DOJ Investigates Group Linked to Reid Hoffman Over E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit Funding 
UN Blacklists Israel and Russia Over Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Claims 
US and Iran Near Nuclear Deal as Ceasefire Extension Awaits Trump Approval 
China Expands Nuclear Defense Network in Remote Desert 
US Designates Brazil’s PCC and Comando Vermelho as Global Terrorist Entities Ahead of FTO Listing 
US Imposes Fresh Iran Oil Sanctions Despite Progress on Ceasefire Talks 
Trump Administration Threatens Newark Airport International Travel Shutdown Over Immigration Dispute 
Netanyahu Gaza Expansion Plan Sparks Hamas Condemnation and International Concern 
Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks Remain Unresolved as Strait of Hormuz Risks Keep Markets on Edge 
Hamas Commander Mohammad Odeh Killed in Gaza as Israel Intensifies Campaign 
U.S.-China Taiwan Conflict Could Trigger Nuclear Escalation, IISS Warns 
U.S. Reinstates Sanctions on U.N. Expert Francesca Albanese Amid Legal Battle 
U.S. Lawmakers Back Ukraine’s Request for More Patriot Missiles Amid Rising Russian Attacks 
US Southern Command Chief Holds Rare Military Meeting With Cuban Officials at Guantanamo Bay 
US Tightens Ebola Controls as Congo Outbreak Sparks Global Concern 
Trump Signs Executive Order to Expand Access to Federal Lands in the U.S. 
As Iran seeks to improve or strengthen ties with its neighboring countries, its nuclear program is a point of concern for several. Tehran responded to the UAE’s concerns regarding its nuclear program, saying that Iran is making improving ties with its neighbors a priority.
Reuters reports Iran responded to UAE’s concerns Saturday, saying that improving relations with neighboring countries is a priority for Tehran.
This comes as the UAE representative at the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA said Friday that he hoped Iran would work with the agency to give an assurance to the international community and the region about its nuclear program.
Iranian state media reported the phone conversation between Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his UAE counterpart, where Amirabdollahian “pointed to the priority of neighbors in Iran’s foreign policy and called for more consultation…to expand bilateral ties.”
The UAE, which is allied with the US, began to re-engage with Iran after years of tensions.
Iran and the US have been engaging in indirect negotiations to restore the nuclear deal that was established in 2015. Negotiations were put on hold since March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Tehran has recently restricted the IAEA’s ability to monitor its nuclear program after a dispute with the agency.
Iran has also maintained that it intends to develop its nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
Iran has also blamed the US for the stalled negotiations to restore the deal. Tehran said Monday that it is prepared to reach an agreement with world powers, according to its foreign ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh during a televised news conference.
“Even today we are ready to return to Vienna to reach a good deal if Washington fulfills its commitments,” said Khatibzadeh.
Another reason for the stalled negotiations was also whether the US would remove Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its foreign terrorist organization designation list.
Last week, Washington said it is waiting for a “constructive response” from Tehran on reinstating the nuclear deal without “extraneous” issues, in a possible reference to the demand for the IRGC to be removed from its FTO list.
Iran started breaching the terms of the nuclear deal when the US, under Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal in 2018.
