Iran Nuclear Deal

The Biden administration on Friday lifted sanctions against three former Iranian officials and two companies that did business in Iran with its oil companies.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Wednesday there has been “a lot of progress made” on bringing the United States back into the Iran nuclear deal, allowing formal negotiations with Iran to resume this weekend.

Iran held the second debate in its farcical “presidential election” on Tuesday, giving the seven candidates not preemptively disqualified by the theocratic Guardian Council a chance to square off.

Chinese dictator Xi Jinping expressed his support for Iran in a phone call Monday with his nominal counterpart, outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

A large group of Iranian military fast attack boats on Monday harassed six United States Navy ships escorting a guided missile submarine into the Strait of Hormuz, the Pentagon said.

Three Republican members lawmakers demanded Wednesday that the U.S. Department of State’s inspector general investigate John Kerry.

Republicans voiced their concerns Monday about a report of a leaked audiotape of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif asserting President Biden’s current climate czar and former Secretary of State, John Kerry, allegedly shared with him that Israel had attacked Iranian interests in Syria at least 200 times.

Key members of the GOP are calling for either an investigation or resignation following reports of former U.S. Secretary of State and current Climate Czar John Kerry leaking information about covert Israeli military operations to Iran.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry did not share any secret information about Israel with Iranian official, the State Department says.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif complained executed terrorist Qasem Soleimani was a hindrance to his job and that the Russian government actively sabotaged attempts at diplomacy with America in leaked remarks published Sunday.

President Biden is willing to lift some sanctions on Iran if it resumes compliance with the nuclear deal, the U.S. State Department said.

The governments of China and Russia, which appear to be taking the lead in talks between Iran and the remaining partners in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, expressed optimism after talks concluded on Friday for the week that progress had occurred.

Officials in Iran once again debunked claims by the U.S. State Department and friendly media that the Biden Administration is in “indirect” talks with Tehran on Wednesday, stating the Islamic regime has nothing to discuss without an end to every American sanction on the rogue state.

The government of Iran denied it would engage the United States in talks on Tuesday after the administration of President Joe Biden confirmed on Monday that it would send an envoy to Vienna, Austria, where the remaining signatories of the Iran nuclear deal are scheduled to discuss a path forward.

President Joe Biden is set to offer Iran partial sanctions relief in exchange for a partial stop to its nuclear activities, according to a report Monday in Politico.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Iran on Friday during a tour of six Middle Eastern nations and demanded a leading role in sustaining the Iran nuclear deal, presenting China as the new global hegemonic power and the only honest mediator between Tehran and the Western world.

Hagerty said Tuesday he has still not received answers to his questions on whether Kahl leaked classified information in 2017.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday weighed in on President Joe Biden and his administration showing interest in rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about the U.S.-Israel partnership.

The Pentagon called the most recent rocket attacks on an Iraqi base where U.S. forces are stationed “a troubling development” but said there is no desire for escalation.

Colin Kahl, nominated for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, described Republicans as “the party of ethnic cleansing” on Twitter. His Senate confirmation hearing is set for Thursday.

Congressional Republicans are troubled by President Joe Biden’s offers to restart nuclear talks with Iran. The concern comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken relayed Thursday that the Administration is ready to begin negotiating.

“Israel believes that going back to the old agreement will pave Iran’s path to a nuclear arsenal,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office read.

The United States is ready to begin negotiating with Iran in an attempt to reestablish the 2015 nuclear deal or something like it, Secretary of State Antony Blinken relayed to counterparts Thursday in a video conference call with France, Germany, and the U.K.

Iranian state media reported Thursday that production of 20 percent enriched uranium — the last level before leaping to weapons-grade material — has far exceeded expectations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani celebrated the departure of outgoing American President Donald Trump by calling him a “stupid terrorist” and urging now-President Joe Biden to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal his former boss, President Barack Obama, negotiated.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany, France and Britain pressed Iran on Saturday to back off the latest planned violation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, saying that Tehran has “no credible civilian use” for uranium metal.

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Monday that the Iran nuclear deal should be fully restored within a matter of “weeks” or else Iran, which has aggressively violated the deal over the past few years, will soon begin processing weapons-grade uranium.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed the death of al-Qaeda’s No. 2 leader and said Iran is al-Qaeda’s “new home base” during a speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif using a derogatory term for Jews in an interview with an Iranian journalist last week, in addition to sarcastically wishing the United States would “leave planet Earth.”