Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The fifth round of Iran-US talks ended after three and a half hours.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The fifth round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States has begun at the headquarters of the Sultanate of Oman's mission in Rome.
Turkish public prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel over alleged links to a group accused of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt
Kremlin says no agreements yet on next platform for Russia-Ukraine negotiations
YAF spokesperson: We targeted Lydd Airport, known as Ben-Gurion Airport, with a hypersonic missile
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Two Israeli airstrikes targeted Wadi al-Aziziya in the Tyre district.
CIA spokesperson says law enforcement responded to a security incident outside CIA headquarters.
Brigadier General Saree: Operation achieved its targeted successfully, forcing millions of Zionists to flee to shelters, and halted air traffic at the airport.
YAF spokesperson: We've executed a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport in occupied Yafa with ballistic hypersonic missile.
IOF warning forces residents to evacuate and head South in preparation for expansion of aggression.

Trump bars IOF strike, Grossi sharpens Iran tone; coincidence or plan?

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 17 Apr 2025 12:13
5 Min Read

As indirect US-Iran nuclear talks quietly resumed in Muscat, a recent report claimed that US President Donald Trump intervened to block an Israeli plan to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in May.

Listen
  • x
  • Trump blocks Israeli strike as Grossi sharpens Iran rhetoric
    In this photograph released by the Iranian presidency, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, second from right, listens to an explanation by the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, during his visit to an exhibition of the country’s nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency via AP)

US President Donald Trump blocked an Israeli plan to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in May, a New York Times report revealed, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The report, published Wednesday, said "Israel" had been prepared to launch an offensive targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and was counting on US backing. However, Trump halted the operation, favoring a deal amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.

Israeli officials had told the US that the strike could delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by at least a year. But, as the Times noted, “all Israeli plans would have required US help in carrying out the attack and defending Israel from Iran’s response.”

The decision followed “months of internal negotiations” within the Trump administration over whether to opt for diplomacy or stand firmly behind "Israel’s" military ambitions, the newspaper added.

Meanwhile, indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran have begun in Muscat, Oman. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff participated in the first round. Witkoff called the discussions “positive and constructive,” while Araghchi described the environment as “constructive and calm.” According to the White House, a second round of talks is scheduled for April 19.

UN nuclear chief: Iran close to bomb capability

Meanwhile, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has warned that Iran is “not far” from having the capability to produce a nuclear bomb, just before landing in Tehran on Wednesday for high-level discussions and amid "Israel's" repeated threats of carrying out strikes against the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to Le Monde, Grossi compared Iran’s nuclear progress to assembling a puzzle: “They have the pieces, and one day they could eventually put them together," he claimed. While he acknowledged that Iran hasn’t reached the finish line, he cautioned, “They’re not far off, that has to be acknowledged.”

Related News

Russia ties peace deal with Ukraine to prisoner exchange completion

Boeing reaches deal with DoJ to avoid prosecution over 737 Max crashes

Grossi emphasized the importance of oversight, stating, “It’s not enough to tell the international community ‘we don’t have nuclear weapons’ for them to believe you. We need to be able to verify.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led by Grossi, was originally tasked with monitoring Iran’s adherence to the 2015 nuclear agreement—a deal that collapsed after the US exited under President Donald Trump in 2018.

Upon arrival in Tehran, Grossi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who described the meeting as a “useful discussion” in a post on X. Araghchi urged the IAEA chief to shield the agency from political interference and warned against “spoilers” attempting to “derail current negotiations.”

Ahead of his visit, Grossi had stressed on social media that Tehran’s collaboration with the agency remains “indispensable to provide credible assurances about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme at a time when diplomacy is urgently needed.”

Grossi is also scheduled to hold talks with Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.

Grossi tempers rhetoric in Tehran 

Grossi appeared to soften his tone after arriving in Tehran on Wednesday, following a sharply critical interview for Le Monde in which he dropped a bomb over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Grossi had claimed that Iran was “not far” from being able to assemble a nuclear weapon—remarks that added pressure just ahead of high-level meetings in the Iranian capital.

However, after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Grossi struck a more diplomatic tone, calling the discussions “important” and emphasizing that “cooperation with the IAEA is indispensable to provide credible assurances about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme at a time when diplomacy is urgently needed,” as he posted on X.

Araghchi, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, remained firm in asserting Iran’s right to enrich uranium, saying earlier Wednesday that enrichment “is non-negotiable". The contrast between Grossi’s warning before the trip and his more measured statements in Tehran suggests a shift.

In short, the convergence of renewed diplomacy and sharpened warnings reveals a volatile juncture in the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. While indirect US-Iran talks in Muscat suggest a cautious reactivation of diplomatic channels, Rafael Grossi’s latest remarks mark a notable escalation in tone—shifting from previously measured language to open alarm. His assertion that Iran is “not far” from assembling a nuclear weapon reflects a growing pressure from Washington amid heightened geopolitical tensions, as Iran repeatedly warned against politicizing the nuclear file.

While the New York Times claimed that Trump favored a deal over a strike, Grossi came with a new rhetoric that raises the question whether this is a coincidence or a play of concerted roles, signaling possible ill intentions.

  • United States
  • Iran nuclear deal
  • IAEA
  • Rafael Grossi
  • US-Iran relations
  • Donald Trump
  • Iran

Most Read

YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben-Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

  • MENA
  • 18 May 2025
Israeli media: Yemen may push 'Israel' towards ceasefire in Gaza

Israeli media: Yemen may push 'Israel' towards ceasefire in Gaza

  • MENA
  • 17 May 2025
Rachel Accurso criticized for speaking out on Gaza children crisis

Ms. Rachel accused of antisemitism for speaking out for Gaza children

  • Politics
  • 20 May 2025
Martyrs, injuries in violent Israeli bombardment of southern Gaza

Israeli operation fails; IOF launch violent strikes on Gaza

  • Politics
  • 19 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Eric Coquerel, a parliament member of the far-left La France Insoumise (The Unbowed) party attends a demonstration outside Sciences-Po university in Paris, Friday, April 26, 2024 (AP)
Politics

French teacher suspended for minute of silence in solidarity with Gaza

Palestinian landlord Akram Sabra, 60, stands next to a vehicle burnt under attack by Israeli settlers overnight, in the West Bank village of Bruqin, near Salfit Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Politics

Israeli settlers torch homes, vehicles in West Bank village

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, reads a paper in a meeting with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi at the Omani Embassy in Rome during the fifth round of Iran-US negotiations, Friday, May 23, 2025 (Iran Foreign Ministry)
Politics

Iran-US talks in Rome yield limited progress, Omani FM says

AP
Politics

EU sought ship, port, energy ties in nixed proposal to Trump: Report

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS