Shortly after the 2026 NPT Review Conference started on April 27, Christopher Yeaw, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, picked a fight with Iran. My guess is that he chose to do that on his own, without senior level authorization. His intervention prompts me to say to him and the Trump administration, you do want Iran to remain in NPT, don’t you?        The President of the Conference had been chosen in advance to be Ambassador Do Hung Viet of Viet Nam. Thirty-four Vice Presidents were proposed by the Eastern European Group, Western Group and Non-Aligned Group. The Non-Aligned Group selected Algeria and others including Iran.       Yeaw, in a ‘right to reply’, told the conference that it was " indisputable that Iran ‌has long demonstrated its contempt for the ⁠non-proliferation commitments of the NPT, " and had refused to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to resolve questions abo...

         Excellent reporting today by Reuters, as always, is the source for this blog.           Trump posted on Truth Social that ‌his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, April 20, for negotiations: " We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! "            Iran's official IRNA news agency reported that Iran rejected the talks: " Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it called Washington's excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire. " Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said the two sides had made progress but were still far apart o...

During the U.S./Israel war on Iran since February 28, it has been rather quiet on the nuclear front. Only a few, limited bombings of the Natanz and Esfahan sites have been reported. Iranian activity at those sites has been limited, as detected through public satellite imagery. Now that U.S.-Iran talks are starting to sound like negotiation of a so-called deal, it is perhaps worthwhile to resume commentary on the Iran nuclear conundrum.            We will start with ‘unpacking’ a statement by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on April 15 in South Korea, and a comment by President Donald Trump on April 16.            Rafael Grossi told reporters in Seoul [Apr 15]: “ Iran has a very ambitious, wide nuclear program so all of that will require the presence of IAEA inspectors. Otherwise, you will not have an agreement. You will have an illusion of an agreement. ” He said that any agreement on nuclear technology “ require...