tariq54
Open Trade
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I am a Pakistan Stock Exchange & Crypto investor and trader, trading and investing in stocks since from last 20 years
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#FOMCMeeting US Fed Rate Decision: What to Expect on June 18.
Officials could signal fewer moves to lower interest rates in 2025.
Key Takeaways:
The Federal Reserve is likely to hold interest rates steady in June.
Economic data looks solid for now, but the outlook is more uncertain for the rest of the year, thanks to tariffs and other policy changes.
The “dot plot” of Fed projections for the path of monetary policy and the economy could show fewer interest rate cuts in 2025.
Bond futures traders see 60% odds that the next rate cut comes in September.
When Federal Reserve officials meet for their June policy-setting meeting, it’s widely expected that they’ll hold interest rates steady at the current range of 4.25%-4.50%. Analysts say that with inflation slowly cooling and the labor market holding steady, the central bank has the luxury of waiting.
Beyond next week’s decision, new projections for interest rates and the economy released after the meeting will tell a more important story about what could be ahead for the central bank in 2025. But analysts say those projections won’t be a guarantee of what’s to come.
“It’s hard for the Fed to have a lot of certainty about its forecast right now, because so many things could change between now and the end of the year,” says Derek Tang, cofounder of monetary policy research firm LHMeyer.
Amid rapidly evolving tariff policy and other fiscal priorities from the Trump administration, the economic outlook for the months ahead remains highly uncertain. As they weigh monetary policy decisions, Fed officials are juggling today’s solid economic data with the potential for higher inflation, slower growth, and a weaker job market down the line.
Market participants have already scaled back their predictions for interest rate cuts this year, and Wednesday’s projections could show Fed officials following suit. “We’re getting really close to the endgame for 2025,” says Lindsay Rosner, head of multi-sector fixed income investing at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Officials could signal fewer moves to lower interest rates in 2025.
Key Takeaways:
The Federal Reserve is likely to hold interest rates steady in June.
Economic data looks solid for now, but the outlook is more uncertain for the rest of the year, thanks to tariffs and other policy changes.
The “dot plot” of Fed projections for the path of monetary policy and the economy could show fewer interest rate cuts in 2025.
Bond futures traders see 60% odds that the next rate cut comes in September.
When Federal Reserve officials meet for their June policy-setting meeting, it’s widely expected that they’ll hold interest rates steady at the current range of 4.25%-4.50%. Analysts say that with inflation slowly cooling and the labor market holding steady, the central bank has the luxury of waiting.
Beyond next week’s decision, new projections for interest rates and the economy released after the meeting will tell a more important story about what could be ahead for the central bank in 2025. But analysts say those projections won’t be a guarantee of what’s to come.
“It’s hard for the Fed to have a lot of certainty about its forecast right now, because so many things could change between now and the end of the year,” says Derek Tang, cofounder of monetary policy research firm LHMeyer.
Amid rapidly evolving tariff policy and other fiscal priorities from the Trump administration, the economic outlook for the months ahead remains highly uncertain. As they weigh monetary policy decisions, Fed officials are juggling today’s solid economic data with the potential for higher inflation, slower growth, and a weaker job market down the line.
Market participants have already scaled back their predictions for interest rate cuts this year, and Wednesday’s projections could show Fed officials following suit. “We’re getting really close to the endgame for 2025,” says Lindsay Rosner, head of multi-sector fixed income investing at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
G7 leaders push Trump on trade as talks continue.
Leaders are also torn on a statement calling for de-escalation between Iran and Israel.
World leaders assembled at this week’s Group of Seven summit in Canada will try to push United States President Donald Trump to back away from his punishing trade war, which experts say poses a risk to global economic stability.
Most countries represented at the G7 are already subject to Trump’s 10 percent baseline tariff with threats of more to come. European countries and Japan face additional levies on cars and steel and aluminium. The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US.
for a meeting with the host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said trade would be the “primary focus” of the summit, which began on Sunday and runs until Tuesday.
The trade issue is of particular interest to Canada after the Trump administration announced several extra levies on Canadian goods in recent months.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been invited to the summit and will have her own face-to-face time with Trump as her country tries to renegotiate its three-way North American free trade agreement, which also includes Canada.
While there is little expectation that the summit will end with a breakthrough in the trade negotiations between the US and the rest of the world, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is part of Trump’s delegation.
Dozens of countries are locked in negotiations with the Trump administration to clinch some sort of trade deal before the US imposes stinging “reciprocal” tariffs, threatened for July.
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the date could be pushed back later for countries thought to be negotiating in good faith.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters he would team up with his counterparts from France and Italy to discuss the US trade threat with Trump directly.
Leaders are also torn on a statement calling for de-escalation between Iran and Israel.
World leaders assembled at this week’s Group of Seven summit in Canada will try to push United States President Donald Trump to back away from his punishing trade war, which experts say poses a risk to global economic stability.
Most countries represented at the G7 are already subject to Trump’s 10 percent baseline tariff with threats of more to come. European countries and Japan face additional levies on cars and steel and aluminium. The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US.
for a meeting with the host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said trade would be the “primary focus” of the summit, which began on Sunday and runs until Tuesday.
The trade issue is of particular interest to Canada after the Trump administration announced several extra levies on Canadian goods in recent months.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has been invited to the summit and will have her own face-to-face time with Trump as her country tries to renegotiate its three-way North American free trade agreement, which also includes Canada.
While there is little expectation that the summit will end with a breakthrough in the trade negotiations between the US and the rest of the world, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is part of Trump’s delegation.
Dozens of countries are locked in negotiations with the Trump administration to clinch some sort of trade deal before the US imposes stinging “reciprocal” tariffs, threatened for July.
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the date could be pushed back later for countries thought to be negotiating in good faith.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters he would team up with his counterparts from France and Italy to discuss the US trade threat with Trump directly.
What is the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
Iran said on Monday its parliament was preparing a bill that could push the Islamic Republic towards exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel began military strikes on Iran on June 13, citing concerns over its nuclear programme, one day after the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors declared Tehran in breach of its obligations under the NPT.
Iran, which denies trying to develop nuclear arms, has fired missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's strikes.
PURPOSE OF THE NPT
The objective of the treaty, which took effect in 1970, is to halt the spread of nuclear weapons-making capability, guarantee the right of all members to develop nuclear energy for peaceful ends and - for the original five nuclear weapons powers - to phase out their arsenals.
The treaty defines nuclear-armed states as those that “manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear device prior to January 1, 1967. They are the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, which assumed rights and obligations from the former Soviet Union. Those five nations are the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
SIGNATORIES
A total of 191 countries are party to the NPT. Nuclear weapons states agree not to transfer those weapons or to help non-nuclear states obtain them.
NON-SIGNATORIES:
Two non-signatories, India and Pakistan, developed nuclear weapons. Another, Israel, is widely assumed to have a nuclear arsenal but has not confirmed or denied it publicly.
North Korea signed the treaty in 1985 but announced its withdrawal in 2003.
ESCAPE CLAUSE
The treaty is divided into 11 articles, including one that enables a state to withdraw “"if it decides that extraordinary events ... have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country". A state must give three months' notice to other treaty members and the U.N. Security Council.
TREATY REVIEWS
States that are party to the NPT meet to review it every five years. The next review conference is due to be held in 2026.
Iran said on Monday its parliament was preparing a bill that could push the Islamic Republic towards exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel began military strikes on Iran on June 13, citing concerns over its nuclear programme, one day after the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors declared Tehran in breach of its obligations under the NPT.
Iran, which denies trying to develop nuclear arms, has fired missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's strikes.
PURPOSE OF THE NPT
The objective of the treaty, which took effect in 1970, is to halt the spread of nuclear weapons-making capability, guarantee the right of all members to develop nuclear energy for peaceful ends and - for the original five nuclear weapons powers - to phase out their arsenals.
The treaty defines nuclear-armed states as those that “manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear device prior to January 1, 1967. They are the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia, which assumed rights and obligations from the former Soviet Union. Those five nations are the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
SIGNATORIES
A total of 191 countries are party to the NPT. Nuclear weapons states agree not to transfer those weapons or to help non-nuclear states obtain them.
NON-SIGNATORIES:
Two non-signatories, India and Pakistan, developed nuclear weapons. Another, Israel, is widely assumed to have a nuclear arsenal but has not confirmed or denied it publicly.
North Korea signed the treaty in 1985 but announced its withdrawal in 2003.
ESCAPE CLAUSE
The treaty is divided into 11 articles, including one that enables a state to withdraw “"if it decides that extraordinary events ... have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country". A state must give three months' notice to other treaty members and the U.N. Security Council.
TREATY REVIEWS
States that are party to the NPT meet to review it every five years. The next review conference is due to be held in 2026.
Trump says UK is protected from tariffs ‘because I like them’ as trade deal is signed off.
UK aerospace sector will face no tariffs from the US while auto industry lowered to 10% from 25%
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have signed off a UK-US trade deal at the G7 summit in Canada, with the US president saying Britain would have protection against future tariffs “because I like them”.
The two leaders presented the deal, which covers aerospace and the auto sector, at the G7 venue in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Asked about steel by reporters, Trump said: “We’re going to let you have that information in a little while.”
Under details released by the Department for Business and Trade, the UK aerospace sector will face no tariffs at all from the US, while the auto industry will have 10% tariffs, down from 25%.
The steel industry still faces 25% tariffs for now, although this is less than the US’s global rate of 50% on steel and aluminium. The UK business department said the two leaders had pledged to “make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed”.
UK aerospace sector will face no tariffs from the US while auto industry lowered to 10% from 25%
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have signed off a UK-US trade deal at the G7 summit in Canada, with the US president saying Britain would have protection against future tariffs “because I like them”.
The two leaders presented the deal, which covers aerospace and the auto sector, at the G7 venue in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Asked about steel by reporters, Trump said: “We’re going to let you have that information in a little while.”
Under details released by the Department for Business and Trade, the UK aerospace sector will face no tariffs at all from the US, while the auto industry will have 10% tariffs, down from 25%.
The steel industry still faces 25% tariffs for now, although this is less than the US’s global rate of 50% on steel and aluminium. The UK business department said the two leaders had pledged to “make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed”.
Iran to quit nuclear treaty, denies seeking weapons of mass destruction.
Iran’s parliament is drafting legislation to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on Monday. He said that Iran “remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction", Reuters reported.
Iran’s parliament is drafting legislation to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on Monday. He said that Iran “remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction", Reuters reported.
Israel’s Defence Minister Katz threatened on Monday that the residents of Tehran will “pay the price and soon”
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened on Monday that the residents of Tehran will “pay the price and soon” after Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn, killing at least five people.
The latest military exchange between the arch-rivals began when Israel struck Iran’s nuclear and military sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists. Tel Aviv has said it wants to stop Tehran from building an atomic weapon, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes.
“The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon,” Katz wrote on X, as the missile exchange continued for a fourth day, fuelling concerns among world leaders at this week’s G7 meeting that the battle between the two old enemies could lead to a broader regional conflict.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened on Monday that the residents of Tehran will “pay the price and soon” after Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn, killing at least five people.
The latest military exchange between the arch-rivals began when Israel struck Iran’s nuclear and military sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists. Tel Aviv has said it wants to stop Tehran from building an atomic weapon, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes.
“The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon,” Katz wrote on X, as the missile exchange continued for a fourth day, fuelling concerns among world leaders at this week’s G7 meeting that the battle between the two old enemies could lead to a broader regional conflict.
$BTC Bitcoin Breaks Macro Rules: Risk Appetite Grows Despite Hawkish Signals.
Bitcoin is trading just above the pivotal $103,600 level, a critical support zone that has acted as a key threshold for bulls throughout this cycle. If it fails to hold, analysts warn that BTC could swiftly drop below $100,000, triggering a broader correction across the crypto market. This comes as global markets react to escalating geopolitical risk—Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, prompting immediate retaliation and fueling volatility across commodities, equities, and digital assets.
Despite the turmoil, Bitcoin continues to show relative strength, holding above the $100K psychological level even as investors flee risk assets. Top analyst Darkfost highlights a unique dynamic in this cycle: the unusual decoupling between Bitcoin and bond yields. Historically, rising US Treasury yields have coincided with crypto drawdowns. However, in the current environment, Bitcoin has continued to trend upward, even as yields sit near some of the highest levels in its history.
According to crypto analyst Darkfost, Bitcoin’s bullish momentum appears to be increasingly influenced by weakness in the US Dollar Index (DXY). Each time the dollar retreats, BTC has shown strong acceleration, suggesting global liquidity flows may be favoring Bitcoin as an alternative macro hedge. The next few days will be crucial.
Bitcoin is trading just above the pivotal $103,600 level, a critical support zone that has acted as a key threshold for bulls throughout this cycle. If it fails to hold, analysts warn that BTC could swiftly drop below $100,000, triggering a broader correction across the crypto market. This comes as global markets react to escalating geopolitical risk—Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, prompting immediate retaliation and fueling volatility across commodities, equities, and digital assets.
Despite the turmoil, Bitcoin continues to show relative strength, holding above the $100K psychological level even as investors flee risk assets. Top analyst Darkfost highlights a unique dynamic in this cycle: the unusual decoupling between Bitcoin and bond yields. Historically, rising US Treasury yields have coincided with crypto drawdowns. However, in the current environment, Bitcoin has continued to trend upward, even as yields sit near some of the highest levels in its history.
According to crypto analyst Darkfost, Bitcoin’s bullish momentum appears to be increasingly influenced by weakness in the US Dollar Index (DXY). Each time the dollar retreats, BTC has shown strong acceleration, suggesting global liquidity flows may be favoring Bitcoin as an alternative macro hedge. The next few days will be crucial.
#VietnamCryptoPolicy Vietnam Just Legalized Crypto — Here’s What the New Law Actually Says.
The law classifies digital assets into virtual and crypto assets, clearly distinguishing blockchain-based tokens like Bitcoin from other digital tools used for exchange or investment.
Vietnam has taken a decisive step toward regulating its booming digital economy by officially legalizing crypto assets.
On Saturday, the National Assembly passed the Law on Digital Technology Industry, a sweeping measure that defines, classifies and outlines the management of digital assets for the first time in the country’s history.
The move follows years of regulatory ambiguity and mounting international pressure. Since 2023, Vietnam has remained on the Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list” due to insufficient anti-money laundering safeguards around virtual assets.
In response, the government accelerated efforts to formalize digital asset regulations, culminating in this law, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Vietnam Moves to Clarify Digital Asset Rules After PM’s March Directive.
It comes after Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in March urged faster progress on crypto regulation, directing the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Vietnam to submit a complete draft of the legal framework. The move reflected the government’s growing urgency to bring clarity to the fast-evolving digital asset space.
The new law separates digital assets into two broad categories — virtual assets and crypto assets.
Virtual assets are defined as non-financial digital tools used for exchange or investment. They explicitly exclude securities like stocks or bonds, and digital versions of fiat currency such as tokenized Vietnamese Dong.
Crypto assets, by contrast, are encrypted digital units that use blockchain or similar technologies to confirm ownership and process transactions. This category also excludes financial instruments covered by civil or banking laws. It mainly refers to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The law classifies digital assets into virtual and crypto assets, clearly distinguishing blockchain-based tokens like Bitcoin from other digital tools used for exchange or investment.
Vietnam has taken a decisive step toward regulating its booming digital economy by officially legalizing crypto assets.
On Saturday, the National Assembly passed the Law on Digital Technology Industry, a sweeping measure that defines, classifies and outlines the management of digital assets for the first time in the country’s history.
The move follows years of regulatory ambiguity and mounting international pressure. Since 2023, Vietnam has remained on the Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list” due to insufficient anti-money laundering safeguards around virtual assets.
In response, the government accelerated efforts to formalize digital asset regulations, culminating in this law, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Vietnam Moves to Clarify Digital Asset Rules After PM’s March Directive.
It comes after Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in March urged faster progress on crypto regulation, directing the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Vietnam to submit a complete draft of the legal framework. The move reflected the government’s growing urgency to bring clarity to the fast-evolving digital asset space.
The new law separates digital assets into two broad categories — virtual assets and crypto assets.
Virtual assets are defined as non-financial digital tools used for exchange or investment. They explicitly exclude securities like stocks or bonds, and digital versions of fiat currency such as tokenized Vietnamese Dong.
Crypto assets, by contrast, are encrypted digital units that use blockchain or similar technologies to confirm ownership and process transactions. This category also excludes financial instruments covered by civil or banking laws. It mainly refers to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
#MetaplanetBTCPurchase Metaplanet’s Bitcoin holdings hits 10,000 BTC, beating Coinbase.
Metaplanet’s stock surged over 20% after announcing its latest Bitcoin buy and a $210 million bond issuance to buy even more.
Japanese investment firm Metaplanet’s latest 1,112 Bitcoin purchase has finally tipped its total Bitcoin holdings to 10,000 BTC, surpassing Coinbase as the seventh-largest publicly traded company with a Bitcoin treasury.
On Monday, Metaplanet announced that it had purchased the Bitcoin stack for 16.88 billion Japanese yen ($117 million). The firm now holds 10,000 Bitcoin, beating Coinbase’s 9,267 Bitcoin, according to data from Bitbo.
The average price of Metaplanet’s 10,000 BTC now stands at 13.9 million Japanese yen, approximately $96,400 per Bitcoin.
It comes just two weeks after Metaplanet became the eighth-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.
Metaplanet issues $210M bonds to buy Bitcoin.
It came the same day Metaplanet announced that its board of directors had resolved to issue $210 million via no-interest bonds, and that it raised that figure to buy more Bitcoin.
The firm has drastically revised its Bitcoin strategy in recent months and now intends to hold 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027. So far, Metaplanet has completed the purchase of 10,000 BTC and will need to buy an additional 200,000 BTC over the next 18 months.
Metaplanet stock rallies over 20%
The back-to-back announcement has seen the price of Metaplanet’s share soar drastically over the day.
Metaplanet’s stock (3350T) rallied over 22% on Monday on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, peaking at 1,860 Japanese yen. Metaplanet’s stock has seen an uptick of more than 417% year-to-date.
Institutional demand still going strong.
Despite the recent crash, where Bitcoin dropped from $110,000 to $103,000 in a span of three days due to geopolitical tensions, demand from institutional investors has remained steady.
Metaplanet’s stock surged over 20% after announcing its latest Bitcoin buy and a $210 million bond issuance to buy even more.
Japanese investment firm Metaplanet’s latest 1,112 Bitcoin purchase has finally tipped its total Bitcoin holdings to 10,000 BTC, surpassing Coinbase as the seventh-largest publicly traded company with a Bitcoin treasury.
On Monday, Metaplanet announced that it had purchased the Bitcoin stack for 16.88 billion Japanese yen ($117 million). The firm now holds 10,000 Bitcoin, beating Coinbase’s 9,267 Bitcoin, according to data from Bitbo.
The average price of Metaplanet’s 10,000 BTC now stands at 13.9 million Japanese yen, approximately $96,400 per Bitcoin.
It comes just two weeks after Metaplanet became the eighth-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin.
Metaplanet issues $210M bonds to buy Bitcoin.
It came the same day Metaplanet announced that its board of directors had resolved to issue $210 million via no-interest bonds, and that it raised that figure to buy more Bitcoin.
The firm has drastically revised its Bitcoin strategy in recent months and now intends to hold 210,000 BTC by the end of 2027. So far, Metaplanet has completed the purchase of 10,000 BTC and will need to buy an additional 200,000 BTC over the next 18 months.
Metaplanet stock rallies over 20%
The back-to-back announcement has seen the price of Metaplanet’s share soar drastically over the day.
Metaplanet’s stock (3350T) rallied over 22% on Monday on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, peaking at 1,860 Japanese yen. Metaplanet’s stock has seen an uptick of more than 417% year-to-date.
Institutional demand still going strong.
Despite the recent crash, where Bitcoin dropped from $110,000 to $103,000 in a span of three days due to geopolitical tensions, demand from institutional investors has remained steady.
$BTC Top Government Bitcoin Holders:
The U.S. government holds $20.9 billion in Bitcoin, now the backbone of its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
North Korea’s Lazarus group has sold over 10,000 BTC since the beginning of March 2025.
Bhutan mining operations have replenished recently sold Bitcoins.
Several U.S. states have now approved the creation of BTC reserves.
Despite its notorious volatility, Bitcoin (BTC) has become a favored store of value.
With governments now holding billions in BTC, China potentially selling its holdings, and the U.S. establishing a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Bitcoin’s role in the global economy is evolving.
A list of the top Bitcoin-holding governments in 2025, per data gathered from Arkham Intelligence and Bitcoin Treasuries:
Country Amount (Bitcoin/USD)
The UAE 420,000 BTC / $44.3 billion (rumored)
The United States 198,012 BTC / $20.9 billion
China 190,000 BTC / $20.06 billion (estimated)
The United Kingdom 61,245 BTC / $6.46 billion
Ukraine 46,351 BTC / $4.86 billion (estimated)
Bhutan 12,062 BTC / $1.27 billion
El Salvador 6,202 BTC / $655.14 million
North Korea (Lazarus Group) 2,873 BTC / $303.44 million
Venezuela 240 BTC / $25.3 million (estimated)
The U.S. government holds $20.9 billion in Bitcoin, now the backbone of its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
North Korea’s Lazarus group has sold over 10,000 BTC since the beginning of March 2025.
Bhutan mining operations have replenished recently sold Bitcoins.
Several U.S. states have now approved the creation of BTC reserves.
Despite its notorious volatility, Bitcoin (BTC) has become a favored store of value.
With governments now holding billions in BTC, China potentially selling its holdings, and the U.S. establishing a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Bitcoin’s role in the global economy is evolving.
A list of the top Bitcoin-holding governments in 2025, per data gathered from Arkham Intelligence and Bitcoin Treasuries:
Country Amount (Bitcoin/USD)
The UAE 420,000 BTC / $44.3 billion (rumored)
The United States 198,012 BTC / $20.9 billion
China 190,000 BTC / $20.06 billion (estimated)
The United Kingdom 61,245 BTC / $6.46 billion
Ukraine 46,351 BTC / $4.86 billion (estimated)
Bhutan 12,062 BTC / $1.27 billion
El Salvador 6,202 BTC / $655.14 million
North Korea (Lazarus Group) 2,873 BTC / $303.44 million
Venezuela 240 BTC / $25.3 million (estimated)
#TrumpBTCTreasury Trump Media's registration for bitcoin treasury deal becomes effective.
Trump Media and Technology Group (DJT.O), opens new tab said on Friday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has declared effective the registration for its bitcoin treasury deal.
The company said it raised about $2.3 billion through a mix of debt and equity agreements with participation from around 50 investors.
It said in May that the bitcoin will be held on Trump Media's balance sheet alongside existing cash and short-term investments totaling $759 million as of the end of the first quarter.
Trump Media and Technology Group (DJT.O), opens new tab said on Friday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has declared effective the registration for its bitcoin treasury deal.
The company said it raised about $2.3 billion through a mix of debt and equity agreements with participation from around 50 investors.
It said in May that the bitcoin will be held on Trump Media's balance sheet alongside existing cash and short-term investments totaling $759 million as of the end of the first quarter.
Iran cancels US nuclear talks next round amid ‘barbarous’ Israeli attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed to Al Jazeera that the next round of Iran-United States nuclear negotiations, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, has been cancelled.
Asked on Saturday, “Can we have a clear confirmation that Sunday’s talks are cancelled?”, Araghchi responded, “Yes”.
Shortly after that, Oman also confirmed the talks “will not now take place”.
A senior US official later confirmed that the nuclear talks will no longer be happening. The official told The Associated Press news agency that although the talks were off, “we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon,” speaking anonymously to discuss diplomatic matters.
Earlier, Iran had clearly intimated that the continuation of nuclear talks with the US was unjustifiable while “barbarous” Israeli attacks target the nation, Iranian state media reported, quoting Araghchi.
It seemed inevitable that the talks would fall victim to the sudden, massive escalation by Israel and Iran’s retaliation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed to Al Jazeera that the next round of Iran-United States nuclear negotiations, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, has been cancelled.
Asked on Saturday, “Can we have a clear confirmation that Sunday’s talks are cancelled?”, Araghchi responded, “Yes”.
Shortly after that, Oman also confirmed the talks “will not now take place”.
A senior US official later confirmed that the nuclear talks will no longer be happening. The official told The Associated Press news agency that although the talks were off, “we remain committed to talks and hope the Iranians will come to the table soon,” speaking anonymously to discuss diplomatic matters.
Earlier, Iran had clearly intimated that the continuation of nuclear talks with the US was unjustifiable while “barbarous” Israeli attacks target the nation, Iranian state media reported, quoting Araghchi.
It seemed inevitable that the talks would fall victim to the sudden, massive escalation by Israel and Iran’s retaliation.
Britain moving jets to Middle East to support regional security, PM Starmer says.
LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - Britain is moving additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East to provide support across the region, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Saturday as he was en route to a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.
Iran and Israel traded missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, the day after Israel launched an air offensive against its old enemy, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.
"We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support in the region," Starmer said.
Britain already has fighter jets in the Middle East as part of an operation to counter threats in Iraq and Syria.
Crews began deployment preparations on Friday morning, when it was clear the situation in the region was deteriorating, a spokesperson for the prime minister said.
Further refuelling aircraft from British bases have been deployed, and additional fighter jets will be sent, the spokesperson added.
LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - Britain is moving additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East to provide support across the region, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Saturday as he was en route to a Group of Seven meeting in Canada.
Iran and Israel traded missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, the day after Israel launched an air offensive against its old enemy, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.
"We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support in the region," Starmer said.
Britain already has fighter jets in the Middle East as part of an operation to counter threats in Iraq and Syria.
Crews began deployment preparations on Friday morning, when it was clear the situation in the region was deteriorating, a spokesperson for the prime minister said.
Further refuelling aircraft from British bases have been deployed, and additional fighter jets will be sent, the spokesperson added.
'Drop Israel': How military escalation with Iran divides Trump’s base.
Washington, DC – After taking the oath of office for his second term in January, United States President Donald Trump said he would push to “stop all wars” and leave a legacy of a “peacemaker and unifier”.
But six months in, missiles are flying across the Middle East after Israel attacked Iran, risking an all-out regional war that could drag US troops into the conflict.
The Israeli strikes on Iran, which Trump has all but explicitly endorsed, are now testing the president’s promise to be a harbinger of peace.
They are also dividing his base, with many right-wing politicians and commentators stressing that unconditional support for Israel is at odds with the “America First” platform on which Trump was elected.
“There is a very strong sense of betrayal and anger in many parts of the ‘America First’ base because they have truly turned against the idea of the US being involved in or supporting any such wars,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute, a US think tank that promotes diplomacy.
“They have largely turned sceptical of Israel, and they strongly believe that these types of wars are what cause Republican presidencies to become failures — and what causes their broader domestic agenda to be compromised.”
‘Drop Israel’
Several conservatives questioned the Israeli strikes on Friday, warning that the US must not be dragged into a war that does not serve its interests.
Influential conservative commentator Tucker Carlson — seen as a major figure in Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement — said the US should not support the “war-hungry government” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“If Israel wants to wage this war, it has every right to do so. It is a sovereign country, and it can do as it pleases. But not with America’s backing,” the Tucker Carlson Network morning newsletter read on Friday.
It added that a war with Iran could “fuel the next generation of terrorism” or lead to the killing of thousands of Americans in the name of a foreign agenda.
“It goes without saying that neither of those possibilities would be beneficial for the United States,” the newsletter said. “But there is another option: drop Israel. Let them fight their own wars.”
Republican Senator Rand Paul also cautioned against war with Iran and slammed hawkish neoconservatives in Washington.
“The American people overwhelming oppose our endless wars, and they voted that way when they voted for Donald Trump in 2024,” Paul wrote in a social media post.
“I urge President Trump to stay the course, keep putting America first, and to not join in any war between other countries.”
Right-wing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also sent a message suggesting that she opposes the strikes. She has previously cautioned Trump against attacking Iran based on Israeli assertions that Tehran is about to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“I’m praying for peace. Peace,” she wrote on X. “That’s my official position.”
While many of Israel’s supporters have cited the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, the government in Tehran has long denied pursuing a nuclear weapon. Trump’s own intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, testified in March that the US “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon”.
Charlie Kirk, a key Republican activist and commentator who is a staunch Israel supporter, also voiced scepticism about engaging in a war with Iran.
“I can tell you right now, our MAGA base does not want a war at all whatsoever,” Kirk said on his podcast. “They do not want US involvement. They do not want the United States to be engaged in this.”
Israel’s attacks
Hours before Israel started bombing Iran on Friday — targeting its military bases, nuclear facilities and residential buildings — Trump said that his administration was committed to diplomacy with Tehran.
“ Look, it’s very simple. Not complicated. Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. Other than that, I want them to be successful. We’ll help them be successful,” Trump said at a news conference on Thursday.
A sixth round of denuclearisation talks between US and Iranian officials was set to be held in Oman on Sunday.
But six months in, missiles are flying across the Middle East after Israel attacked Iran, risking an all-out regional war that could drag US troops into the conflict.
The Israeli strikes on Iran, which Trump has all but explicitly endorsed, are now testing the president’s promise to be a harbinger of peace.
They are also dividing his base, with many right-wing politicians and commentators stressing that unconditional support for Israel is at odds with the “America First” platform on which Trump was elected.
“There is a very strong sense of betrayal and anger in many parts of the ‘America First’ base because they have truly turned against the idea of the US being involved in or supporting any such wars,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute, a US think tank that promotes diplomacy.
“They have largely turned sceptical of Israel, and they strongly believe that these types of wars are what cause Republican presidencies to become failures — and what causes their broader domestic agenda to be compromised.”
‘Drop Israel’
Several conservatives questioned the Israeli strikes on Friday, warning that the US must not be dragged into a war that does not serve its interests.
Influential conservative commentator Tucker Carlson — seen as a major figure in Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement — said the US should not support the “war-hungry government” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“If Israel wants to wage this war, it has every right to do so. It is a sovereign country, and it can do as it pleases. But not with America’s backing,” the Tucker Carlson Network morning newsletter read on Friday.
It added that a war with Iran could “fuel the next generation of terrorism” or lead to the killing of thousands of Americans in the name of a foreign agenda.
“It goes without saying that neither of those possibilities would be beneficial for the United States,” the newsletter said. “But there is another option: drop Israel. Let them fight their own wars.”
Republican Senator Rand Paul also cautioned against war with Iran and slammed hawkish neoconservatives in Washington.
“The American people overwhelming oppose our endless wars, and they voted that way when they voted for Donald Trump in 2024,” Paul wrote in a social media post.
“I urge President Trump to stay the course, keep putting America first, and to not join in any war between other countries.”
Right-wing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also sent a message suggesting that she opposes the strikes. She has previously cautioned Trump against attacking Iran based on Israeli assertions that Tehran is about to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“I’m praying for peace. Peace,” she wrote on X. “That’s my official position.”
While many of Israel’s supporters have cited the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, the government in Tehran has long denied pursuing a nuclear weapon. Trump’s own intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, testified in March that the US “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon”.
Charlie Kirk, a key Republican activist and commentator who is a staunch Israel supporter, also voiced scepticism about engaging in a war with Iran.
“I can tell you right now, our MAGA base does not want a war at all whatsoever,” Kirk said on his podcast. “They do not want US involvement. They do not want the United States to be engaged in this.”
Israel’s attacks
Hours before Israel started bombing Iran on Friday — targeting its military bases, nuclear facilities and residential buildings — Trump said that his administration was committed to diplomacy with Tehran.
“ Look, it’s very simple. Not complicated. Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. Other than that, I want them to be successful. We’ll help them be successful,” Trump said at a news conference on Thursday.
A sixth round of denuclearisation talks between US and Iranian officials was set to be held in Oman on Sunday.
Iran says nuclear talks with US 'meaningless' after Israel attack.
Iran said on Friday the dialogue with the U.S. over Tehran's nuclear programme is "meaningless" after Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, accusing Washington of supporting the attack.
"The other side (the U.S.) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
He said Israel "succeeded in influencing" the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission.
Iran earlier accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel's attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be "wise" to negotiate over its nuclear programme.
The sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes.
Iran denies that its uranium enrichment programme is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
Iran said on Friday the dialogue with the U.S. over Tehran's nuclear programme is "meaningless" after Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, accusing Washington of supporting the attack.
"The other side (the U.S.) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
He said Israel "succeeded in influencing" the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission.
Iran earlier accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel's attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be "wise" to negotiate over its nuclear programme.
The sixth round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes.
Iran denies that its uranium enrichment programme is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
Charles Hoskinson proposes $100 million ADA investment to boost Cardano DeFi
$ADA Charles Hoskinson proposes $100 million ADA investment to boost Cardano DeFi ecosystem.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has floated the idea of investing $100 million worth of ADA tokens held in the Cardano Foundation’s treasury to support the ecosystem’s native DeFi economy.
According to the informal plan, still under consideration, the foundation would buy assets including Bitcoin as well as Cardano-native stablecoins like USDM, USDA and IUSD.
In a recent livestream, Hoskinson said that the idea is currently being considered by senior leadership at the Cardano Foundation and other community members, including Dan Singleman, Chief Investment Officer of the Hoskinson Family Office.
"We're going to look at it and then we're going to syndicate that with a lot of the DeFi applications in the Cardano ecosystem and have a discussion about practicality readiness," Hoskinson said in a stream that was filmed at least in part to respond to critics that such a move, discussed previously, could negatively impact ADA’s price.
ADA, named after the early computer scientist Ada Lovelace, is currently trading at $0.63. It is the tenth-largest token by market capitalization, although it is trading significantly below its all-time high of around $3.10.
"Now there's a lot of people running around on Twitter just running their mouth that somehow a sale of $100 million dollars worth of ADA would be catastrophic to the price and collapse it," Hoskinson said. "People don't seem to understand that while Cardano has many failings, liquidity exchange listings and trading is not one of them."
He argued that hundreds of millions of dollars in ADA change hands daily, and that the market is deep enough to absorb a sale of that size over a 30- to 90-day period through tools such as TWAPs (time-weighted average prices) and OTC (over-the-counter) deals.
It is not uncommon for crypto foundations to invest or support their ecosystems. One of the principal goals of the Ethereum Foundation, for instance, is to support developers through grants and hackathons.
Hoskinson said the idea is outlined in a 40-page document that has not yet been released, aims to bump up the the ratio of stablecoin issuance compared to total value locked to around 30%-40%, which would be “more in line with what you expect in a DeFi ecosystem” and improve the chances that Cardano-native stablecoins are listed on exchanges and adopted elsewhere.
“We as an ecosystem have to be willing to invest in ourselves,” Hoskinson said. “We can't go to venture capitalists and say well you should put a bunch of money in Cardano or external people and say you should buy some ADA when we are unwilling to deploy the assets in our treasury. First thing you do when you have assets for a public good is you diversify them.”
While some ADA holders appear concerned by the proposal, many are in favor of it.
"Well, when the ‘big players’ like Circle and Tether don’t want to play, I see no issue with us, as a community, supporting native stables like USDM,” Cardano supporter HOSKY told The Block in a direct message. “They're homegrown, uncensorable, and aligned with Cardano’s core values. Happy to see more conversation around treasury use and long-term sustainability."
Others, like Cardano memecoin creator Rami, are generally in support of the plan but would prefer it to be executed over a longer period to minimize potential price impact. "If Charles really does have OTC buyers ready though and avoid sell pressure on changes, that would change my perspective," he told The Block.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has floated the idea of investing $100 million worth of ADA tokens held in the Cardano Foundation’s treasury to support the ecosystem’s native DeFi economy.
According to the informal plan, still under consideration, the foundation would buy assets including Bitcoin as well as Cardano-native stablecoins like USDM, USDA and IUSD.
In a recent livestream, Hoskinson said that the idea is currently being considered by senior leadership at the Cardano Foundation and other community members, including Dan Singleman, Chief Investment Officer of the Hoskinson Family Office.
"We're going to look at it and then we're going to syndicate that with a lot of the DeFi applications in the Cardano ecosystem and have a discussion about practicality readiness," Hoskinson said in a stream that was filmed at least in part to respond to critics that such a move, discussed previously, could negatively impact ADA’s price.
ADA, named after the early computer scientist Ada Lovelace, is currently trading at $0.63. It is the tenth-largest token by market capitalization, although it is trading significantly below its all-time high of around $3.10.
"Now there's a lot of people running around on Twitter just running their mouth that somehow a sale of $100 million dollars worth of ADA would be catastrophic to the price and collapse it," Hoskinson said. "People don't seem to understand that while Cardano has many failings, liquidity exchange listings and trading is not one of them."
He argued that hundreds of millions of dollars in ADA change hands daily, and that the market is deep enough to absorb a sale of that size over a 30- to 90-day period through tools such as TWAPs (time-weighted average prices) and OTC (over-the-counter) deals.
It is not uncommon for crypto foundations to invest or support their ecosystems. One of the principal goals of the Ethereum Foundation, for instance, is to support developers through grants and hackathons.
Hoskinson said the idea is outlined in a 40-page document that has not yet been released, aims to bump up the the ratio of stablecoin issuance compared to total value locked to around 30%-40%, which would be “more in line with what you expect in a DeFi ecosystem” and improve the chances that Cardano-native stablecoins are listed on exchanges and adopted elsewhere.
“We as an ecosystem have to be willing to invest in ourselves,” Hoskinson said. “We can't go to venture capitalists and say well you should put a bunch of money in Cardano or external people and say you should buy some ADA when we are unwilling to deploy the assets in our treasury. First thing you do when you have assets for a public good is you diversify them.”
While some ADA holders appear concerned by the proposal, many are in favor of it.
"Well, when the ‘big players’ like Circle and Tether don’t want to play, I see no issue with us, as a community, supporting native stables like USDM,” Cardano supporter HOSKY told The Block in a direct message. “They're homegrown, uncensorable, and aligned with Cardano’s core values. Happy to see more conversation around treasury use and long-term sustainability."
Others, like Cardano memecoin creator Rami, are generally in support of the plan but would prefer it to be executed over a longer period to minimize potential price impact. "If Charles really does have OTC buyers ready though and avoid sell pressure on changes, that would change my perspective," he told The Block.
#CardanoDebate Cardano's Current Developments and Future Potential.
Cardano has been actively working on its development roadmap and has achieved significant milestones. The project has gone through different eras, including Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho, and Voltaire, each introducing new features and enhancements to the platform.
Looking ahead, Cardano has ambitious plans for the future. The project aims to achieve full decentralization, improve scalability, enhance interoperability with other blockchains, and continue advancing its smart contract capabilities.
These developments, coupled with ongoing research and community engagement, position Cardano for continued growth and adoption in the years to come.
Cardano (ADA) has shown promising growth potential, backed by its strong fundamentals, technological advancements, and community support.
While the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile and unpredictable, Cardano's unique features and commitment to scientific research position it as a promising project in the blockchain industry.
When considering Cardano's price prediction, it is essential to assess various factors, including market trends, expert opinions, and the project's current developments.
It is equally important to understand the risks and rewards associated with investing in Cardano and to make informed decisions based on thorough research and analysis.
Cardano has been actively working on its development roadmap and has achieved significant milestones. The project has gone through different eras, including Byron, Shelley, Goguen, Basho, and Voltaire, each introducing new features and enhancements to the platform.
Looking ahead, Cardano has ambitious plans for the future. The project aims to achieve full decentralization, improve scalability, enhance interoperability with other blockchains, and continue advancing its smart contract capabilities.
These developments, coupled with ongoing research and community engagement, position Cardano for continued growth and adoption in the years to come.
Cardano (ADA) has shown promising growth potential, backed by its strong fundamentals, technological advancements, and community support.
While the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile and unpredictable, Cardano's unique features and commitment to scientific research position it as a promising project in the blockchain industry.
When considering Cardano's price prediction, it is essential to assess various factors, including market trends, expert opinions, and the project's current developments.
It is equally important to understand the risks and rewards associated with investing in Cardano and to make informed decisions based on thorough research and analysis.
Is Iran as close to building a nuclear weapon as Netanyahu claims?
In justifying Israel’s attack on Iran, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had acted to pre-empt a secret Iranian programme to build a nuclear bomb, claiming Tehran already had the capacity to build nine nuclear bombs. Israeli officials also claimed to have presented information to the US that Iran had recently made the necessary technical breakthroughs.
Netanyahu’s critics are saying he acted to pre-empt something else: a diplomatic agreement between the US and Iran on its civil nuclear programme, or even the demise of his own government. They point out that Israel has been saying for 20 years that Iran is on the brink of building a bomb.
Either way, his claim largely depends on Israel’s formidable intelligence community possessing a greater state of knowledge about Iran’s nuclear programme than either its US counterparts or the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
As recently as 25 March, Tulsi Gabbard, the US director of national intelligence, told the Senate intelligence committee that the American intelligence community had assessed that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon.
However, Gabbard added that in the past years, there would appear to have been “an erosion of a decades-long taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public, likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decision-making apparatus”.
She added: “Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.”
A 22-page report declassified by the IAEA board this week did not say Iran was so close to a nuclear weapon. It said it had been unable to see aspects of Iran’s civil nuclear programme, and believed Tehran had repeatedly failed to cooperate, particularly over its past secret nuclear programme.
It concluded that it could not verify that Iran’s civil nuclear programme was exclusively civilian. But it did not say Iran was on the verge of a nuclear weapon.
The IAEA report looks at Iran’s progress towards building a bomb, its level of cooperation with UN inspectors and its stockpiles of enriched uranium.
On the first point, the IAEA has since 2019 been examining Iranian human-made uranium particles at three undeclared locations in Iran: Varamin, Marivan and Turquz Abad. This was part of an Iranian nuclear programme codenamed Amad, which has been known about for years and is believed to have ended in 2003.
The report concluded that “these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material”.
The IAEA director, Rafael Grossi, told the board: “Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly either not answered, or not provided technically credible answers to, the agency’s questions. It has also sought to sanitise the locations, which has impeded agency verification activities.”
The IAEA concluded that after successful implosion tests, Iran had intended to proceed with cold tests – conducted with a fully assembled bomb with a core of natural or depleted uranium rather than one of weapons-grade uranium – and had been conducting blast shielding tests in preparation.
Together these conclusions appear to confirm the breadth of Iran’s previously disclosed nuclear programme, suggesting also that this knowledge will not have been lost in the Iranian scientific community.
On the second issue – access to sites – the IAEA report states it is not being given the access it requires, and has not been shown plans for new nuclear facilities. Since February 2021, Iran has denied IAEA access to recorded data from centrifuge production plants. Although a few cameras were reinstalled at centrifuge production plants in May 2023, the agency still cannot access the recordings.
From the Iranian perspective, all these steps were permissible countermeasures to Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
On the third point, the report found that Iran had been accumulating a stockpile of highly enriched uranium way beyond the levels set out in the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran’s stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium had grown from 274.8kg in early February to 408.6kg, an increase of about 50%. This is enough fuel for nine warheads, depending on how much highly enriched uranium is in the finished core of each nuclear weapon.
The IAEA report concluded that it had “no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear programme” and noted that senior Iranian officials had said that the use of nuclear weapons was incompatible with Islamic law.
But it also pointed to statements from former Iranian officials who suggested that Tehran now had all the capabilities to manufacture nuclear weapons.
“While safeguarded enrichment activities are not forbidden in and of themselves, the fact that Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world that is producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60% remains a matter of serious concern,” it said.
Asked in April when Iran might be capable of weaponising its missile warheads, Grossi said: “Dates are always arbitrary. But they are not far. It would be, you know, a matter of months, not years.”
Netanyahu’s critics are saying he acted to pre-empt something else: a diplomatic agreement between the US and Iran on its civil nuclear programme, or even the demise of his own government. They point out that Israel has been saying for 20 years that Iran is on the brink of building a bomb.
Either way, his claim largely depends on Israel’s formidable intelligence community possessing a greater state of knowledge about Iran’s nuclear programme than either its US counterparts or the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
As recently as 25 March, Tulsi Gabbard, the US director of national intelligence, told the Senate intelligence committee that the American intelligence community had assessed that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon.
However, Gabbard added that in the past years, there would appear to have been “an erosion of a decades-long taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public, likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decision-making apparatus”.
She added: “Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.”
A 22-page report declassified by the IAEA board this week did not say Iran was so close to a nuclear weapon. It said it had been unable to see aspects of Iran’s civil nuclear programme, and believed Tehran had repeatedly failed to cooperate, particularly over its past secret nuclear programme.
It concluded that it could not verify that Iran’s civil nuclear programme was exclusively civilian. But it did not say Iran was on the verge of a nuclear weapon.
The IAEA report looks at Iran’s progress towards building a bomb, its level of cooperation with UN inspectors and its stockpiles of enriched uranium.
On the first point, the IAEA has since 2019 been examining Iranian human-made uranium particles at three undeclared locations in Iran: Varamin, Marivan and Turquz Abad. This was part of an Iranian nuclear programme codenamed Amad, which has been known about for years and is believed to have ended in 2003.
The report concluded that “these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material”.
The IAEA director, Rafael Grossi, told the board: “Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly either not answered, or not provided technically credible answers to, the agency’s questions. It has also sought to sanitise the locations, which has impeded agency verification activities.”
The IAEA concluded that after successful implosion tests, Iran had intended to proceed with cold tests – conducted with a fully assembled bomb with a core of natural or depleted uranium rather than one of weapons-grade uranium – and had been conducting blast shielding tests in preparation.
Together these conclusions appear to confirm the breadth of Iran’s previously disclosed nuclear programme, suggesting also that this knowledge will not have been lost in the Iranian scientific community.
On the second issue – access to sites – the IAEA report states it is not being given the access it requires, and has not been shown plans for new nuclear facilities. Since February 2021, Iran has denied IAEA access to recorded data from centrifuge production plants. Although a few cameras were reinstalled at centrifuge production plants in May 2023, the agency still cannot access the recordings.
From the Iranian perspective, all these steps were permissible countermeasures to Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
On the third point, the report found that Iran had been accumulating a stockpile of highly enriched uranium way beyond the levels set out in the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran’s stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium had grown from 274.8kg in early February to 408.6kg, an increase of about 50%. This is enough fuel for nine warheads, depending on how much highly enriched uranium is in the finished core of each nuclear weapon.
The IAEA report concluded that it had “no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear programme” and noted that senior Iranian officials had said that the use of nuclear weapons was incompatible with Islamic law.
But it also pointed to statements from former Iranian officials who suggested that Tehran now had all the capabilities to manufacture nuclear weapons.
“While safeguarded enrichment activities are not forbidden in and of themselves, the fact that Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world that is producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60% remains a matter of serious concern,” it said.
Asked in April when Iran might be capable of weaponising its missile warheads, Grossi said: “Dates are always arbitrary. But they are not far. It would be, you know, a matter of months, not years.”
Iran Raises Red Flag of Revenge.
Iran has raised the symbolic red flag of revenge above the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom after deadly Israeli airstrikes. The red flag signals a call for justice and retaliation in Shia tradition, especially when blood has been unjustly spilled.
According to Press TV, the flag was hoisted shortly after Israeli jets struck multiple Iranian military and nuclear targets on Friday. These attacks led to the deaths of senior commanders, scientists, and civilians, including women and children. The strikes have drawn both grief and anger across the country.
As a response, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the mosque, chanting anti-Israel slogans and waving Iranian flags. The city of Qom, located about 140 km south of Tehran, is one of Iran’s most sacred sites. Protesters demanded strong and immediate retaliation for the attacks.
Iran’s Supreme Leader has vowed ‘harsh punishment’ for Israel saying the Jewish state would suffer severe consequences after the latter launched unprecedented attack on the Islamic republic early Friday.
In a statement, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei vowed “harsh punishment” for Israel after the airstrikes killed several top Iranian commanders and scientists.
“The Zionist regime at dawn today opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,” leader said in a statement carried by television channels.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” he added.
Earlier Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces, said that Israel will pay a heavy price and should expect strong action from the Iranian armed forces.
Iran has raised the symbolic red flag of revenge above the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom after deadly Israeli airstrikes. The red flag signals a call for justice and retaliation in Shia tradition, especially when blood has been unjustly spilled.
According to Press TV, the flag was hoisted shortly after Israeli jets struck multiple Iranian military and nuclear targets on Friday. These attacks led to the deaths of senior commanders, scientists, and civilians, including women and children. The strikes have drawn both grief and anger across the country.
As a response, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the mosque, chanting anti-Israel slogans and waving Iranian flags. The city of Qom, located about 140 km south of Tehran, is one of Iran’s most sacred sites. Protesters demanded strong and immediate retaliation for the attacks.
Iran’s Supreme Leader has vowed ‘harsh punishment’ for Israel saying the Jewish state would suffer severe consequences after the latter launched unprecedented attack on the Islamic republic early Friday.
In a statement, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei vowed “harsh punishment” for Israel after the airstrikes killed several top Iranian commanders and scientists.
“The Zionist regime at dawn today opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to a crime in our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,” leader said in a statement carried by television channels.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it,” he added.
Earlier Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces, said that Israel will pay a heavy price and should expect strong action from the Iranian armed forces.
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