On May 1, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims about Iran's efforts to design, produce and test nuclear weapons. The IAEA statement pointed to its 2015 report that covered many of the same issues.
Iranian officials have dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allegations about Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. “The boy who can’t stop crying wolf is at it again,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. Netanyahu presented what he considered incontrovertible evidence proving that Iran lied about never having a nuclear weapons program. He also claimed that Tehran continued to “expand its nuclear weapons knowhow for future use,” despite the 2015 nuclear deal. The following are reactions from Iranian officials.
On April 30, President Donald Trump cited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s revelations about Iran’s nuclear activities and ballistic missile program as proof that the nuclear deal is flawed. “I think if anything what’s happening today … and what we’ve learned [from Israel] has really shown that I’ve been 100 percent right,” said Trump during a press conference with Nigeria’s president.
The three major European powers —Britain, France and Germany — have been quietly negotiating with the United States since January on how to supplement the Iran nuclear deal. President Donald Trump has demanded fixes to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under threat of withdrawing from it; he is due to make a decision on May 12. European and U.S.
On April 26, Mike Pompeo embarked on his first international trip as Secretary of State. His first stop was Brussels, where he discussed the Iran nuclear deal with NATO allies. Trump has demanded fixes to the JCPOA under threat of withdrawing from it; he is due to make a decision on May 12. “There’s been no decision made,” Pompeo told reporters.
On April 26, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Iran nuclear deal includes “pretty robust” verification. He did not give his opinion about whether the United States should withdraw from the agreement, as President Donald Trump has threatened.
On April 25, a gunman attacked the Interests Section of Iran, housed in the Pakistani embassy, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Secret Service responded to initial reports of shots fired and arrested an individual for assault. The individual had a weapon, but the Secret Service determined that shots had not been fired. Iranian state media posted a video of the arrest.
On April 24, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face serious repercussions if it restarts its nuclear program. “They will have bigger problems than they have ever had before,” he said at the start of a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House.
On April 20, the U.S. State Department released its annual country reports on human rights practices. The following are excerpts from the report on Iran, which covers 2017.
Iran has aided and abetted the Assad dynasty since the 1979 revolution. The following is a timeline of its intervention in Syria's civil war since 2011. For a separate rundown of Iran’s military involvement and Israel’s response, click here.
