DefenceTalkIran and the US admitted during tense talks Sunday they are highly likely to miss a looming deadline to nail down a historic nuclear deal as they struggled to overcome major differences. Officials in Vienna said however that Tuesday’s target date would only be missed by a few days, with Iran saying there was “no […]https://www.defencetalk.com/deadline-in-doubt-in-tense-iran-nuclear-talks-64720/

DefenceTalkIran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei restated his red lines for a nuclear deal with world powers in a sudden intervention Tuesday after discord surfaced between his government and lawmakers. Khamenei, who will have the last word for Iran in its talks with the West, stepped in hours after Iran’s parliament passed a bill on […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-leader-restates-red-lines-on-nuclear-deal-64676/

DefenceTalkParis: France said Wednesday it would look into building two nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia as part of a multi-billion-euro package of deals, days before the deadline of nuclear talks with the kingdom’s rival, Iran. A feasibility study will be carried out to build two European Pressurised Reactors in Saudi Arabia, French Foreign Minister Laurent […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-to-study-building-nuclear-reactors-in-saudi-arabia-64667/

DefenceTalkMoscow: President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia must defend itself if threatened, as the US warned against a return to a “Cold War status” after Moscow announced plans to boost its nuclear arsenal. The declaration from the Kremlin strongman came as Russia reacted with fury to reports the US is planning to bulk up […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-cites-threats-as-nuclear-arsenal-boosted-64530/

DefenceTalkA computer worm designed to gather foreign intelligence and widely linked to Israel was used to spy on negotiations with Iran on curtailing its nuclear program, security researchers said Wednesday. A report by the Russian-based security firm Kaspersky Lab said it discovered the malware dubbed Duqu lurking in its own internal networks and linked the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/computer-worm-enabled-spying-on-iran-talks-researchers-64468/

DefenceTalkIran and major powers on Wednesday began the difficult process of finalizing by June 30 a historic deal putting an Iranian nuclear bomb out of reach, three weeks after agreeing the main outlines. Following a negotiating marathon in Switzerland, Iran agreed on April 2 to what US President Barack Obama called a “historic understanding… which, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/tricky-drafting-of-iran-nuclear-deal-begins-63929/

DefenceTalkIran wants international sanctions lifted on the day of the implementation of an agreement with world powers on its nuclear programme, President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday. “We will not sign any agreements unless on the first day of the implementation of the deal all economic sanctions are totally lifted on the same day,” Rouhani […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sanctions-must-go-on-same-day-nuclear-deal-implemented-rouhani-63787/

DefenceTalkIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept up his offensive against the framework nuclear deal with Iran on Tuesday, saying it fails to address Tehran’s long-range missile arsenal. “Why doesn’t the framework address Iran’s intercontinental ballistic missile program whose sole purpose is to carry nuclear payloads?” he asked on his official Twitter account. He said the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/netanyahu-wants-iran-deal-to-cover-missile-capacity-63773/

DefenceTalkA raft of biting global sanctions imposed on Iran for its suspect nuclear activities will be lifted over time, if the Islamic republic sticks to the terms of a final deal with global powers. Under a framework struck Thursday, the US and EU will lift all nuclear-related sanctions after the UN atomic watchdog, the IAEA, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nuclear-sanctions-on-iran-to-be-lifted-if-it-meets-deal-63721/

DefenceTalkPresident Barack Obama now has a framework nuclear deal with America’s Iranian foe, but as he tries to build it into a binding accord he faces enemies closer to home. Can he prevent the US Congress from torpedoing his diplomatic efforts to contain Tehran? “If Congress kills this deal, not based on expert analysis and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/obama-congress-tilt-over-iran-deal-63719/