The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to the Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at how Tehran and Washington are digging in on the core nuclear issue: enrichment. The United States insists Iran can’t enrich uranium; Iran maintains it won’t give it up. With both sides refusing to budge, the standoff is heating up.

What You Need To Know

• Nuclear Talks Head To Rome: After weeks of escalating rhetoric, Iran and the United States have agreed to resume nuclear talks in Rome, but both sides remain entrenched on core issues -- especially uranium enrichment. The US demands a total halt to enrichment, while Iran insists it will continue “with or without a deal.” The talks come amid reports that Israel is preparing for possible military action if diplomacy fails.

• Iran Hangs Azerbaijan Embassy Attacker: Iran executed Yasin Hosseinzadeh on May 21 for the deadly armed attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran in January 2023, which killed the embassy’s head of security and wounded two others. Iranian authorities said Hosseinzadeh acted out of personal motives, while Azerbaijan called the incident a “terrorist act.” The execution comes amid efforts to improve Iran-Azerbaijan relations, with both countries recently emphasizing the importance of cooperation and diplomatic security

• UK-Iran Tensions Soar Over Alleged Spy Plot: Tensions between the United Kingdom and Iran escalated after British authorities charged three London-based Iranian men with assisting Iran’s intelligence service and targeting journalists linked to Iran International, a broadcaster critical of Tehran. The men, arrested earlier this month, allegedly conducted surveillance from August 2024 to February 2025. Both countries summoned each other's diplomats in protest this week. The UK cited national security concerns, while Iran called the arrests politically motivated.

The Big Issue

All Roads Lead To Rome

Following nearly two weeks of heightened tensions and diplomatic brinkmanship, Iran and the United States will resume nuclear negotiations in Rome on May 23.

Despite agreeing to meet, both sides are holding firm on their demands. The United States, under President Donald Trump, insists Iran must halt all uranium enrichment, calling it essential to prevent weaponization.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed these demands as “outrageous,” and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has vowed that enrichment will continue regardless of the outcome of the talks.

The stakes are heightened by reports that Israel is actively preparing for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if diplomacy fails.

Meanwhile, European powers are threatening to reimpose UN sanctions unless a deal is reached soon, adding further pressure on Tehran.

Domestic politics in both Washington and Tehran complicate compromise, with hard-liners on both sides urging their leaders not to back down.

Why It Matters: The outcome of the Rome talks could reshape the security landscape of the Middle East.

A diplomatic breakthrough might avert a military confrontation and restore limits on Iran’s nuclear program, while failure could trigger Israeli military action and the return of crippling UN sanctions.

The stakes are not only regional -- global oil markets and nonproliferation norms all hang in the balance.

What's Being Said: Khamenei has voiced deep skepticism about the prospects for progress, telling Iranians, “I do not think nuclear talks with America will bring results. I do not know what will happen.”

Before leaving Tehran for Rome on May 23, Araqchi wrote on X that “figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” adding that an agreement is possible if the goal is to ensure Iran won’t acquire nuclear weapons -- but impossible if the aim is to dismantle enrichment capabilities.

On the American side, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff underscored Washington’s hard line, stating: “Enrichment enables weaponization.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this position before the US Senate, declaring, “Any level of domestic enrichment is unacceptable and poses a direct threat,” signaling that the Washington is unlikely to soften its stance.

Expert Opinion: Robert Einhorn, a former special adviser to the US State Department on nonproliferation, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that congressional Republicans “have been inclined to support the policies of Trump.”

He added that “any respectable deal negotiated” by the US president would also likely have Democratic support -- especially if it’s seen as tough and enforceable.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here . It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at how hardline Iranian media have reacted to President Donald Trump's historic meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia.

What You Need To Know

• Mixed Reactions In Iran To Trump's Meeting With Sharaa: US President Donald Trump's historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, has not gone over well with hard-line media in Iran. Moderate outlets largely stuck to straight reporting of the meeting, but conservative media upset over Syria's exit from Iran's orbit criticized Trump for meeting with the insurgent-turned-president.

• Tehran, European Powers Look To Reset Relations: Iran and the E3 -- Britain, France, and Germany -- are set to meet in Istanbul on May 16 to reset relations. The three European powers have been sidelined in nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. Diplomats say discussions will focus on sanctions relief and Iran's nuclear commitments. The meeting will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers or political directors.

• Trump Reportedly Drops Plan To Rename Persian Gulf: Trump has decided not to rename the Persian Gulf, backing away from earlier plans to call it the "Arabian Gulf", according to CNN and NBC. The reversal follows strong warnings from Iran and concerns about escalating tensions amid ongoing nuclear talks. Trump's initial suggestion to change the name sparked outrage among Iranians and united political factions in opposition.

The Big Issue

'Meeting The Godfather'

Trump met Sharaa -- a former insurgent known under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani -- on the sidelines of a gathering with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on May 14, a day after pledging to lift sanctions on Syria.

The US president said he had made the decision in a bid to provide Syria with "an opportunity for greatness" as the country looks to rebuild after 14 years of civil war and economic devastation.

Hard-line newspaper Keyhan, whose chief editor is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, derided Trump's talk with Sharaa and described it as a meeting between "Jolani the terrorist" and "the terrorist godfather."

The Islamic republic has long alleged that the United States funds extremist groups in the Middle East to destabilize the region and has dismissed Washington's campaign in the region against those groups as a farce.

Tasnim, an affiliate of the US-blacklisted Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), echoed that sentiment, describing the Trump-Sharaa meeting as the United States "formalizing its relationship with Takfiri groups" -- a term used by the Islamic republic to refer to militants groups that it claims have ties to regional Sunni states.

Other hard-line media noted that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group Sharaa led before toppling the government of Iran- and Russia-backed Bashar al-Assad in December, was still designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.

Shirin Jaafari, a reporter for The World who just wrapped up a visit to Syria, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that people she spoke to during her trip were happy but also worried about the future.

"There are some concerns because they don't know what sort of future the new government has envisioned for them," she said.

Jaafari added, however, that Trump's announcement caused major celebrations across Iran, "instilling people with hope that this will be a turning point for their country."

Why It Matters: The fall of Assad dealt a major blow to Iran, which relied heavily on Syria to link its "axis of resistance," its network of regional allies and proxies.

Sharaa has been welcomed by most Arab nations in the region and has received dozens of international delegations, including European diplomats. Earlier this month, he traveled to France to meet President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump, who described Sharaa as "a young attractive guy" with a "strong past," urged the Syrian leader to normalize relations with Israel as one of five conditions to reset ties with Washingtons.

Iran's influence in Syria effectively vanished with the fall of Assad, but Russia has tried to establish relations with the new government and maintain its bases in the country.

"Russia exploited the fact that Syria remained sanctioned and that the United States and Europe were dragging their feet on sanctions removal," Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told RFE/RL.

She noted that while the decision to lift sanctions is "significant," it is "not transformative" as Syria still needs investment and there are outstanding issues between minorities and the government as well as the status of the Kurds.

Iran, however, is pretty much out of the picture for now.

"They lack the economic capital to help with reconstruction and are viewed [by Syrians] much more negatively than Russia," she added.

What's Being Said: Referring to reports that Trump's announcement on lifting sanctions on Syria surprised the State and Treasury departments, UK-based political commentator Hossein Derakhshan argued that Iran really only needs to reach a deal with the US president to remove sanctions.

"Iran needs to understand that this opportunity will not repeat itself and the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions is worth suspending uranium enrichment for 25 years, or even more!" he wrote on X.

Trump said during his tour of the region this week that the United States is "getting close to maybe doing a deal" with Iran on its nuclear program. "We're in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace," he said.

Meanwhile, Ali Shamkhani, a senior aide to Khamenei, told NBC News that Iran would commit to never making a nuclear weapon, ship out highly enriched uranium, and agree to enrich uranium to levels needed for civilian use if Trump agreed to immediately remove sanctions against Tehran.

Expert Opinion: Jihadi media specialist Mina al-Lami said jihadist and hard-line Islamists inside and outside of Syria worry that Sharaa will "sell out" foreign fighters and normalize ties with Israel, and even crack down on Islamic projects in Syria.

"Nevertheless, hardliners are struggling to rally broader support, as the lifting of sanctions is widely seen as a major win for Sharaa, and a clear boost to his image and credibility as a political leader," she wrote on X.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.