Axios: CIA director’s Iran doubts

 CIA director’s Iran doubts
 
President Trump at the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, in the French Alps, yesterday. Photo: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

CIA Director John Ratcliffe told President Trump and other senior officials that intelligence gathered by U.S. spies raises serious doubts about Iran’s willingness to make the nuclear concessions the U.S. is seeking in any final deal, Axios’ Barak Ravid reports.

Ratcliffe isn’t the only skeptic on Trump’s top team. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have both expressed concerns and raised questions about the deal in internal discussions.

Vice President Vance and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner advocated for it. Vance will attend Friday’s formal signing ceremony in Geneva.

👀 Behind the scenes: Trump and his advisers held a series of high-level meetings in the lead-up to Sunday’s announcement of the deal.

During those meetings, Trump and his team discussed the intelligence: Iranian officials were discussing the deal among themselves in a way that was inconsistent with what they were telling the mediators and the U.S., two sources said.

Ratcliffe and Rubio said that based on that intel, they doubted the Iranians would agree to take the nuclear steps the U.S. was seeking, according to two sources.

“The intelligence reflects that the Iranian intentions are not in line with their commitments under the deal,” the source said.

Zoom out: The nuclear elements of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that was signed electronically on Sunday depend on the parties reaching a more detailed nuclear deal over the next 60 days.

Vance, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet on Friday with Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, to discuss that next phase.

👓 Between the lines: The text of the 14-point initial deal has yet to be published. A source familiar with the text contended that the Iranians will get more than they give under the MOU — unless they agree to sign a nuclear deal that meets the U.S. objectives.Keep reading.
Unknown's avatar

About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a comment