International
The president of Iran reaffirms that his country will not give up its peaceful nuclear program
The president of Iran, Masud Pezeshkian, reaffirmed that his country will not give up the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes, although he assured that he takes seriously the nuclear negotiations with the United States, whose fourth round took place this Sunday.
“The dismantling of all Iran’s nuclear facilities is unacceptable,” Pezeshkian emphasized last night during an Iranian cabinet meeting, after the fourth round of negotiations between his country and the United States, according to the IRNA agency.
The Iranian president thus rejected the claims of the US authorities, who last week demanded the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“We will continue to promote these peaceful activities firmly,” Pezeshkian said in reference to his uranium enrichment program.
The president of Iran, however, indicated that his country takes nuclear negotiations with the United States seriously, since he “desires peace.”
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, also insisted the day before after the fourth round of talks with the US, in Maskat (Oman), that the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes is not negotiable.
“The issue of enrichment is not negotiable in any way and must continue,” he said.
Araqchí said that it is possible that Tehran will accept “limitations in some aspects, such as their quantity, level or capacity.”
Despite the differences with the US negotiating team in this regard, the head of Iranian diplomacy described the negotiation as “useful” and said that the parties “have brought positions closer.”
“The topics are more complex, but the round was useful. Both parties better understand the magnitude of the differences. The positions have come closer,” said Araqchí.
The United States, for its part, called the fourth round of negotiations “encouraging” and pointed out that “an agreement was reached to advance the talks and continue working on the technical elements.”
A source from Donald Trump’s Administration told the press that the dialogue was again both direct and indirect and lasted more than three hours.
The two rivals reached the meeting with public differences over the atomic program of Tehran, which defends the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes, while Washington calls for its total dismantling.
The US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said on Friday in an interview with the American news portal Breitbart New that Tehran must abandon uranium enrichment completely.
Iran and the United States began talks on April 12, after US President Donald Trump called on Tehran to negotiate an agreement and threatened a military attack if a pact on its atomic program was not reached.
At the same time, Trump has reimposed the so-called “maximum pressure policy” against the Persian country, which he had already adopted in his first term (2017-2021) after abandoning the 2015 nuclear agreement.
After the US exit from the pact in 2018 and the reinstatement of sanctions, Tehran enriches uranium with a purity of 60%, very close to the 90% necessary to manufacture nuclear weapons.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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