highly-enriched uranium to make several bombs, and the US is seeking to eliminate Iran's nuclear enrichment and weaponization program. The two sides have given conflicting accounts of the talks, with the US saying they are direct and Iran saying they are indirect with Oman mediating. The diplomatic efforts are taking place alongside a flurry of regional activity, including visits from Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister and the IAEA chief to Tehran.

The US and Ukraine have agreed on a mineral deal framework where the US will invest in Ukraine's recovery in exchange for a share of its natural resources. However, US President Donald Trump's threat to pull out of brokering a ceasefire in the conflict with Russia unless progress is made quickly has undermined the deal, making it appear more like a business transaction. The threat has also suited Russia's interests, as it has not led to increased pressure on Moscow, but rather a pause in US military aid to Ukraine, and has not brought a breakthrough in the peace talks.

US air strikes on a key oil terminal on Yemen's Red Sea coast controlled by the Houthi movement have killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. The US military said the attack aimed to restrict supplies and funds for the Iran-backed Houthis, describing it as a degradation of their "economic source of power". The Houthi-led government in north-west Yemen condemned the strikes as a "war crime", saying the terminal was a civilian facility. The attack was the deadliest known since President Donald Trump ordered an intensification of the US bombing campaign last month in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel. Thousands of Houthi supporters held a rally in the capital Sanaa, condemning the US strikes, while Iran's foreign ministry strongly condemned the strikes as "barbaric".

Iran and the US held their second round of talks in Rome on Saturday to negotiate Tehran's nuclear program, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff meeting indirectly at the Omani Embassy. The talks, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, come amid rising tensions in the Middle East and a possible American or Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear sites. The negotiations are seen as a historic moment given the decades of enmity between the two countries, and a potential deal could involve Russia taking custody of Iran's uranium enriched to 60% purity. Iran is seeking a deal to steady its troubled economy, with its currency having plunged to over 1 million rials to a US dollar earlier this month.

US and Iranian officials are meeting in Rome for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear program, with Oman mediating between the two sides. The talks come a week after an initial round in Muscat and follow a flurry of diplomatic activity, including visits by the Saudi defense minister to Tehran and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Moscow. The US is led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, while Araghchi heads the Iranian delegation. The negotiations are seen as high-stakes, with the threat of US military action against Iran's nuclear facilities still looming, although President Donald Trump said he is not in a rush to take such action. The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog described the talks as being in a "very crucial" stage, with limited time to reach an agreement.

The Supreme Court has temporarily paused deportations under President Donald Trump's use of the wartime Alien Enemies Act. US and Iranian officials held a second round of high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome, with Iran's foreign minister saying the talks remained positive and there's "movement forward." The Trump administration is ready to recognize Russian control of Crimea as part of its proposed framework for ending the war in Ukraine. The administration is escalating its efforts to portray a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador as a gang member with a violent history. Vice President JD Vance met senior Vatican officials amid sharp criticism by Pope Francis on the Trump administration's immigration policies.

US-Iran nuclear talks are ongoing despite concerns over Iran's history of deception regarding its nuclear program. Iran has previously been accused of lying about its intentions to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, and critics argue that the country's past actions cast doubt on its willingness to adhere to a new deal. The Trump administration has stated that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon or enrichment program, and a State Department spokesperson said that these issues will be discussed at the negotiating table. Retired Gen. Jack Keane argued that Iran is reintroducing its "playbook" of deception, and that its claims of reducing uranium enrichment are not credible. Meanwhile, Mark Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, blamed the Obama administration's concession to allow Iran to enrich uranium to 3.67% for the current problems. The Trump administration has outlined a two-month framework to reach a deal, with some experts suggesting that military pressure is necessary to bring Iran to the negotiating table.

The US and Iran are set to hold another round of nuclear talks in Rome, mediated by Omani diplomats, amid concerns from Israel that a potential deal may not be stringent enough. Israel has long been wary of Iran's nuclear ambitions and has been watching the talks closely, with some Israeli officials believing that a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites may be necessary if diplomacy fails. The US has sent mixed signals, with envoy Steve Witkoff suggesting that Iran could be allowed to maintain a limited nuclear program, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that any deal must prevent Iran from ever possessing a nuclear weapon. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated that the country's "red lines" are clear, and that it will not stop enriching uranium. Experts believe that Iran is closer than ever to producing nuclear weapons, and that the US and Iran are still defining each other's red lines.