The UN atomic watchdog said on Friday that Iran remains within the boundaries of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, however, red-flagged the increasing production of low-enriched uranium (LEU) and heavy water, the AP reports.
The backdrop: Iran is at risk of breaking the nuclear deal if it exceeds LEU stockpile restrictions outlined in the accord. Last month, Iran threatened to increase its uranium enrichment if it couldn't shield itself from U.S. sanctions.
President Trump said today he felt bad for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose failure to form a coalition on Wednesday has forced Israel to call new elections.
Context: Two days before Israel's deadline for forming a new government, Trump publicly weighed in and tweeted that he hoped Netanyahu would succeed. Trump's intervention in this domestic political issue and his lobbying in favor of Netanyahu was unprecedented.
President Trump seemingly admitted that Russia had helped him to win the 2016 presidential election — without his knowledge — in a Thursday morning tweet.
"Russia, Russia, Russia! That’s all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didn’t exist."
Why it matters: While it's not the first time Trump has admitted that Russia interfered in 2016, it's the first time Trump has stated it could have helped him win.
The U.S. believes Russia has likely violated a ban on testing low-yield nuclear missiles, Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley told the Hudson Institute think tank in a speech in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.
"The United States believes that Russia probably is not adhering to its nuclear testing moratorium in a manner consistent with the 'zero yield' standard. ... Our understanding of nuclear weapon development leads us to believe that Russia's testing activities would help it improve its nuclear weapons capabilities."
