Iran offered to extend a visit by nuclear inspectors.

Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted by various media on Monday as saying that he was “optimistic” about the results of the visit this week by inspectors from the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that their three-day visit could be extended “if necessary.”

The inspectors arrived Sunday as tensions between Iran and the West are ratcheting up. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee is set to vote Thursday on new sanctions aimed at Iran’s energy sector. The bipartisan bill would target for sanctions officials and affiliates of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Mark Dubowitz, told Reuters that the legislation could enable the U.S. government to penalize foreign companies doing business with the National Iranian Oil Company or the National Iranian Tanker Company.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

U.S.-led sanctions have intensified in the wake of an IAEA report in November that cited what it said was strong evidence of a nuclear weapons program, which Iran denies.

Iran has issued and then withdrawn threats to shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil must pass.

The United States has increased its naval presence in the region, and the Washington Post reported last week that the Pentagon is considering deploying a floating base for commando raids.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount