UN watchdog: Iran in breach of nuclear obligations, tensions rise with US and Israel
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Jun 12) that an Israeli strike on Iran "could very well happen," though he stopped short of calling it imminent, as tensions rose over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the United Nations' atomic watchdog declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Trump said he preferred a peaceful solution but warned that Iran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. His remarks followed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors' ruling against Iran – the first such move in nearly two decades – and Tehran’s subsequent threat to escalate its nuclear activity.
DIPLOMATIC PUSH CONTINUES
Despite the heightened rhetoric, US and Iranian officials are set to meet for a sixth round of talks in Oman on Sunday, aimed at reining in Iran’s uranium enrichment programme. Oman confirmed it would host the talks, according to American and Omani officials.
But Trump said the US had moved personnel out of the region due to potential security threats. "It could be a dangerous place," he said. Multiple US officials said Israel had stepped up preparations to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, though no final decision had been made.
“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’d love to avoid the conflict,” he added, noting Iran would need to make greater concessions at the negotiating table.
ISRAEL, IRAN RAISE STAKES
The security situation in the Middle East remains volatile, with ripple effects from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Trump previously warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike Iran while US diplomacy continued.
Iran, meanwhile, has indicated defiance. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said any bombed nuclear facility could be rebuilt, according to state media.
The IAEA's declaration followed years of disputes since Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the multilateral nuclear accord. Tehran has since scaled up its enrichment activities in response to reinstated US sanctions.
An IAEA official said that after the board's 35-nation declaration, Iran had informed the agency it would open a third uranium enrichment facility.
OIL PRICES, STRATEGIC CALCULATIONS
The uncertainty has contributed to rising oil prices, which Trump criticised on Thursday. Some foreign diplomats speculated that recent US warnings of potential conflict could be part of a pressure campaign to compel Iran to offer concessions.
Iran’s key demand remains the lifting of sanctions. Trump, for his part, said he was growing less optimistic about a diplomatic resolution, suggesting that the threat of force remained on the table if talks failed.
The IAEA resolution could lead to Iran’s referral to the UN Security Council, reviving a path last seen before the 2015 nuclear deal was reached. Tehran has responded by announcing what it called counter-measures, further complicating the prospects for diplomacy.
