Iran sees nuclear program as key to global role, British ex-commander says

Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the UN nuclear watchdog, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks with Iranian officials ahead of a second round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington, according to Iranian media reports.

Grossi met Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and deputy nuclear chief Behrouz Kamalvandi.

Talk show host Mark Levin argued against "another diplomatic solution with an Islamist-Nazi Regime," in a lengthy post on X.

"I’ve great faith in President Trump. Not in some of those trying to pressure him to appease the Iranians, and who none of us voted for and who most Americans know nothing about," in an apparent reference to Trump's advisors.

"I support the President completely when he says no nukes for Iran, I know he means it. We should immediately rally around him and his declaration and let him know we agree. No nukes for Iran. No “peace in our time” phony declarations being urged on him. Either Iran provably and immediately dismantles its development of nuclear weapons or we will do it for them," he added.

Quoting the post, Texas senator Ted Cruz said: "The great @marklevinshow is exactly right. Anyone urging Trump to enter into another Obama Iran deal is giving the President terrible advice."

"@realDonaldTrump is entirely correct when he says Iran will NEVER be allowed to have nukes. His team should be 100% unified behind that," he added.

Another outspoken critic of Tehran, Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, said: "This is correct ... As President Trump said, the only solution is Iran completely dismantling its program, or we should do it for them."

"Allowing this maniacal terrorist regime to threaten America and the world with a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. Those who minimize the risk of this regime are dead wrong."

Two Republican US senators publicly endorsed a right-wing commentator close to Donald Trump who argued against what he called appeasement of Iran and appeared to criticize the president's advisors amid ongoing nuclear talks with Tehran.

Talk show host Mark Levin argued against "another diplomatic solution with an Islamist-Nazi Regime," in a lengthy post on X.

"I’ve great faith in President Trump. Not in some of those trying to pressure him to appease the Iranians, and who none of us voted for and who most Americans know nothing about," in an apparent reference to Trump's advisors.

"I support the President completely when he says no nukes for Iran I know he means it. We should immediately rally around him and his declaration and let him know we agree. No nukes for Iran. No “peace in our time” phony declarations being urged on him. Either Iran provably and immediately dismantles its development of nuclear weapons or we will do it for them," he added.

Quoting the post, Texas senator Ted Cruz said: "The great @marklevinshow is exactly right. Anyone urging Trump to enter into another Obama Iran deal is giving the President terrible advice."

"@realDonaldTrump is entirely correct when he says Iran will NEVER be allowed to have nukes. His team should be 100% unified behind that," he added.

Another outspoken critic of Tehran, Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, said: "This is correct ... As President Trump said, the only solution is Iran completely dismantling its program, or we should do it for them."

"Allowing this maniacal terrorist regime to threaten America and the world with a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. Those who minimize the risk of this regime are dead wrong."

The US Treasury on Wednesday imposed sanctions on an independent Chinese refiner as well as several vessels and firms it said were involved in the sale of Iranian oil to China, even as US-Iran talks were due to resume on Saturday.

"Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a China-based independent 'teapot' refinery Shandong Shengxing Chemical Co., Ltd. for its role in purchasing more than a billion dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil, including from a front company for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)," it said in a statement.

The announcement imposed sanctions on five vessels it said were part of Iran's oil "shadow fleet" shipping oil to China.

“Any refinery, company, or broker that chooses to purchase Iranian oil or facilitate Iran’s oil trade places itself at serious risk,” secretary of the treasury Scott Bessent said in the statement.

“The United States is committed to disrupting all actors providing support to Iran’s oil supply chain, which the regime uses to support its terrorist proxies and partners.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday appeared to criticize Washington for toughening its stance on Iranian nuclear enrichment.

“Moving the goalposts constitutes a professional foul and an unfair act in football,” Baghaei wrote on X. “In diplomacy… (it) could simply risk any overtures falling apart.”

On Monday night, US envoy Steve Witkoff spoke of a possible enrichment cap at 3.67% but the White House seemed to walk back that position the next day, saying President Donald Trump seeks the full termination of Iran’s nuclear program.

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