Nuclear Power

US President Donald Trump looks on after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Analysis

How Iran’s nuclear gains complicate Trump's desire for a 'stronger' deal

President Trump says he's seeking an Iranian nuclear deal stronger than the one he trashed in his first term. But with Iran's nuclear program more advanced than ever before, is that even possible?

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Bushehr

US imposes new Iran sanctions ahead of Oman talks as Tehran touts nuclear gains

Iranian officials met their Russian and Chinese counterparts on Tuesday to discuss the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program as Tehran prepares for negotiations with Washington.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a "Make America Wealthy Again" trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Trump says US, Iran in 'direct talks' over nuclear program

President Donald Trump said the two sides will hold a "very big meeting" on Saturday.

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

Latest News

Analysis

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

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.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

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)

Analysis

From defiance to dialogue: How close are Iran and Trump to breakthrough on 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.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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.

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.

Thick smoke billows from a raging fire at oil storage tanks a day after Israeli strikes on the port of Yemen's Huthi-held city of Hodeida on July 21, 2024. Yemen's Huthi rebels on July 21 promised a "huge" retaliation against Israel following a deadly strike on the port of Hodeida, as regional fallout widens from months of war in Gaza. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How Israel’s Yemen strikes could be prelude to target Iran nuclear sites

Israel is debating whether to seize the detected window of opportunity and target not only the Houthis in Yemen but also Iran’s entire nuclear program.

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

This handout image supplied by the IIPA shows a view of the reactor building at the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant as the first fuel is loaded, on Aug. 21, 2010.

Iran agrees to stricter nuclear monitoring as US raises concerns

After a report claimed Iran has been significantly increasing its production of highly enriched uranium, the country reportedly agreed to comply with stricter monitoring by the UN's nuclear watchdog.

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

Iran, Europe gamble on fresh talks in Geneva to resolve nuclear deal deadlock

The upcoming negotiations in Geneva follow a two-year hiatus in Iran's nuclear diplomacy, reviving cautious optimism regarding potential economic relief while also highlighting the pressure Tehran is facing in the wake of Donald Trump's new tenure.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after casting his vote for the presidential runoff election on July 5, 2024, in Tehran, Iran.

Analysis

Is Iran's Khamenei signaling readiness for new deal as Trump threat looms large?

Iran's supreme leader appears to be exercising pragmatism and reintroducing his "heroic flexibility," as his top aide says the stalled nuclear deal was "not written in stone" and that Tehran remains open to a new accord with the incoming Trump administration.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A picture taken on November 10, 2019, shows an Iranian flag in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility. - Bushehr is Iran's only nuclear power station and is currently running on imported fuel from Russia that is closely monitored by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

IAEA censures Iran over nuclear activity

Out of its 35 member countries, 19 voted in favor of the resolution, 12 abstained, while China, Russia and Burkina Faso voted against it.

Iran's head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, speaks during a joint press conference with the United Nations nuclear chief in Tehran on Nov. 14, 2024.

Iran threatens 'proportionate' response as IAEA censure looms

Iranian officials have repeatedly denied pursuit of nuclear weapons. In recent months, however, the rhetoric from state media and hard-liners has increasingly shifted.

Grossi

IAEA's Grossi denies Netanyahu claim Israel hit Iran nuclear facility

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi denied Israel's contention that a shuttered Iranian nuclear facility had restarted activity at the military complex it struck in Parchin, Iran.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi speaks during the International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology in Isfahan, on May 7, 2024.

Iran offers few concessions ahead of likely censure at IAEA meeting

The E3, with the support of the US, is set to introduce a resolution to censure Iran claiming that Iran has not complied with requirements outlined by the international community regarding its nuclear program.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrives for a meeting of the board of governors at IAEA headquarters on Sept. 11, 2023, in Vienna, Austria.

In first since Trump win, nuclear watchdog chief Grossi arrives in Iran for talks

As Iran braces for another Trump presidency, which last time saw the dissolution of the Iran nuclear deal, the director of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency holds talks in Tehran regarding the Iranian nuclear program.