Washington weighs interim accord with Tehran to avert Israeli strike – NYT

The newspaper, which reported last month that US President Donald counseled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, cited sources familiar with the talks and Israeli thinking.

The United States has become more open to an interim declaration of common principles on a final deal to preempt such an attack, according to the paper.

Mediator Oman and the United States are also discussing creative ways to keep the talks from running aground over the main sticking point of Iranian enrichment.

These include a regional venture to produce fuel for nuclear powers that would involve Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab states, with participation from the United States—though the details of such a plan remain unclear.

A fifth round of negotiations between the US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up on Friday in Rome with little public sign of progress.

Washington has repeatedly insisted Iran commit to ending domestic enrichment of uranium in a move Tehran has called a non-starter.

Witkoff, the New York Times cited participants in the talks, has dropped an initial rejection of any interim set of understandings on an ultimate deal, in a formula which might fall afoul of Israel and Iran hawks within the US congress.

Israeli officials, according to the sources cited by New York Times, have informed US counterparts that Israel could launch an attack on Iranian nuclear sites even after a deal should it deem the agreement unsatisfactory.

Netanyahu has publicly insisted that Iran suspend all its nuclear activity, in demands which far outpace US insistence on ending enrichment.

The Israeli premier's office issued a statement on Wednesday in response to the article which said simply: "Fake news".

Iran sees domestic uranium enrichment as a national achievement enshrined by international covenants and has accused Washington of being beholden to maximalist Israeli goals.

Some military experts have doubted whether Israel alone can knock out Iranian nuclear capabilities by itself and see its chances of success as much improved with American participation.

The head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Wednesday that Tehran is prepared to respond forcefully to any potential military action by Israel.

"Our hands are on the trigger. We are waiting — if they make a mistake, they will receive responses that will make them forget their past," IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami said in remarks carried by Iranian state media.

Addressing the United States, Salami also added: "We are prepared for every scenario."

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Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that there is “hope for progress” in negotiations between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Lavrov did not elaborate on the basis for his optimism but said the negotiations are moving in the right direction and expressed hope for continued progress in the talks.

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Sina Gholinejad, 37, admitted to one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for August.

According to court documents, Gholinejad and co-conspirators used the Robbinhood ransomware to breach and encrypt files on the networks of municipalities, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations across the United States between January 2019 and March 2024.

Victims included the cities of Greenville, Gresham, Yonkers, and Baltimore, which alone incurred more than $19 million in damages and lost services.

The attacks rendered city systems offline for months, disrupting essential functions such as water billing, property tax collection, and parking enforcement. Prosecutors said the group demanded Bitcoin payments in exchange for decryption keys and sometimes threatened to publish stolen data.

No state affiliation of the case has been made by the DOJ, but US authorities have previously warned of cyber threats from Iranian state-linked groups. Iran has denied targeting US entities with cyberattacks.

Gholinejad was arrested on January 10, 2025, at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The FBI led the investigation, with assistance from Bulgarian authorities.

The Trump administration’s efforts to revive nuclear negotiations with Iran are faltering, as Tehran prolongs talks in hopes of concessions, according to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published Tuesday.

The article, authored by foreign policy analysts Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, argues that Iranian leaders no longer fear President Donald Trump’s unpredictability, citing what they describe as a lack of clear US negotiating positions and diminished appetite for military confrontation.

The authors warn that Iran’s expanding nuclear infrastructure and deepening ties with China reduce the effectiveness of US sanctions, once considered the cornerstone of Washington’s “maximum pressure” strategy.

“Tehran’s diplomatic maneuvering is incessant,” the article said, adding that US reluctance to support Israeli military options could embolden Iran’s leadership. “With America retrenching globally, friend and foe alike will want the security of a bomb.”