US Insists on ‘Full Dismantlement’ of Iran's Nuclear Program

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz gestures to Fox News host and President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, after speaking with her at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz gestures to Fox News host and President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, after speaking with her at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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US Insists on ‘Full Dismantlement’ of Iran's Nuclear Program

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz gestures to Fox News host and President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, after speaking with her at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz gestures to Fox News host and President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, after speaking with her at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

The White House's national security advisor, Mike Waltz, has said that the US sought "full dismantlement" of Iran's nuclear program.
"Iran has to give up its program in a way that the entire world can see," he said on CBS News on Sunday.
"As President (Donald) Trump has said, this is coming to a head. All options are on the table and it is time for Iran to walk away completely from its desire to have a nuclear weapon."
US special envoy Steve Witkoff also said Sunday that Trump's outreach to Iran's top authority, Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, on a possible new nuclear deal is an effort to avoid military action.

"We don't need to solve everything militarily," Witkoff told Fox News.
"Our signal to Iran is let's sit down and see if we can, through dialogue, through diplomacy, get to the right place. If we can, we are prepared to do that. And if we can't, the alternative is not a great alternative."
Trump said earlier this month that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, warning that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal."
Khamenei rejected the US offer for talks as "a deception," saying negotiating with the Trump administration would "tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran."
Also Sunday, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said talks with the United States are no longer possible unless certain things change.

He said that Iran was not opposed to talks out of "stubbornness,” but rather as a result of history and experience, adding that Washington needs to recalibrate its policy before Tehran takes part in talks.
In his first term, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 deal between Iran and major powers that had placed strict limits on Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
After Trump pulled out in 2018 and restored sanctions, Iran breached and far surpassed those limits in the development of its nuclear program.
"In my opinion, the 2015 pact in its current form cannot be revived. It would not be in our interest because our nuclear situation has advanced significantly and we can no longer return to previous conditions," Araqchi said. "The same can be said of the other side's sanctions. The 2015 nuclear pact can still be a basis and model for negotiations."



Ukrainian Anti-corruption Agencies Uncover Drone Procurement Graft Scheme

 Participants gather at a protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP)
Participants gather at a protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP)
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Ukrainian Anti-corruption Agencies Uncover Drone Procurement Graft Scheme

 Participants gather at a protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP)
Participants gather at a protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP)

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a major graft scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts, just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore the agencies’ independence.

In a joint statement published Saturday on social media, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said the suspects had taken bribes in a scheme that used state funds to buy drones and other military equipment at inflated prices.

“The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,” the statement said, adding that offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30% of the contracts’ value.

The anti-corruption bodies did not identify the detainees, but said a Ukrainian lawmaker, local district and city officials, and National Guard servicemen were involved. Four people have been arrested so far, they said. The Interior Ministry said the National Guard personnel implicated in the case were removed from their positions.

Drones have become a crucial asset in modern warfare for both Ukraine and Russia, enhancing military reconnaissance, precision strikes, and strategic flexibility on the battlefield. The majority of Russian military assets destroyed by Ukrainian forces, including manpower and heavy weaponry, have been targeted by drones. Drone production is also a key aspect of Kyiv's hopes to expand domestic military production and export markets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the development in his nightly address on Saturday, calling the graft scheme “absolutely immoral” and thanking the anti-corruption agencies for their work.

“Unfortunately, these corruption schemes involved the procurement of electronic warfare systems and FPV drones ... There must be full and fair accountability for this,” he said in his address, posted to X.

In an earlier post, which also included photos of him meeting with the agency heads, Zelenskyy said it is “important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently,” adding that “the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption.”

The exposure of the graft scheme by NABU and SAPO came just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore their independence.

Ukraine’s Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the bill presented by Zelenskyy, reversing his earlier contentious move that curbed their power and sparked a backlash, including street protests, a rarity in wartime.

Last week’s measure to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor-general prompted rebukes from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny.

Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union and maintain access to billions of dollars of vital Western aid in the all-out war, now in its fourth year. It’s also an effort that enjoys broad public support.