Trump says Iran “Completely Agreed” to Nuclear Inspections, but Tehran Denies any Such Plans
By Duarte Dias, Tucker Reals, Khaled Wassef, Frank Andrews
What to know about the Iran war:
- President Trump said Tuesday that Iran had “fully and completely” agreed to allow nuclear inspections, but Tehran said there were “no plans” for IAEA inspectors to return to its bombed enrichment sites. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that U.N. inspectors could return as soon as this week, though Mr. Trump said Tuesday there was “no rush.”
- Iran’s chief negotiator told state media Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will “never return to its pre-war conditions” and that Iran will maintain control of the vital waterway.
- Monday was the busiest day for transits of the strait since the war began, with 35 commercial vessels crossing the waterway, according to data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler. That was still only about a third of pre-war traffic levels, but likely did not include some ships that transited the strait with their location transponders switched off.
Trump pressures oil companies over gas prices, orders DOJ probe
President Trump said early Wednesday that consumers are being “gouged” because gas prices haven’t been falling as fast as crude oil prices have on world markets — so he’s told the Department of Justice to begin an investigation.
He said on his Truth Social platform that, “The big Oil Companies are not dropping their price at the pump commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying for Oil. Those prices are dropping like a rock! In other words, customers are being “gouged.” I have instructed the DOJ to immediately start looking into this. Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!”
Oil prices increased sharply when the Iran war began and gas prices followed. But while crude prices have dropped significantly since an interim agreement was reached to end the fighting, the decline in gas prices hasn’t been as rapid. Gas prices generally tend to dip more slowly than they rise with respect to oil costs.
U.N. nuclear agency boss signals that inspectors will visit Iran’s nuclear sites
The head of the U.N.’s nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim deal between the United States and Iran to reach an end to the war.
The comment by International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi was the firmest yet from the United Nations agency, which is viewed as key in determining the status of Iran’s nuclear stockpile.
Since Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked by Tehran from visiting enrichment sites where the Islamic Republic is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build as many as 10 nuclear weapons, should it choose to rush for the bomb. Iran long has maintained that its program is peaceful, though it’s the only country in the world to have uranium enriched up to 60% purity without a weapons program.
The U.S. and Iran offered contradictory remarks Tuesday about whether those sites would be inspected.
“I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you (of) and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by both presidents,” Grossi told journalists at a news conference from the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
The accord “explicitly states that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with the regards of the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA – in all letters,” he said.
Grossi added: “Obviously, to do that, we have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in ten days, it’s important, but not essential. This is going to happen.”
Those inspections are key for the deal, which calls for Iran’s stockpile of uranium to be “downblended” from highly enriched levels.
Trump criticizes Senate for symbolic vote to curb his Iran war powers: “Poorly timed and meaningless”
President Trump on Tuesday took aim at the Senate for narrowly passing a largely symbolic House resolution designed to curb his Iran war powers.
The resolution, which passed by a 50-48 margin earlier in the day, directs the president to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran … unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific congressional authorization for use of military force against Iran.”
In a Truth Social post Tuesday night, Mr. Trump blasted the passage, calling it “poorly timed and meaningless.”
“Four Republican Losers voted with the Dumocrats, and Iran asked my people, ‘what does that all mean?'” Mr. Trump wrote. “These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done.”
Rubio arrives in UAE to meet with Gulf allies, says U.S. won’t accept Iranian toll on Strait of Hormuz
CBS/AFP
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington would not accept Iranian tolls or fees on the Strait of Hormuz, as disputes over the vital waterway, nuclear inspections, and missiles exposed early strains in negotiations to end the Middle East war.
“It’s an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” Rubio said as he arrived in the United Arab Emirates, the first stop on his regional tour.
His statement came after Tehran and Oman said in a joint statement that they would study the administration of the trade route and the costs to be charged for services, while insisting on their sovereignty over the strait.
Rubio is expected to meet with Gulf allies this week in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain to discuss the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and securing the Strait of Hormuz, according to the State Department.
Trump claims U.S. is leaving Iran “without any nuclear capacity”
Speaking at a rally-style speech at a Mack Trucks facility in Pennsylvania, President Trump claimed Iran will no longer have any missile capacity or a nuclear program. The Trump administration is trying to negotiate a deal to handle Iran’s nuclear material, and enriched uranium is still in Iran.
“No missile capability, no nuclear program,” Mr. Trump said of Iran. “We’re leaving them without any nuclear capacity and they’ve agreed to that. And we’re getting along quite well, although if you read the fake news, you’d never know.”
The president said the only thing Iran understands “is the hammer,” and that’s why the U.S., he said, has pummeled its military capabilities.
Senate adopts House-passed Iran resolution in symbolic rebuke of Trump
The Senate on Tuesday approved a House-passed war powers resolution on Iran, marking the first time such a measure has made it through both chambers and signifying a rare rebuke of President Trump’s handling of the conflict.
In a 50 to 48 vote, four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined the bulk of Senate Democrats in support of the measure. One Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, opposed. Two Republicans — Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick — did not vote.
The resolution directs the president to “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. But the measure is a concurrent resolution, which doesn’t carry the force of law and doesn’t require the president’s signature, meaning it is largely symbolic.
Iran’s World Cup squad to be allowed into the U.S. earlier than previous games
U.S. immigration officials will allow the Iranian World Cup team to enter the country two days ahead of their match against Egypt on Friday, slightly easing prior entry restrictions, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The Iranian team had previously been allowed to enter the U.S. from Mexico, where it has been training, the day prior to a match.
The team still has to depart the U.S. the evening of its match. The players complained of surprisingly being forced out of the locker room as soon as possible after their first match against New Zealand. Iran has earned draws in each of their first two matches and a win against Egypt would likely earn them a trip to the knockout stage.
“The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike,” the DHS said.
Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-us-war-trump-nuclear-sites-strait-of-hormuz/
