Quotes
After the exchange of letters we are now exploring next steps in order to begin conversations and trust building with the Iranians,
one said
Treasury will continue to disrupt Iran's military-industrial complex and its proliferation of UAVs, missiles, and conventional weapons that often end up in the hands of destabilizing actors, including terrorist proxies."
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent
Observing the behavior and words of Trump during his first presidential term with North Korea shows that having an atomic bomb has brought security for Korea. If we were also armed with an atomic bomb, Trump would not dare threaten bombing."
Ahmad Naderi, Iranian lawmaker wrote on XIran's official nuclear policy has not changed and the nuclear program has remained civilian. But in the face of pressure and increased military threats, some officials are floating the idea of nuclear weapons as a response. This is in rhetoric and posturing to show that Iran still has cards, while its enemies are saying they are at their weakest."
Negar Mortazavi, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy and host of The Iran Podcast told NewsweekThreats are really heard, and ultimatums are also heard. We consider such methods inappropriate, we condemn them,
Ryabkov addedThe IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapon program that he suspended in 2003,
Gabbard told a worldwide threat hearing held by the Senate Intelligence Community last week
The IC continues to monitor closely if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program. In the past year we've seen an erosion in the decades-long taboo in Iran of discussing nuclear weapons in public, likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran's decision making apparatus,
Gabbard saidTheir enrichment program is about as far as you can get, so that part is done. So the question is the weapons part.… the issue today is less weaponization and more about opportunity."
JINSA President and CEO Michael Makovsky offered a separate assessment, telling Fox News DigitalThere's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago,
he addedThe IC assesses Iran’s prospects for reconstituting force losses and posing a credible deterrent, particularly to Israeli actions, are dim in the near-term,
the report saidTehran will try to leverage its robust missile capability and expanded nuclear program, and its diplomatic outreach to regional states and U.S. rivals to bolster its regional influence and ensure regime survival,
the report said.jpg)
If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump.
In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf said on Friday
When the time comes, it won't matter whether you're an American, British, or Turkish soldier – you will be targeted if your base is used by Americans.
The military official addedThere are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal.
The US President warned
The Americans have at least 10 bases in the region around Iran, and they have 50,000 troops,
warned General Amirali Hajizadeh, commander of the aerospace force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing - it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before."
Trump told NBC
The consequences of this, especially if the strikes are on nuclear infrastructure, could be catastrophic for the entire region,
Ryabkov said
Threats are indeed being heard, ultimatums are also being heard,
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Russian journal "International Affairs" in an interview, extracts of which were published on Tuesday
There was an idea from Russia about a temporary administration that was not appreciated by the president … governance in Ukraine is determined by its constitution and its people."
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy BruceElections will only be possible after a stable ceasefire and peace are achieved. Right now, Ukraine doesn't have either of these."
Elina Beketova, a fellow Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) to Newsweek