Trump’s 60-day deadline for Iran talks is running out – al-Arabiya

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned repeated Iranian attacks, saying the latest incident early Saturday was a direct threat to the lives of citizens and residents and to regional security and stability.

In a statement, the ministry said the attacks represented a “flagrant violation” of Kuwait’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, as well as a breach of international law, the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 2817.

Kuwait said the attacks amounted to a dangerous escalation at a time when the international community is trying to halt fighting and prevent further regional escalation.

The ministry said the attacks could not be justified or accepted under any pretext.

Kuwait also said it retained the full right to take all necessary measures to protect its security and defend its territory and vital facilities against any attack or threat.

Esmail Kowsari, a member of Iran’s parliament National Security Committee, said Washington has offered to release $24 billion in Iranian assets and accepted that half of the amount be paid through Qatar, but Tehran would not accept the pledge until it is implemented in practice.

“The Americans have said they will release $24 billion of Iran’s assets and have accepted that half of it be paid through Qatar, but until this is implemented in practice, we do not accept it,” Kowsari told the Didban Iran website.

He also said the US blockade must be lifted.

His remarks come as frozen Iranian assets, the blockade and control of Hormuz remain central sticking points in talks between Tehran and Washington.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of using the consequences of US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites to create “ambiguity” about Tehran’s nuclear program.

Writing on X after a recent IAEA report and media remarks by agency chief Rafael Grossi, Gharibabadi said comments about lack of access to some damaged facilities, the status of Iran’s uranium stockpile and what the agency calls a loss of “continuity of knowledge” did not emerge “in a vacuum.”

He argued that safeguarded nuclear facilities had been hit in US and Israeli military attacks and criticized Grossi for not condemning those strikes.

Gharibabadi also rejected the agency’s focus on Iran’s 60% enriched uranium and possible weapons-related scenarios, saying the Non-Proliferation Treaty does not set a numerical cap on enrichment levels and that the legal test is whether nuclear material is diverted to military purposes.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, though the IAEA has repeatedly sought fuller access and answers on Tehran’s uranium stockpile and monitoring gaps.

Gharibabadi said the agency could not report the consequences of military attacks, ignore those responsible and then ask Iran to bear the technical and political cost of the insecurity created.

“If the agency wants to be part of a diplomatic solution, it must avoid turning technical reports into tools of political pressure,” he wrote.

Gholamreza Tajgardoun, head of parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee, said Iran remains in conditions of economic war and can no longer continue with its previous budget, currency policies and economic framework.

Tajgardoun said the country had been in wartime conditions, had fought and was still at war, adding that reconstruction was now necessary and that the tools for managing the situation must be put in place.

He said continuing on the previous path would not meet the country’s current needs and that a shift in economic policy was necessary.

Igor Sechin, chief executive of Russian oil producer Rosneft, said US oil companies are the main beneficiaries of the Iran war because they are selling oil at higher prices, Reuters reported.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Sechin said US oil and gas companies could receive more than $60 billion in additional profit this year, citing estimates by Rystad Energy.

Sechin, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also said China was the country best prepared for a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz because of what he described as its balanced energy security policy and realistic assessment of risks.

He said any closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas exports, would amount to an attempt to change global energy market regulation in US interests.

Sechin also said OPEC+ had lost some of its potential after the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates from the alliance.