🎧News Brief: Trump Sends Letter to Iran Suggesting New Nuclear Deal; Threatens Russia With Sanctions and Tariffs

President Donald Trump reaches out to Iran regarding its development of nuclear weapons...

President Donald Trump prepares to speak from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 7, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, March 8, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some compelling stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s happening both nationally and around the world.

President Donald Trump reaches out to Iran regarding its development of nuclear weapons; he also threatens to impose severe sanctions on Russia for its ongoing war with Ukraine; and two active-duty U.S. service members are charged with scheming to sell military secrets to China.

Also, a large number of states sue the federal government regarding what they say are illegal mass terminations, and more than two dozen Canadians are arrested for allegedly scamming millions of dollars from elderly Americans.

We have a number of pressing issues to share with you today, and we begin with President Donald Trump initiating a dialogue with Iran in an attempt to stop that country from becoming a nuclear power, and more now on our top story.

Trump Sends Letter to Iran Suggesting New Nuclear Deal

Trump has just sent a letter to Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei in an effort to negotiate a new deal that would restrain that country’s ability to rapidly advance its nuclear program.

The president says that the volatile situation between our nation and Iran is in its “final moments.”

He says that the United States has a serious situation with Iran, that we can’t let it have a nuclear weapon under any circumstances, and that something big is going to happen very soon.

Trump went on to say that in his letter, he tells Iran he hopes they’re going to negotiate, because if the United States is forced to take military action, it’s going to be “a terrible thing.” He also says that dealing with the United States is the better option for Iran and that he believes they want to receive his letter.

By the way, his proposal arrives as the leaders of both the United States and Israel are considering the possibility of using military intervention to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Currently, Iran does not have any weapons of mass destruction; however, it has been enriching uranium at near weapons-grade levels since Trump unilaterally ended a nuclear agreement between the two nations in 2018. It’s now believed Iran has the capability to create a nuclear warhead in a very short period of time.

Iran says that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, that negotiations with the United States are neither intelligent nor honorable, and that last time the two nations made an agreement, the Americans did not uphold their end of the deal.

Another story we’re following very closely right now concerns the Trump administration’s efforts to bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end, and a look now at the tools the president will use to accomplish a very complicated goal.

Trump Threatens Russia With Sanctions and Tariffs

Trump is threatening to impose significant sanctions and tariffs on Russia, based on the fact that right now, it’s “absolutely ‘pounding’” Ukraine on the battlefield.

Additionally, he says that he’s considering placing severe banking sanctions against Russia until a cease-fire agreement and a final peace settlement is reached between it and Ukraine, and he’s urging the two parties to begin negotiations before it’s too late.

Trump says that the fighting on both sides needs to stop as soon as possible, and that if a settlement is not reached soon, the situation could actually result in World War III. He also says that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace, despite Russia’s ongoing attacks in Ukraine.

By the way, Trump has recently extended a number of previous sanctions on Russia that were set to expire. He says that those sanctions will remain in place for now, but that at some point, they will likely be lifted.

The president’s announcement arrives a week after his clash in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who now says that his team is ready to work under Trump’s strong leadership to forge a lasting peace.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said yesterday that Russia had just mounted a major nighttime missile and drone attack on the country’s energy grid. That assault came just hours after Zelenskyy announced to his nation that he will hold peace talks next week in Saudi Arabia with the U.S. government.

An alarming story to share with you now regarding members of our U.S. military arrested and charged with attempting to sell government information to buyers in a communist nation. More now on what we’ve learned.

US Soldiers Arrested in Connection With Scheme to Sell Military Information to Buyers in China

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says that two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers along with a former soldier have just been arrested in connection with an alleged scheme to sell military information to buyers in China.

The two soldiers were identified as Jian Zhao and Li Tian, and they were both stationed in Washington state at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. They were each charged in Oregon with conspiracy to commit bribery as well as theft of government property.

The third suspect is a former battery supply sergeant who was charged in Washington with conspiring to transmit defense information to buyers in China, as well as bribery and theft.

Prosecutors allege that Zhao stole 20 classified hard drives from the U.S. Army, including some that were marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET.” He then negotiated their sale to a co-conspirator in China for $10,000.

He is also accused of selling an “encryption capable computer” and sensitive information regarding U.S. military readiness in the event of a potential conflict with China.

The other two suspects are accused of conspiring for nearly three years in an effort to gather sensitive military information related to U.S. weapon systems.

Attorney General Pam Bondi says that the defendants are all accused of betraying the United States, working to weaken its defense capabilities, and empowering adversaries in China. Additionally, an Army general in charge of counterintelligence says that these arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat that both the military and the nation are currently facing.

We’ll move along now to a massive lawsuit involving several U.S. states suing a variety of federal agencies. Those states are fighting for terminated employees to get their jobs back, and more now on this developing story.

20 States Sue Federal Agencies Over Mass Terminations

A group of 20 state attorneys general is suing nearly two dozen federal agencies, and they’re asking for the reinstatement of tens of thousands of probationary workers who were recently laid off.

They say that the mass terminations of those workers are illegal because those agencies have not been complying with legal requirements regarding what are called “reductions in force.” One of those requirements concerns providing 60 days of advance notice to both workers and states.

In their suit, they argue that the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management unlawfully directed those federal agencies to fire hundreds if not thousands of employees without giving any advance notice at all.

The states say that they’ve also been harmed because they’re struggling to identify which agencies have conducted layoffs and which terminated workers require state support. They also say that the fired workers are now seeking unemployment benefits, along with other social services, putting a strain on available resources.

They’re asking the court to order the 21 agency defendants to immediately halt their mass terminations and to reinstate any employees who were fired on or after Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which is representing the federal agencies in court, has not yet responded to our request for comment.

Finally today, a heartbreaking story to share with you regarding a number of Canadians accused of scamming a great deal of money from a vulnerable segment of our nation’s population. The crimes they’re charged with, the prison time they’re facing, and more now on a story that some are calling “The Grandparent Scam.”

25 Canadians Arrested for Scamming Over $21 Million From Elderly Americans

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says that authorities have just arrested 25 Canadian nationals for allegedly defrauding elderly Americans out of millions of dollars in a complicated fake bail bond scheme.

The agency says that the arrests were executed by Canadian law enforcement, following an indictment that was issued by a federal grand jury in Vermont. It also says that ICE uncovered the scheme, which allegedly defrauded individuals in over 40 states out of more than $21 million.

The suspects are charged with taking part in what’s called a “grandparent scam,” which allegedly involved defendants calling elderly people from call centers in Canada and presenting themselves as grandchildren in urgent need of bail money after getting arrested for a car crash. Some of the other suspects reportedly posed as attorneys.

ICE says that the victims were convinced by the callers to provide that money to individuals who posed as bail bondsmen, and who came to their homes to collect it before sending it north of the border.

The suspects are now facing from 20 to 40 years in prison if they’re convicted of their crimes.

It’s almost time now to wrap things up, but before we go, another story we’re watching very carefully here in the News Brief newsroom.

The Trump administration has just announced it is now canceling grants worth roughly $400 million for Columbia University, alleging that the Ivy League school has not addressed allegations of anti-Semitism on campus pertaining to student protests following the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Saturday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.

To make contact with the News Brief crew, simply reach out to us via email, and we’re at [email protected]. You can also leave comments for us on The Epoch Times app, which you can download for free on either the App Store or Google Play.

Don’t forget the News Brief Motto: We’re portable, affordable, and we’re always on-demand.

Finally, as we do each day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote and this one comes to us from former President Richard M. Nixon, who said: “Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.”

Nixon was our nation’s 37th president, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974.

For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.

The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.

Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.

Enjoy the remainder of your day, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. And just a reminder, in most of the United States, daylight savings time begins early on Sunday morning, so don’t forget to move your clocks one hour ahead.

For now, it’s imperative that we all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.