Nuclear Power

President Donald Trump speaking during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House on March 28, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Analysis

Can Trump's Middle East strategy avert military confrontation with Iran?

The US and Iran are not on the brink of war just yet. But Washington is racing against the clock to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program before China can invade Taiwan — and before Israel tries to do the job alone.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

A picture taken on Aug. 20, 2010, shows an Iranian flag fluttering at an undisclosed location in the Islamic republic next to a surface-to-surface Qiam-1 missile.

Analysis

Is Iran's warning it could go nuclear after Trump's threat a bluff or more?

The warning, which was issued by a moderate politician known for his pragmatist negotiating skills, underscored how the dynamics between Tehran and Washington are becoming increasingly volatile.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A collection of missile replicas is visible amidst the greenery at the Dafae-moghadas Museum in Tehran, Iran, on December 25, 2024. The museum emphasizes military strength and resistance narratives central to the Islamic Republic's ideology. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran's IRGC says US troops in 'glass room' after Trump threat: What to know

The comments follow President Donald Trump repeating his assertion that the United States will “bomb” Iran if it does not agree to a new agreement on its nuclear program.

A picture taken on Nov. 10, 2019, shows workers on a construction site in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant during an official ceremony to kick-start works for a second reactor at the facility.

Analysis

From defiance to dialogue: How close are Iran and Trump to breakthrough on nuclear program?

Tehran's response to Trump's letter has been conveyed via Oman, raising hopes among Iranian moderates that a deal could be around the corner, despite earlier incendiary rhetoric from both sides.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Latest News

Iran's reply to Trump arrives as US messaging mixed on nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order "reimposing maximum pressure on Iran" in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, DC.

US B-2 bombers deployed to Indian Ocean amid Trump-Iran escalation

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker 06 April 1999 during an air strike mission in support of NATO Operation Allied Force in an undisclosed location.

Israel’s Dermer meets Witkoff, discusses Iran and Gaza during US visit

Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, speaks to the press outside of the White House on March 6, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Exclusive

Israel to push Trump on Iran attack plan on high-stakes Washington visit

An Iran-made missile and its launchers are exhibited during a rally that marks the 46th anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, on February 10, 2025. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

TOPSHOT - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the press, in front of the portrait of slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, after meeting with Syrian officials at the Iranian embassy in Damascus on October 5, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

As Iran set to receive Trump's letter, China to host talks on nuclear program

China will host a trilateral meeting with Russia and Iran in Beijing Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear program, amid renewed US efforts to renegotiate a new deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Nov. 23, 2015.

Analysis

With Trump 'down to final strokes,' can Russia convince Iran to engage?

The US president said he had written a letter to Iran's supreme leader before talking about "final strokes" with Tehran, but questions have been raised regarding whether Russia's potential mediation will resolve the standoff.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

The Martyr Rais Ali Delvari warship is unveiled during a ceremony in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on February 27, 2025. (Photo by DEFA Press news agency)

Iran’s IRGC says advanced warship joins naval fleet amid US tensions

The addition appears to be Iran's latest strategic yet cautious positioning in the face of strain with the United States and Israel.

A general view of a heavy water plant in Arak, 320 kms south of Tehran, Aug. 26, 2006.

IAEA warns Iran ramping up uranium enrichment as US sanctions intensify

IAEA reports say Iran has accelerated its production of enriched uranium amid a renewed campaign of maximum pressure by the Trump administration.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds flowers next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they meet at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 30, 2020. (Photo by MAXIM SHEMETOV / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MAXIM SHEMETOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Will US-Russia rapprochement increase odds of Israel striking Iran?

Israeli leaders hope the thaw in relations will lead Moscow to stem strategic cooperation with Tehran, leaving Iran vulnerable to an attack on its nuclear facilities after a US green light.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

A man walks past a banner depicting missiles along a street in Tehran on April 19, 2024.

Analysis

Iran is surging weapons production, but will it deter Israeli strikes?

Despite a series of setbacks last year, Iran has recently been bolstering its defenses, unveiling one missile or drone after another, as reports suggest that its sworn enemy, Israel, is mulling a major strike in the months to come.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

In SPACE - MAY 19: This image captured by a satellite on May 19, 2001 shows the Bushehr Reactor in Iran. The nuclear facility is located approximately 17 kilometers south of the city of Bushehr. The reactor complex occupies a 2.5 Square Kilometer site area, which includes assembly halls, a concrete channel for cooling water that runs from the reactors to the Gulf, and a the harbor, which supports loading and unloading of foreign materials needed for construction and reactor operation. There are two reactor

Exclusive

Trump, Netanyahu have 'full understanding' on Iran as Israel mulls strikes on nuclear sites

A senior Israeli diplomatic source confirmed to Al-Monitor, on condition of anonymity, that Israel and the United States have reached a “full understanding” on the Iranian issue. This includes agreed steps if Iran rejects a stricter nuclear deal than the 2015 accord abandoned by Trump in 2018.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Iranian Basij militia members display their drones during military drills on Jan. 10, 2025, in Tehran, Iran.

Iran unveils underwater suicide drone as US tensions grow: What we know

The showcasing of the unmanned aerial vehicle follows the unveiling of a new drone carrier warship and plans to develop a supersonic cruise missile.

This handout picture provided by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran on Nov. 15, 2024.

Iran to ramp up nuclear power production as talks with E3 begin in Geneva

Iran is once again at the table for talks with the E3 to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was effectively rendered hollow once the US withdrew from the deal under Trump in 2018.

A general view of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility is seen on April 9, 2007, 180 miles south of Tehran, Iran.

What to make of Iran's IRGC drills near Natanz nuclear site amid Israeli threats

The exercise, which was part of larger-scale drills, tested the capabilities of several air defense systems designed to thwart potential strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel wary as Russia-Iran ties deepen, possibly involving nuclear program

Israel is closely following contacts between senior Iranian and Russian officials amid fears that in exchange for Iran's extensive assistance to Russia's war effort in Ukraine, Moscow will provide Iran with the technology to turn the enriched uranium into a nuclear warhead.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting between the top diplomats of Iraq, Syria and Iran at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, in Baghdad, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Iran’s foreign minister lands in China amid regional and domestic turmoil

The Iranian foreign minister arrived in China on Friday as Iran seeks stability after the weakening of its proxy network, particularly Hezbollah, the fall of Syria’s Assad and its own domestic crises.