Iran Threatens UAE and Kuwait as Trump Downplays Nuclear Deal Need

Mohsen Rezaei warns of territorial transfers; Trump asserts US can obtain enriched uranium without an agreement.

Iran Threatens UAE and Kuwait as Trump Downplays Nuclear Deal Need — Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, issued an ultimatum to the UAE and Kuwait in an interview with Fars news agency: if they provide any support to Israel, Iran will initiate the transfer of Abu Dhabi to Saudi control and Kuwait City to Iraq.[^1] The threat comes as US President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, stated that Washington does not need a deal with Iran to obtain enriched uranium, asserting that the material is already effectively under US control. 'We could get it right now. I don't think they could stop us if we wanted, but there's no reason to. It's entombed,' he told reporters.[^2] Trump's remarks contrast with ongoing negotiations, where a temporary deal reportedly includes the release of frozen Iranian funds and the lifting of the US naval blockade in exchange for the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days.[^3] The dual signals—Iranian threats against Gulf states and Trump's dismissal of the need for a deal—highlight a volatile diplomatic landscape where neither side appears committed to a stable resolution. Meanwhile, Israeli security officials have warned that Hamas is exploiting the governance vacuum in Gaza to re-establish its power while the IDF is preoccupied with the northern front in Lebanon.[^4] One security official summarized Israel's strategic deadlock, warning that 'it is impossible to take a step forward' under current conditions without 'increasing the threats' to the country.[^4] The question remains: can the US and Iran navigate between Rezaei's threats and Trump's unilateralism without triggering a wider Gulf crisis? Likud Court Freezes Convention Powers Amid Primary Crisis — The Likud court ruled that the party convention will convene by June 25 to approve the primary regulations, but its powers have been frozen for six months.[^1] The ruling creates a dilemma: the approaching national elections require rapid advancement of the primaries, yet the convention cannot exercise its usual authority. About 28,000 members paid their membership fees using a payment method not registered in their name; in 4,000 cases, on