Yeganeh Torbati | The Washington Post
A consensus is emerging within Iran’s fractious political scene that the country must relaunch negotiations over its nuclear program with the United States, even as mistrust remains over whether such talks could simply be the prelude to another Israeli attack, according to analysts and political observers inside and outside Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have engaged in a media blitz over the past several weeks seeking to distinguish between the U.S. and Israel, stressing that a negotiated settlement could be reached with Washington despite Israeli hostility.
Reuters
Iran plans to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday, while stressing that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues… "The IAEA's requests for continued monitoring in Iran will be ... decided on a case-by-case basis by the Council with consideration to safety and security issues," Araqchi said.
Barak Ravid | Axios
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told both President Trump and Iranian officials that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, sources familiar with those discussions tell Axios. Russia has been Iran's main diplomatic backer on the nuclear issue for years. But while Moscow publicly advocates for Iran's right to enrich, Putin has taken a tougher position in private in the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
Brendan Cole | Newsweek
Russia has backed North Korea's nuclear program and warned Washington not to team up with regional Asian allies against Moscow and Pyongyang, following military drills between the U.S., Japan and South Korea. During a visit to North Korea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow "respects" Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. He also said that Russia and North Korea have taken note of President Donald Trump's statements about Washington resuming contact with Pyongyang.
Francisco “A.J.” Camacho and Peter Behr | Politico
A DOGE representative told the chair and top staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the agency will be expected to give “rubber stamp” approval to new reactors tested by the departments of Energy or Defense, according to three people with knowledge of a May meeting where the message was delivered… The meeting was held after President Donald Trump signed a May 23 executive order that would supplant the NRC’s historical role as the sole agency responsible for ensuring commercial nuclear projects are safe and won’t threaten public health.
Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns, and Mackenzie Knight-Boyle | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
France’s nuclear weapons arsenal has remained stable in recent years, but significant modernizations are underway of the country’s ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, submarines, aircraft, and nuclear industrial complex. We estimate that France currently has a nuclear weapons stockpile of approximately 290 warheads. In addition, approximately 80 retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement, giving a total inventory of approximately 370 nuclear warheads.