Khamenei Backs Nuclear Negotiating Team

Ayatollah to the rescue - Video footage from the floor of the Iranian parliament showed lawmaker Mahdi Kouchakzadeh in a heated exchange with Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif, in which he criticized Zarif’s handling of the ongoing nuclear negotiations. The hard-line politician can be heard calling Zarif a "traitor.”

--The leaked exchange prompted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to defend the nuclear negotiators, saying that the they "are working, making efforts, breaking sweat... to obtain what is in the interests of the country and the regime.” He insisted that members of parliament must maintain a “respectful attitude towards ministers" and the government must avoid insulting deputies. Business Insider has the full story. http://read.bi/1J8gLS5

--See also: “Khamenei backs Iran nuclear team against parliament critics,” in The Daily Star. http://bit.ly/1SGCfIv

American love affair - “‘Welcome America,’ exclaimed the smiling Iranian official at passport control when I arrived at 2:30 a.m. in Shiraz, Iran. They weren't the first words I expected to hear in a country known for its "Death to America" slogans. But the greeting was only the first of many reminders on my recent trip that Americans' perceptions of Iran too often lag behind reality.”

--“This is despite the fact that, broadly speaking, Iran is a young, urban, educated and increasingly Western-oriented population yearning to be part of the international community… http://cnn.it/1HACj3O

Trident - British Defense Minister Michael Fallon has dismissed claims made by Royal Navy sailor and whistleblower William McNeilly over the safety and security of Britain’s nuclear missile subs, Libby Brooks reports for The Guardian.

--McNeilly’s claims of security lapses and safety violations, including fires in the Trident missile compartments, have sparked renewed debate over the future of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, especially in Scotland, where Britain’s nuclear missile subs are based. Full story here: http://bit.ly/1FRHhfN

Russian Blackjack -

Russia has announced that it will purchase at least 50 of the newly revived Tupolev Tu-160 (Blackjack) nuclear capable heavy strategic bombers, increasing its current arsenal by 333 percent. “The decision to restart production on the Tu-160 was made in part because of production delays in Russia’s fifth-generation bomber, the PAK FA,” which was scheduled to be delivered to the Russian Air Force by 2020. Zachary Keck has the full story for the National Interest. http://bit.ly/1FRHYWo

Optimistic - Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif expressed optimism on Thursday that a “sustainable, mutually respectful” deal can be struck with world powers in talks over his country’s nuclear program before the deadline of June 30. Zarif said that a deal would be possible provided provided that “people have their foot in reality, not in illusions.” Read the write up from AP. http://wapo.st/1FRMd4l

Tweet - @lrozen: Energy Sec Moniz will join Sec.Kerry in Geneva to meet Zarif and the Iranian negotiating team May 30

Lobe analyzes - The Iran Review recently sat down with Jim Lobe to discuss the status of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. On the table was the political appetite for a deal on Capitol Hill, the effectiveness of sanctions, and the political future of the Middle East. Full interview here. http://bit.ly/1dBKjul

NPT - “How many in this room have personally witnessed nuclear weapon detonations?” That was the question posed by Tony DeBrum, Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands at the recent Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. The 1954 Bravo hydrogen bomb test DeBrum saw was part of a series of tests conducted by the U.S. in the Marshall Islands, which caused radiological contamination.

--Now the Marshall Islands is “filing two lawsuits, one in US federal court against the United States, and one in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against all nine countries that possess nuclear weapons. In the ICJ action, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China have been sued for failure to eliminate their nuclear arsenals, as called for by the NPT.” Full story in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists here. http://bit.ly/1GJAJkh

Tweet - @shashj: 'China reaffirms … its nuclear weapons are only for two purposes – “strategic deterrence and nuclear counterattack.”' http://bit.ly/1eDimCG

Quick Hits:

--“Major construction at NKorea rocket site, US institute says,” by Matthew Penington, AP. http://wapo.st/1GJmQT0

--“Kerry counselor expected to succeed Sherman in key job,” by Laura Rozen for Al-Monitor. http://bit.ly/1Bu0X48

--“U.S. says China agrees 'pressure' key on North Korea,” by Reuters. http://reut.rs/1FRMqVf

--“Gangs of New York: The 2015 NPT Revcon,” by Andrea Berger. http://bit.ly/1EEnoDS

Events:

--“70th Anniversary of the Manhattan Project” event from the Atomic Heritage Foundation featuring remarks from Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Patrick Gregerson, Alex Wellerstein, Denise Kiernan, Robert Norris, Richard Rhodes and many more. June 2-3. RSVP and full agenda here. http://bit.ly/1Q8oIFE

--“Weighing Concerns and Assurances about a Nuclear Deal with Iran” New report launch from the Iran Project, featuring Amb. Thomas Pickering, Jessica T. Mathews, Gen. James Cartwright and Gary Samore. June 3rd from 12:00-1:00pm at the Wilson Center. http://bit.ly/1SAh2Qx

--“The Strategic Implications of the Iran Nuclear Deal” featuring Mark Fitzpatrick and Trita Parsi. June 4th from 10:00-11:00am at IISS. http://bit.ly/1KkywdY

--Ploughshares Fund annual gala featuring Reza Aslan, Barbara Slavin and Gen. James Cartwright. June 8th from 6:00-8:30pm in San Francisco. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1LI0ssx

Dessert:

Nukes at the movies - Spoiler alert: The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which banned countries from launching nuclear weapons into space, plays a key role in the plot of the new film Aloha, in theaters this week.

As Wired reports, Bill Murray’s eccentric billionaire character “is secretly launching an armed nuke so that he can “own the sky,” a clear violation of the ’67 treaty.” http://wrd.cm/1dBOq9T