ISRAEL, IRAN RAISE STAKES
The security situation in the Middle East remains volatile, with ripple effects from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Trump previously warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike Iran while US diplomacy continued.
Iran, meanwhile, has indicated defiance. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said any bombed nuclear facility could be rebuilt, according to state media.
The IAEA’s declaration followed years of disputes since Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the multilateral nuclear accord. Tehran has since scaled up its enrichment activities in response to reinstated US sanctions.
An IAEA official said that after the board’s 35-nation declaration, Iran had informed the agency it would open a third uranium enrichment facility.
OIL PRICES, STRATEGIC CALCULATIONS
The uncertainty has contributed to rising oil prices, which Trump criticised on Thursday. Some foreign diplomats speculated that recent US warnings of potential conflict could be part of a pressure campaign to compel Iran to offer concessions.
Iran’s key demand remains the lifting of sanctions. Trump, for his part, said he was growing less optimistic about a diplomatic resolution, suggesting that the threat of force remained on the table if talks failed.
The IAEA resolution could lead to Iran’s referral to the UN Security Council, reviving a path last seen before the 2015 nuclear deal was reached. Tehran has responded by announcing what it called counter-measures, further complicating the prospects for diplomacy.
