sell

As part of previous negotiations aimed at ending its war on Iran, the United States offered to sell Tehran uranium for use in a civilian programme, but Iran refused, a top US official said on Sunday.

“Heck, our negotiators even offered to sell them uranium,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on NBC’s Meet the Press. He said the agreement would have been akin to that with the United Arab Emirates, which has “a peaceful programme, right there in their neighbourhood, and they abide by international law and inspection regimes”.

Waltz said the administration of US President Donald Trump was open to allowing Iran to keep a civilian nuclear programme, provided it agreed to its obligations in accordance with international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

There were “a number of ways” President Trump was open to dealing with Iran to ensure it did not have access to highly enriched uranium, or the ability to reconstitute highly enriched uranium, including by having Tehran “hand over” any such material it currently has, Waltz said.

The UAE, a signatory to the NPT, generates electricity from a nuclear power plant and signed an agreement with the US in 2009. Under those agreements, the UAE has agreed not to produce enriched uranium domestically, and not to reprocess spent fuel on its own. Trump said Saudi Arabia and the US reached an agreement on civilian nuclear use this year, but details have not yet been made public, and the US president has also claimed the deal is contingent on Riyadh agreeing to the controversial Abraham Accords. Around the region, Egypt and Turkiye also operate civilian nuclear programmes.

Pakistan openly operates a nuclear arsenal, while experts have long believed Israel secretly possesses one of its own. Neither country is a signatory to the NPT.

A key point of contention between Iran and the US has been what should be done with the uranium that Tehran currently has, and how, or even if, to ensure any future supply of the material is not capable of being used for producing a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted it has no plans to create a nuclear weapon, and any uranium it possesses and enriches is only for civilian purposes, including for generating electricity and use in medical treatments and scientific research.

Iran is estimated to have more than 440kg (970lb) of uranium enriched at 60 percent purity. Uranium enriched to around 90 percent purity is suitable for a nuclear weapon. Enriching uranium is a complex process that involves isolating the most radioactive isotope in a quantity of uranium. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to cap its uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent under strict international supervision in exchange for lifting sanctions against its economy. Trump scrapped that deal in 2018, saying it was too generous to Iran.

On September 10, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was concerned over Iran’s “continued noncompliance” with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which it is a signatory. Under the treaty, Iran agrees not to produce nuclear weapons and to meet IAEA safeguards to control its supply of uranium used for civilian purposes. The agency has not had access to key Iranian nuclear facilities since June 2025, when Israel and the US attacked sites in the country as part of a 12-day war.

Iranian officials have responded to the IAEA by saying the finding was made “under political pressure from the US and its allies”, and that they have not stopped respecting their treaty obligations, but could not allow inspections until facilities were safe from US and Israeli attacks.

At times, Trump has said he will destroy the enriched uranium Iran has or retrieve it by force. In April, the US president claimed to have convinced Iran to turn over the enriched uranium it had, which he referred to as “nuclear dust”. Iranian officials quickly dismissed those claims, saying enriched uranium would not be transferred outside the country under any circumstances.

On Saturday, Trump rejected a plan submitted by Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, as Tehran continued to insist that only diplomacy can solve the conflict between the two countries. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said on Saturday that Iran wants to make a deal to open the vital maritime corridor immediately only “because they are losing so badly”.

In an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that Iran is prepared for war to resume, “even if it comes to a doomsday war”.

He added, “If you ask us, there is no reason why we should go back to diplomacy. But I’m still trying diplomacy, because I think we shouldn’t miss any chance for peace.”

LONDON — Todd Boehly and fellow co-owner Mark Walter have sold their stakes in Chelsea, handing full control to Clearlake Capital, the English Premier League club said on Wednesday.

“Chelsea Football Club today announced affiliates of Clearlake Capital Group will acquire the ownership interest of Todd Boehly,” it said in a statement.

“As part of the transition, Clearlake will also acquire Mark Walter’s ownership interest and therefore acquire full control of the club.”

Boehly, Walter and Swiss investor Hansjorg Wyss all purchased a 12.8% share alongside the private equity company Clearlake, which had owned 61.5% ahead of Wednesday’s announcement. The Financial Times reported that Walter and Boehly will receive £950 million ($1.3 billion) for their combined stake in a deal that values the club at £5 billion ($6.7 billion) including debt.

Walter’s companies are the subject of multiple investigations that center on how much life insurance companies he owns were invested in the Dodgers and Lakers and why the investments weren’t accurately disclosed. Walter sold his majority share of the Lakers last month for a record $12.5 billion valuation, but Walter’s TWG Global said the decision to sell was not forced by the investigation. People with knowledge of company operations but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times Walter was open to selling his Chelsea share for the right price, but he has no intention of selling the Dodgers and other sports investments.

Boehly has worked with Walter at Guggenheim Partners since 2001 and played a significant role in the purchase of the Dodgers and Lakers, among other Walter owned properties.

In 2022, Clearlake and Boehly combined to take over the club from Roman Abramovich when the Russian billionaire was forced to sell the club after being sanctioned by the U.K. for his connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Boehly now stands down in his role as Chelsea chairman. Fans protested Boehly’s tenure as the club struggled to keep pace in the Premier League title chase amid erratic leadership, unusual player acquisitions and chaotic relationships with managers.

“It has been an honor to serve as chairman of Chelsea Football Club,” Boehly said. “I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans.

“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, co-founders of Clearlake Capital, lauded Boehly in the Chelsea statement. Feliciano also recently acquired Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres.

“Todd has been an important partner throughout our ownership of Chelsea, and we thank him for his time and contribution as chairman,” Eghbali and Feliciano said. “He will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family.

“Clearlake has served as Chelsea’s majority owner since 2022, and as we move to full control our focus is to continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters.”

The statement also said Wyss would “remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group”, and that there would be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club.”

Chelsea, which is sixth in the Premier League standings, next faces London rival Brentford on Friday.

Jimenez writes for the Associated Press.

Sept. 16, 2026 2:55 PM PT

WASHINGTON — The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Wednesday that he’s going to block a proposed sale of $2.8 billion in heavy weaponry to Israel over concerns that the powerful bombs may not be used in line with U.S. and international law.

Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York said he would withhold approval for the sale because of “grave, unresolved concerns” about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“The Trump administration has not provided sufficient assurances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with U.S. law and with appropriate protections for civilians,” Meeks said in a statement. “I therefore will not clear this sale at this time.”

Meeks’ objections, however, likely will not affect the sale, which was informally notified to lawmakers on Tuesday. Once it is formally notified to Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio can bypass the normal congressional review process by making an emergency determination that the transaction is an urgent national security interest.

Rubio has done so in the past, including bypassing a normal congressional review process to approve a nearly $3-billion sale to Israel last year. The administration then approved a new series of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion in January.

The State Department did not respond to requests for comment about either the new proposed sale or Meeks’ objection to it.

The $2.8-billion package includes 40,000 powerful 2,000-pound bombs, the Associated Press has reported. The transfer of 2,000-pound bombs had been paused by the Biden administration over concerns about the possibility of mass casualties.

The proposed sale is just the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israel’s military capacity and it comes as Israel is facing increased international isolation over its war in Gaza in response to the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.

The conflict in Gaza has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and decimated the enclave. The U.S. brokered a fragile ceasefire, but violence has continued.

Lee writes for the Associated Press.

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has also sold his stake, meaning Clearlake – led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano – have now acquired full control of the club.

Boehly, Walter and Wyss each had a 12.8% stake, with Clearlake previously owning 61.5% of the Blues.

American Boehly will leave his role as chairman, a position he has held since 2022, when the consortium bought the club for £2.3bn from Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 over alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin – something he has denied.

BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were exploring selling their stakes.

Multiple sources said talks started within Chelsea‘s ownership group after a rift, first apparent in 2024, led both sides to explore buying each other out.

Boehly, who is a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, said it had been an “honour” to serve as Chelsea chairman.

“I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans,” he added.

“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

More to follow.