Anna Paulina Luna escalates DOJ standoff over Epstein docs, unveils SHRED Act
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wants federal agents caught destroying or concealing government documents to be eligible for a life sentence in prison. Luna, who is leading a task force on the declassification of government records, is introducing a new bill called the Stopping High-level Record Elimination and Destruction (SHRED) Act of 2025. It would levy a mandatory sentence of 20 years to life for any government official or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) found to have concealed, removed, or mutilated federal records, according to bill text previewed by Fox News Digital. Federal law currently dictates that anyone found knowingly destroying, falsifying, or obstructing government records “with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States” is eligible for a fine or up to 20 years in prison. ‘TIPPING THE SCALES’: HOUSE GOP LEADERS RIP ACTBLUE AFTER DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT HIT WITH SUBPOENA Any custodian of public records found to be destroying or concealing those records could be fined up to $2,000 or face up to three years in prison, or both. Luna’s push for increased penalties comes amid her continued standoff with the Trump administration over the declassification of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy Jr., among others. Trump officials like Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have repeatedly vowed to lead with transparency, including on the subjects of Epstein and Kennedy. However, Luna told Fox News Digital earlier this week that she had not had significant communications with the DOJ about her task force matters. “The DOJ has not been really responsive,” she said Tuesday. “Even if they are, you know, conducting a criminal investigation, you should probably pick up the phone and call us, and not talk about it on the news.” GOPERS PRESS FOR THE RELEASE OF JFK, EPSTEIN FILES: HERE’S WHY THEY’RE NOT OUT Conservative influencer Benny Johnson reported on whistleblower allegations within the last month that rank-and-file agents within the FBI were destroying documents in a bid to block Patel’s work Meanwhile, there has been a tidal wave of pressure from the right for Bondi and Patel to declassify documents about Epstein. An initial round of information, first released to conservative influencers at the White House, was blasted for containing no meaningful evidence implicating anyone in the deceased pedophile’s crimes. Bondi told Fox News host Mark Levin earlier this month that she was misled on the Epstein documents, and that she was alerted after that initial release to the Southern District of New York “sitting on thousands of pages of documents” that she was not in possession of. She said Americans would see “the full Epstein files,” adding, “We will have it in our possession. We will redact it, of course, to protect grand jury information and confidential witnesses, but American people have a right to know.” The DOJ was not able to immediately return a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Dancing transgender hecklers shut down parents’ event at blue state’s capitol: ‘Sad and unfortunate’
Several provocatively dressed, dancing transgender activists broke into an informational parents’ meeting at the Vermont State House on Wednesday, disrupting the event and forcing the parents to seek another space for their event. The activists played loud music and shouted as event organizers attempted to speak. The Vermont State House Sergeant of Arms refused to remove the trans activists, claiming they had a right to be there, according to the Vermont Daily Chronicle. The parents’ group – the Vermont Family Alliance – was holding an event for ‘Detrans Awareness Day’ and was meant to highlight resources available for formerly transgender-identifying people who have been physically, mentally and emotionally harmed by sex-change treatments. DOGE PROTESTERS RALLY OUTSIDE KEY DEPARTMENT AFTER EMPLOYEES ARE TOLD NOT TO REPORT TO WORK WEDNESDAY Video taken of the incident posted to X shows several transgender activists, one shirtless and wearing a purple tutu and another waving a ribbon baton, dancing around event organizer Renee McGuinness as she tries to give her presentation to parents. Speaking with the Vermont Daily Chronicle, McGuinness said the group had reserved the room for the event for the afternoon. However, State House Sergeant at Arms Agatha Kessler made both groups vacate the room after 30 minutes of continued disruption, citing concerns about both parties’ safety. The Chronicle reported that many event attendees moved to the cafeteria to hold their event. “Our First Amendment rights were denied in this case in favor of a group that was disruptive,” said McGuinness. “That’s not under the First Amendment for one group to just be able to outshout the other, and whoever outshouts the other, then they’ve won their First Amendment Rights at the sacrifice of the other party.” TRUMP GUEST SHARES SPECIAL MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT AFTER ADDRESS TO CONGRESS McGuinness explained that the event was meant to help former transgender people who have been “denied and ostracized and bullied.” “They want to have a voice, and they want healing from their wounds and injuries because of the medical procedures,” she said. McGuiness called for the Vermont legislature, which is majority Democratic, to amend its rules regarding decorum in the state house to respect the rights of groups that have gone through proper channels to reserve an event space. “It’s sad and unfortunate,” said McGuinness. “The First Amendment is really about civil discourse, right? And not censoring one group over another.” “Our First Amendment rights of speech were not protected,” Marie Tiemann, president of Speak VT, a group that was co-hosting the event, told Fox News Digital. NEARLY HALF OF DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STAFF WILL BE ELIMINATED IMMINENTLY “The Sergeant of Arms essentially came down on the side of these activist disrupters,” she said. “We held the event to give a voice to the thousands of detransitioners who are suffering from the real-world harms caused to their emotional and physical health.” Erika Sanzi, Director of Outreach at a national parents group called Parents Defending Education, also spoke out after the incident. “If students and staff are forced to celebrate LGBTQ awareness and Pride, they should also be made aware of the very real and increasingly acute issue of de-transition,” she said. “Vermont can’t have it both ways where they preen about how inclusive they are and then deliberately exclude and even erase the stories of minors who have gone through the process of gender transition and later changed their minds and decided to detransition,” she went on. “This is a big deal —medically and psychologically—and ignoring it reveals ideological bias, bias and callousness.”
50 House Dems railed for ‘political puppet show’ after making identical social media posts
At least 50 House Democrats are being criticized as “actors reading a script” after posting identical talking points to social media, one of several similar online campaigns by Democratic lawmakers. “House Democrats stand united for a four-week funding extension that stops harmful cuts, keeps government open, and allows Congress to reach a bipartisan funding agreement. I am ready to vote today, tomorrow or Friday to pass a four-week extension,” a social media post made by dozens of Democratic lawmakers read on Thursday. The message was posted by the House Democrats X account, as well as by various lawmakers such as “Squad” member Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., “You can see the ridiculous political puppet show for what it really is,” Elon Musk, who is leading cost-cutting efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wrote in a post on X in response to the identical posts shared by EndWokeness. “They are just actors reading a script.” HAROLD FORD JR.’S MESSAGE TO DEMS: STOP SWEARING AND START GIVING ‘SERIOUS ANSWERS’ “This is the 2025 version of ‘Live by the promise of the hashtag,’” Republican commentator Matt Whitlock said. “Dems are so tacky.” Joe Concha, a Fox News contributor, deemed Democrats the “cut-and-paste party.” Dingell told Fox News Digital why Democrats decided to make the same social media post. “House Democrats shared the same message because we are all unified and ready to keep the government open in a way that serves the American people,” the congresswoman said in a statement. CONSERVATIVES FLIP SCRIPT ON SENATE DEMS PUSHING IDENTICAL TALKING POINTS AGAINST TRUMP: ‘LIKE ROBOTS’ The message comes as part of a new trend by Democratic lawmakers to post coordinated content to social media. Fox News Digital reached out to the House Democratic Caucus for comment. Senate Democrats also faced criticism earlier this year after identical videos to social media ahead of President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in March. The synchronized “S— That Ain’t True” mashup saw at least 22 Democratic Senators repeating the same statement in unison. “Since day one of Donald Trump’s presidency, prices are up, not down. Inflation is getting worse, not better. Prices of groceries, gas, housing, rent, eggs — they’re all getting more expensive. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has done nothing to lower costs for you,” the Democrats, including senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in the video. Sen. Corey Booker, D-N.J., recently said the video was created with the intention of reaching more people online. “We’re trying to do more things as a caucus that break through. Clearly, this was very successful,” the senator said. Democrats were again recently mocked for a viral “choose your fighter parody,” where several congresswomen, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were seen jumping up and down in a fighting position as if they were video game characters, along with their attributes. Jeremy Hunt, a media fellow at the Hudson Institute, recently told Fox News that Democrats are “lost at sea” with their messaging. “When you don’t have a message, and you have nothing positive to present to the American people, you have no plan, no strategy, you just start to think they are now just going off the reservation, constantly swearing, trying to howl at the moon, and trying to garner some type of resistance to what Trump is doing because they have no message,” Hunt told “Outnumbered in March.
Abortion research group opposes state reporting requirements amid ‘weaponization’ by lawmakers
The “hostile political climate” of the Trump administration means that states must “rethink” their mandated abortion reporting requirements and “vigorously oppose new ones,” according to the nation’s leading abortion research institute. But one pro-life activist told Fox News Digital such a move would be a “serious mistake.” A Guttmacher Institute policy analysis report published this month concluded that “the benefits of state-mandated abortion reporting no longer outweigh the risks, a shift that is likely to accelerate as anti-abortion policymakers double down on punitive approaches to data collection while using the resulting data to further restrict abortion rights and access.” “The enactment of abortion reporting requirements for purely political reasons and their increasing weaponization against patients and providers are clear indications that the harms of this mandatory data collection now outweigh its benefits,” researchers for the pro-abortion rights group said. “To prevent further harms, policymakers at all levels of government should work to remove existing reporting requirements and vigorously oppose new ones, along with any attempt to tie federal funding to abortion reporting.” FDA CHIEF COUNSEL WHO DEFENDED ABORTION PILL ACCESS UNDER BIDEN RESIGNS TWO DAYS INTO JOB Guttmacher, which is considered the gold standard for accurate abortion statistics since it provides more comprehensive data and receives more reporting than the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommended that, instead of doing away with reporting altogether, state policymakers should implement a voluntary form of data collection. Pro-life advocates object to the Guttmacher recommendation. “Rolling back state-mandated abortion reporting would be a serious mistake,” Mia Steupert, research associate at Charlotte Lozier Institute, a pro-life research group, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Considering Dobbs placed the authority to enact protections for unborn children in the hands of the American people and their elected representatives at the federal and state levels, it’s critical to have access to good data so that the impact of those abortion policies can be evaluated,” Steupert said, referring to the 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. CLINTON-ERA LAW ‘WEAPONIZED’ BY BIDEN AGAINST PRO-LIFERS MUST GO, PENCE GROUP URGES HOUSE GOP The normative practice of abortion data collection comes primarily from states that report their numbers to the CDC. The data is then compiled to give a snapshot of how many abortions there are nationwide, the age of the mother and how far along she was. However, while most do, not every state requires abortion providers, hospitals and other medical providers to report their numbers. Currently, 46 states and the District of Columbia have some form of mandated abortion reporting, according to the institute. California, Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey do not require reporting. “Even the CDC agrees that accurate abortion data is important for public health in terms of measuring unintended pregnancies and tracking changes in clinical practice,” Steupert said. “Ending state reporting requirements would give the abortion lobby a monopoly on abortion reporting, leaving the American people in the dark about the horrific realities of abortion.” The information gathered in abortion reports varies by state but generally includes details such as the names of the medical facility and clinician involved in the abortion service. Demographic data on the person receiving an abortion, including age, race, ethnicity, marital status, place of residence, gestational age of the pregnancy, the type of abortion elected and number of previous live births are also included. SOROS-BACKED JUDGE DEFENDS REDUCED SENTENCE FOR REPEAT CHILD MOLESTER AT DEBATE IN STATE SUPREME COURT RACE In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Guttmacher said their “recommendation isn’t an argument against states collecting abortion data, but a discussion of the risks and burdens of how it’s collected.” “Ending government-mandated abortion reporting does not contradict the collection of rigorous and accurate abortion data. We urge states to consider changing their laws and regulations to switch to voluntary models of data collection, which can produce high quality data while protecting the safety and privacy of patients and providers. We strongly oppose the intrusive and punitive federal abortion reporting mandate laid out in Project 2025,” the spokesperson said. Project 2025 refers to a policy blueprint by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank and is not an official Trump administration policy guide. The report comes nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – the 1973 decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to abortion – and many states have since enacted abortion bans. The Trump administration also rolled back a Biden-era executive order that federally funded abortion services, re-enacting the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal taxpayer dollars for elective abortions.
FLASHBACK: Biden also paraded electric vehicles at the White House when he drove a Jeep Wrangler in 2021
Democrats pounced on President Donald Trump’s purchase of a red Tesla on Tuesday — even though former President Joe Biden similarly paraded a Jeep Wrangler at the White House in 2021. Trump flaunted the vehicle on the White House’s South Lawn with SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is also heading up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as Tesla’s stock floundered earlier in the week. The share price rose following the White House event. Democrats decried the move, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee labeled the Trump administration the “most corrupt administration in American history.” But Biden also conducted a similar event at the White House in August 2021, when he drove an electric Jeep Wrangler on the White House South Lawn as part of a meeting with top executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. That event corresponded with Biden signing an executive order aiming for zero-emission vehicles manufactured in the U.S. to make up half of its vehicle production by the end of the decade. TRUMP BUYS RED TESLA MODEL S AT WHITE HOUSE ALONGSIDE ELON MUSK: ‘I LIKE SIGNING A CHECK!’ Musk and Tesla weren’t invited to Biden’s 2021 electic vehicle event. Musk had called out the Biden administration in a post on X at the time, saying, “Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited.” When asked at the time why the White House had excluded Tesla, the largest electric vehicle maker in the U.S., White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested that Tesla would receive an invitation for future events. “Well, we of course welcome the efforts of automakers who recognize the potential of an electric vehicle future and support efforts that will help reach the President’s goal, and certainly Tesla is one of those companies,” Psaki said in August 2021. “I would not expect this is the last time we talk about clean cars and the move toward electric vehicles, and we look forward to having a range of partners in that effort.” Meanwhile, the Biden’s administration’s refusal to meet with Musk served as the catalyst for Musk’s departure from the Democratic Party, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal reported in July 2024 that Musk had voted for Biden in 2020 and had reached out to the Biden White House following his inauguration, but the White House had refused to speak with him. The Journal reported that the Biden White House had hesitated to take Musk up on the offer due to concerns that ties to him would upset the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, since Tesla is the only non-union automaker in the U.S. Psaki said that for the electic vehicle event it had selected the “three largest employers of the United Auto Workers, so I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.” TESLA REBOUNDS AFTER TRUMP DEFENDS MUSK, BRINGS EVS TO WHITE HOUSE Others criticized Trump for his Tuesday Tesla show. “I’m sure all the people losing their retirement, jobs, and health care because of Trump are glad to see the White House turned into a car dealership for the richest man on the planet,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in an X post. Fox Business’ Breck Dumma contributed to this report.
Dem governor says Newsom shouldn’t have hosted Bannon on podcast
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear slammed fellow Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom for allowing Steve Bannon on his new podcast, saying that “I don’t think we should give him oxygen on any platform, ever, anywhere.” Beshear made the remark Thursday during a Democratic policy retreat in Virginia, according to Politico. The episode of the “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast featuring Bannon was released the day before, describing him in the show notes as a “former Trump White House chief strategist and MAGA architect.” “I think that Governor Newsom bringing on different voices is great, we shouldn’t be afraid to talk and to debate just about anyone,” Beshear was quoted by Politico as saying. “But Steve Bannon espouses hatred and anger, and even at some points, violence, and I don’t think we should give him oxygen on any platform, ever, anywhere.” Newsom’s office did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment by Fox News Digital. HEATING UP: PRE-SEASON MOVES IN 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACE GETTING UNDERWAY The governor told Politico Wednesday that it is “critically important” to understand President Donald Trump’s movement and that “I think we all agreed after the last election that it’s important for Democrats to explore new and unique ways of talking to people.” Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger also criticized Newsom for bringing Bannon onto his show. GAVIN NEWSOM ASKS CHARLIE KIRK TO GIVE HIS PARTY ‘ADVICE’ IN ONE-ON-ONE PODCAST INTERVIEW “I am in shock at the stupidity of Gavin Newsom inviting Steve Bannon on his podcast. Many of us on the right sacrificed careers to fight Bannon, and Newsom is trying to make a career and a presidential run by building him up. Unforgivable and insane,” Kinzinger wrote on X. Newsom previously sat down one-on-one with conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk for a frank discussion about his party’s shortcomings in the 2024 presidential election. In the first episode of his new podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” the governor marveled at Kirk’s success as the founder of Turning Point USA, which played a pivotal role in President Donald Trump making inroads with young voters. Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Senate to take up Trump spending bill as clock ticks down to government shutdown
The Senate will take a key procedural vote on Friday afternoon to potentially tee up final passage of a crucial stopgap government spending bill to avoid a shutdown as time runs out. After tense caucus meetings, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revealed that he would vote for the House-passed short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), because “a shutdown would be a gift” for President Donald Trump and Republicans. The Friday cloture vote was scheduled shortly after his Thursday evening announcement. It will take place shortly after 1:15 p.m. ET. CHUCK SCHUMER WILL VOTE TO KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN: ‘FOR DONALD TRUMP, A SHUTDOWN WOULD BE A GIFT’ In order to move forward to a final passage vote, the stopgap bill will need 60 favorable votes to beat what’s known as the legislative filibuster. During a partial government shutdown, federal agencies and non-essential services would be halted. However, government functions deemed “essential” would continue. National security protocols, such as border patrol, law enforcement and disaster response, stay active during shutdowns, for example. House Republicans managed to pass a CR earlier in the week that would keep spending levels the same as fiscal year (FY) 2024 until Oct. 1. But if a spending bill is not passed by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, the government will enter into a partial shutdown. DEM HEARD SCREAMING AT COLLEAGUES DESPITE SCHUMER’S UNITY CLAIM AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS While some Senate Democrats, such as Schumer and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., have committed to supporting the CR, far more of their colleagues have publicly stated that they will oppose it. “The House bill also irresponsibly fails to impose any constraints on the reckless and out-of-control Trump Administration,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said in a late Thursday statement. “I will oppose the House budget proposal. The best available solution is a 30-day stopgap funding measure to avoid a shutdown, during which time Congress can do its job to properly pass a bipartisan budget,” he said. Democrats had pushed for a month-long CR, but Republicans didn’t budge from the House-passed plan. SENATE REPUBLICANS COIN ‘SCHUMER SHUTDOWN’ AHEAD OF CRITICAL VOTE ON TRUMP SPENDING BILL Before Schumer revealed his intention to support the bill while the rest of his caucus made their own decisions, meetings between the Democrats became so contentious that the press could hear a senator yelling, through thick, heavy wooden doors on Thursday. The voice was identified as that of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., by press, but her office would not confirm. Earlier Thursday, Fetterman slammed his colleagues for pledging to vote against the short-term bill, joking that their video announcements were “spicy.” CANADA EXPLOITING ‘LOOPHOLE’ HURTING US DAIRY FARMERS AMID TRUMP TARIFFS, SENATORS SAY “It wasn’t that long ago before we were lecturing that you can never shut the government down. So, that’s kind of inconsistent,” he told reporters. “We can all agree that it’s not a great CR, but that’s where we are, and that’s the choice,” Fetterman explained. If the procedural vote on Friday garners enough votes to beat the legislative filibuster, a vote on final passage will be planned for within the next day and a half. It could come sooner if parties reach a time agreement.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to avoiding a government shutdown tonight
Expect the Senate to take a test vote to break a filibuster around 2 p.m. ET today on the Republican stopgap spending bill. This vote is the key to the entire ballgame. If the Senate breaks the filibuster, we are on a glidepath to a vote to avoid a government shutdown. But if this test vote fails, a government shutdown is all but ensured at 12:00:01 a.m. ET Saturday. Reminder: THIS VOTE IS NOT THE FINAL PASSAGE OF THE BILL. We should have a result on the vote to break the filibuster sometime in the 2 p.m. hour. Certainly by 3 p.m., unless they drag their feet. BARELY: HOUSE GOP PASSES GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL WITHOUT HELP FROM DEMOCRATS The calculus changed dramatically last night when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that he would support the Band-Aid bill. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is also in favor. Sixty votes are needed to break the filibuster. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is the lone GOP nay. So a grand total of eight Democrats are necessary to join the 52 Republican yeas to hit the magic mark of 60. Here’s whom to watch: Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., along with Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., John Hickenlooper, D-Co., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and others. If Democrats fail to cobble together eight votes, this is a major miscalculation by Schumer. As it is said, a leader without any followers is just a man out for a walk. CHUCK SCHUMER WILL VOTE TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN: ‘FOR DONALD TRUMP, A SHUTDOWN WOULD BE A GIFT’ Here’s what we don’t know: It’s unclear when the Senate would vote on the actual bill to align with the House if the Senate breaks the threshold of 60 yeas on the test vote. That will likely come late this afternoon or this evening. But those Democrats who may be willing to break a filibuster might demand a series of votes on amendments (which won’t pass) in exchange for their votes. That includes a vote on the Democrats’ 28-day temporary spending bill, additional money for Washington and restrictions for DOGE. Don’t underestimate how livid the left is at Schumer. Progressives who oppose the temporary spending bill could demand some time on the floor to speak against the plan. But there is also an appetite to escape Washington since the Senate has been in session for 10 consecutive weeks. So, if they break the filibuster, that could accelerate things, too.
South Sudan’s rising violence in “polarised regional environment”
Alan Boswell of the International Crisis Group unpacks South Sudan’s escalating violence, who’s behind it, and what’s next. Alan Boswell from the International Crisis Group unpacks what’s happening on the ground in South Sudan and the border region, who’s behind the escalating violence and what could further fuel the conflict. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia, China call on US to drop Iran sanctions, restart nuclear talks
Deputy foreign ministers of Russia, China and Iran call for multilateral talks on ending ‘unlawful’ US sanctions. Representatives of Iran, Russia and China have urged United States President Donald Trump’s administration to end sanctions imposed against Tehran over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme, while calling for the resumption of the multilateral talks on the issue. The three nations “emphasised the necessity of terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions”, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu read from a joint statement issued on Friday. He was flanked by his counterparts from Russia, Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich, and Iran, Kazem Gharibabadi. “The relevant parties should work to eliminate the root causes of the current situation and abandon sanctions, pressure and threats of the use of force,” Ma said. Iran’s Gharibabadi praised the meeting as “very constructive and positive”, even as he accused “some countries” of creating “an unnecessary crisis” to thwart Tehran. Later on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was due to meet with the three senior diplomats. The talks are the latest attempt to resolve the Iran impasse, as Trump tries to reach out to its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attempt to jumpstart talks. Advertisement Any progress on the Iran talks with the Trump administration requires the support of Russia and China, which are both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council alongside the US, France and Britain. The approval of the Security Council paved the way for the implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018 during his first term as president, setting in motion years of attacks and tensions in the wider Middle East. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67 percent purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilogrammes (661 pounds). The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s programme put its stockpile at 8,294.4kg (18,286 pounds) as it enriches a fraction of it to 60 percent purity. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. While Iran has maintained it would not negotiate under threat, its economy has been savaged by the US sanctions. Protests over women’s rights, the economy and Iran’s theocracy in recent years have shaken its government. Last Friday, Trump said he had sent a letter to Khamenei, urging negotiations but also warning of possible military action. In response, Khamenei mocked the US president saying he was not interested in talks with a “bullying government”. He complained that Tehran “negotiated for years, reached a complete and signed agreement”, and Trump “tore it up”. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said that he would not negotiate with the US while being “threatened”, and Iran would not bow to US “orders” to talk. But he had previously said in a speech to the UN that Tehran was “ready to engage”. Advertisement Other Iranian officials have offered some signals over the possibility of negotiations, and the latest meeting in Beijing could indicate its openness for new talks. Adblock test (Why?)