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15.11.2024 - 17:55 [ ]

IAEA chief tours two key Iranian nuclear facilities

In 2015, Iran proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear program to the world by signing the multilateral nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — with six world powers.

However, Washington’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

In 2019, Iran started to roll back the limits it had accepted under the JCPOA after the other parties failed to live up to their commitments.

15.11.2024 - 17:45 [ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ]

Joint Statement by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

(March 3, 2023)

The AEOI and the IAEA agreed on the following:

– Interactions between the IAEA and Iran will be carried out in a spirit of collaboration, and in full conformity with the competences of the IAEA and the rights and obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the comprehensive safeguards agreement.

– Regarding the outstanding safeguards issues related to the three locations, Iran expressed its readiness to continue its cooperation and provide further information and access to address the outstanding safeguards issues.

– Iran, on a voluntary basis will allow the IAEA to implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities. Modalities will be agreed between the two sides in the course of a technical meeting which will take place soon in Tehran.

23.10.2024 - 07:51 [ BBC ]

What leaked US assessment of Israeli plans to strike Iran shows

The documents also report no sign of any preparations by Israel to activate its nuclear deterrent. (…)

The US has made no secret of its opposition to the targeting of either Iran’s nuclear research facilities or its oil installations.

23.10.2024 - 07:42 [ Middle East Eye ]

US intended to inform UK about Israeli stealth drone use over Iran

However, another piece of intelligence is marked as being for the eyes of US and British intelligence only: that Israel has been using a long-range unmanned surveillance drone which is capable of flying covertly over Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.

The drone, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is a “covert” drone named RA-01. It was not publicly known about.

21.10.2024 - 11:55 [ breakingthenews.net ]

Tehran warns IAEA about Israel‘s nuclear site threats

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday at a press conference that Tehran warned the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Israel‘s threats of potentially striking the country‘s nuclear infrastructure.

20.10.2024 - 00:00 [ CNN ]

Is this Iran’s ‘Chernobyl moment’?

(January 14, 2020)

This reckoning is already being billed as Iran’s “Chernobyl” moment, an analogy to the way the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Soviet Ukraine “exposed all the incompetence, state deception and rot in that regime,” according to IranWire, a site for Iranian citizen journalists in the diaspora.”

But whether Iran’s grief and fury could lead to revolution is hard to tell.

19.10.2024 - 23:37 [ Axios ]

Pro-Iranian account leaks alleged U.S. intel on Israel‘s attack plans

Between the lines: The report, if accurate, would suggest very close and detailed surveillance by U.S. intelligence of Israel‘s preparations for an attack on Iran, including the use of satellites to spy on operations carried out at Israeli Air Force bases.

19.10.2024 - 23:30 [ CNN ]

Leaked documents show US intelligence on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, sources say

Another US official said that “these two documents are bad, but not horrible. The concern is if there are more.”

It is not clear how the documents became public, nor whether they were hacked or deliberately leaked.

13.10.2024 - 00:15 [ Middle East Eye ]

US expects Israel to attack Iran‘s military sites and energy infrastructure

US officials, who were not identified, told NBC there was no indication Israel would target Iranian nuclear facilities or attempt to assassinate specific individuals, but there was no final decision.

10.10.2024 - 06:08 [ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ]

The coming US-Saudi nuclear deal: Keep it honest

(January 5, 2024)

In 1988, the Central Intelligence Agency did discover that Riyadh bought SS-2 medium-range missiles from China but only after the deal was sealed. In 2003, when China exported DF-21 ballistic missiles to the Kingdom, the CIA again found out and was even allowed to verify the missiles were not nuclear-capable, but only after the missiles were delivered.

Several years later, when intelligence finally leaked out that China secretly built missile factories for the Saudis, the Trump administration was mum on whether there was an intelligence failure and allowed speculation that it had blessed the transaction. Then, in 2020, when US intelligence confirmed China was helping the Kingdom mill uranium domestically, it did so, again only after the mining and milling were well underway.

This track record of studied inadvertence, then, brings us to the next worry: MBS wants Washington to green-light the Kingdom enriching uranium…

10.10.2024 - 05:12 [ Institute for National Security Studies - INSS.org.il ]

Normalization for Proliferation? The Saudi Nuclear Strategy and the Price of Peace with Israel

(March 19, 2023)

In general, the Saudis wish to present themselves as Iran’s equals, and if Iran can enrich uranium, say the Saudis, then so can we. In addition, the Saudis want to keep all their nuclear options open, even if they are not intending to work on the development of nuclear weapons immediately.

10.10.2024 - 04:33 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Saudi nuclear program can be secretly managed – top Israeli sources

(September 14, 2023)

Top Israeli sources have told the Jerusalem Post that there are secret technological ways to ensure that the Saudis do not misuse civilian nuclear items, which the US may give them as part of a three-way normalization deal, for military purposes.

Although there are no guarantees, because the issue is highly technical and there are issues to address regarding the Palestinians and highly complex politics, these technological fixes could be key to locking in a normalization deal between Riyadh and Jerusalem, under Washington’s auspices.

10.10.2024 - 03:10 [ Reuters ]

U.S. approved secret nuclear power work for Saudi Arabia

(March 27, 2019)

Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. (…)

Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former U.S. officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

05.10.2024 - 18:41 [ Newsweek ]

Iran Braces for Israeli Attack That Could Change the Middle East Forever

(October 3, 2024)

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran‘s longtime supreme leader, has for decades officially banned the production of nuclear weapons. But Israel, which possesses its own semisecret nuclear arsenal, has long accused the country of also clandestinely pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

05.10.2024 - 05:42 [ Times of India ]

Trump says Israel should ‚hit Iran‘s nuclear facilities first‘ days after Biden urges restraint

„Isn‘t that what you‘re supposed to hit? I mean, it‘s the biggest risk we have, nuclear weapons,“ he said.

„When they asked him that question, the answer should have been, hit the nuclear first, and worry about the rest later,“ Trump added.

05.10.2024 - 05:27 [ CNN ]

Israel has given no assurances it won’t target Iran’s nuclear facilities, top State Department official tells CNN

The official added that it is “really hard to tell” if Israel will use the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks to retaliate.

“We hope and expect to see some wisdom as well as strength, but as you guys know, no guarantees,” the official said when asked by CNN if Israel has assured the US that Iran’s nuclear sites are off the table.

03.10.2024 - 00:10 [ Antiwar.com ]

Israel Planning Major Attack on Iran

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the US would work with Israel to ensure Iran faces “severe consequences.” President Biden has also said he is working with Israel on a response but said Wednesday that he wouldn’t support strikes on Iran’s nuclear facility.

“All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they have to respond proportionally,” he said, referring to the Group of Seven nations.

02.10.2024 - 23:10 [ India Today ]

Biden opposes Israeli strikes on Iran‘s nuclear sites, urges proportional respons

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he does not support strikes on Iran‘s nuclear sites in response to its missile attack against Israel.

„We‘ll be discussing with the Israelis what they‘re going to do, but all seven of us (G7 nations) agree that they have a right to respond but they should respond proportionally,“ Biden told reporters before boarding Air Force One.

02.10.2024 - 15:00 [ New York Times ]

Actually, We Absolutely Do Need to Escalate in Iran

…a theological explanation for why Israel had come into existence..
…“The Jews will gather from all parts of the world…
…the Antichrist and the end of the world but rather that Allah… final and decisive battle,,,“
…for killing all Jews…
…What if one of those missiles had been tipped with a nuclear warhead…
…Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that Iran was within a week or two of being able to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb…

02.10.2024 - 03:44 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Netanyahu in 1993: Iran will have bomb by 1999

(04.03.2015)

The prime minister has been warning for over 20 years that Tehran is close to achieving its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

02.10.2024 - 03:34 [ CNN ]

Fmr. Defense Secy: Israel will conceivably target Iran‘s nuclear facilities

Fmr. Defense Secy William Cohen joins The Lead

02.10.2024 - 03:10 [ New York Tmes ]

Israel weighs a counterattack after the Iranian missile barrage.

But after Iran fired about 180 missiles in an attack that went on for roughly half an hour, Israel’s challenge was not whether to attack Iran, but how powerfully to respond, said Yaakov Amidror, a retired major general who served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser.

The only question, General Amidror said, was “how much can we harm them versus their capacity to harm us.” He added he believed that the damage Israel inflicted on Hezbollah had diminished the threat of Iran’s proxies.

Even an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities — long a source of fear for Israel, which worries about Tehran gaining a nuclear weapon — “should be considered,” General Amidror added.

26.08.2024 - 21:22 [ Times of Israel ]

Israel said to push US to present credible military threat or attack Iran’s nuclear sites

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the Northern Command headquarters earlier today with his American counterpart, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.

19.04.2024 - 20:10 [ United Nations ]

Retaliatory spiral in Middle East must end, says UN chief after reported strikes on Iran

Following reports of alleged Israeli strikes inside Iran near a nuclear power station early Friday, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a new appeal to all parties to “stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East”.

“The Secretary-General condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” he said in a statement issued by his Office.

19.04.2024 - 19:41 [ Newsweek ]

Iran Map Reveals How Close Israeli Strikes Were To Hitting Nuclear Sites

The Natanz uranium enrichment plant is located close to the region where the strikes are understood to have taken place.

A separate uranium conversion plant is located in Zerdenjan, a southwestern region of Isfahan. The site has been previously targeted by suspected Israeli sabotage attacks.

19.04.2024 - 19:33 [ Tehran Times ]

Air defenses fire at suspicious objects in Isfahan

Earlier General Siavash Mihandoost, the Army’s senior official in Isfahan province, said the relatively loud sound of the explosion that was heard in the eastern parts of Isfahan on Friday morning was the result of shots fired at “suspicious” objects by the air defense units, Tasnim reported.

He said there have been no damages or specific incidents.

„The sound was related to Isfahan‘s air defense systems firing at suspicious objects and we have not had any damage or accident,“ Mihandoust said.

Officials also said important facilities in Isfahan province, especially nuclear sites, are completely safe.

19.04.2024 - 19:23 [ Washington Post ]

Isfahan, apparent site of Israeli strike, is home to Iranian nuclear facilities

(today)

The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center is Iran’s largest nuclear research complex and employs approximately 3,000 scientists, according to the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative. It was built with Chinese assistance and opened in 1984. It operates three small Chinese-supplied research reactors, the NTI says, adding that the facility is also the target of both U.S. and U.N. sanctions.

19.04.2024 - 19:19 [ Vanguardngr.com ]

Iran warns Israel against attacking nuclear sites

(18-04-2024)

“If the Zionist regime (Israel) wants to take action against our nuclear centres and facilities, it will definitely and surely face our reaction,” the official news agency IRNA quoted Haghtalab as saying.

“For the counterattack, the nuclear facilities of the (Israeli) regime will be targeted and operated upon with advanced weaponry.”

12.04.2024 - 00:33 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Netanyahu in 1993: Iran will have bomb by 1999

(04.03.2015)

The prime minister has been warning for over 20 years that Tehran is close to achieving its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

12.04.2024 - 00:10 [ Times of Israel ]

As Iran vows revenge, Israel worries it could get even by going nuclear

After a week of being very careful regarding statements directed at Iran, the US gave Israel something to be satisfied about on Wednesday. US President Joe Biden said America’s commitment to Israel’s security, amid the threats from Iran and its proxies, is “ironclad.”

Biden’s statements are aimed directly at Iran, and it’s certainly possible that they’re the result of a worrying intelligence assessment Israel presented to the US.

10.01.2024 - 10:20 [ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ]

The coming US-Saudi nuclear deal: Keep it honest

(January 5, 2024)

In 1988, the Central Intelligence Agency did discover that Riyadh bought SS-2 medium-range missiles from China but only after the deal was sealed. In 2003, when China exported DF-21 ballistic missiles to the Kingdom, the CIA again found out and was even allowed to verify the missiles were not nuclear-capable, but only after the missiles were delivered.

Several years later, when intelligence finally leaked out that China secretly built missile factories for the Saudis, the Trump administration was mum on whether there was an intelligence failure and allowed speculation that it had blessed the transaction. Then, in 2020, when US intelligence confirmed China was helping the Kingdom mill uranium domestically, it did so, again only after the mining and milling were well underway.

This track record of studied inadvertence, then, brings us to the next worry: MBS wants Washington to green-light the Kingdom enriching uranium…

06.10.2023 - 15:00 [ Haaretz ]

‚Sensitive‘ Israeli Intelligence on Iranian Nuke Program Shifting the Tide, Israeli Official Says

(12.09.2022)

According to a diplomatic source, Prime Minister Yair Lapid presented the Germans with intelligence that ‚proves the Iranians are cheating as we speak,‘ claiming the Americans‘ hardened their stance in response to the information

06.10.2023 - 11:55 [ AsiaTimes.com ]

Saudi nuclear weapon talk is no empty threat

(October 5, 2023)

Fitzpatrick notes Saudi Arabia acquired more advanced DF-21 missiles from China in 2007, although Riyadh has never acknowledged the purchase. He also says that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) approved Saudi Arabia’s acquisition because they were modified not to carry nuclear warheads.

However, the inaccuracy of those missiles means that they are only suitable for large targets such as cities and would be ineffective with anything less than a nuclear warhead.

06.10.2023 - 10:02 [ Reuters ]

U.S. approved secret nuclear power work for Saudi Arabia

(March 27, 2019)

Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. (…)

Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former U.S. officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

27.09.2023 - 13:45 [ henry buttler / Twitter ]

The Saudi energy minister did not comment on whether his country would also join the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which requires more thorough oversight including snap inspections.

27.09.2023 - 13:05 [ Azriel Bermant / Twitter ]

As long as #SaudiArabia doesn‘t sign up to the IAEA‘s Additional Protocol which strengthens the ability of the agency to verify peaceful uses of nuclear technology, concerns will remain over Saudi nuclear ambitions.

27.09.2023 - 12:55 [ CNBC ]

Saudi Arabia announces crucial step forward in its nascent nuclear power plans

Switching to a broader inspection regime will enable the kingdom to access fissile material and start running its small nuclear reactor.

The developments come amid increasing concern among nuclear nonproliferation experts and lawmakers about Saudi Arabia‘s intentions with the technology, and the potential for a Middle Eastern arms race.

27.09.2023 - 12:39 [ Internationale Atomenergiebehörde / International Atomic Energy Agency ]

Additional Protocol

The Additional Protocol is not a stand-alone agreement, but rather a protocol to a safeguards agreement that provides additional tools for verification. In particular, it significantly increases the IAEA’s ability to verify the peaceful use of all nuclear material in States with comprehensive safeguards agreements.

27.09.2023 - 12:27 [ Internationale Atomenergiebehörde / International Atomic Energy Agency ]

More on Safeguards agreements

Voluntary offer agreements…

Item-specific safeguards agreements…

Additional Protocol

The Additional Protocol is designed for States that have any type of safeguards agreement with the IAEA. States with CSAs that decide to conclude additional protocols must accept all provisions of the Model Protocol Additional, which was approved by the Board of Governors in 1997. States with item-specific or voluntary offer agreements may accept and implement those measures of the Model Additional Protocol that they are prepared to accept.

Small Quantities Protocols

The small quantities protocol is a protocol that may be concluded in conjunction with a comprehensive safeguards agreement. It has been available since 1971 and its text was standardized in 1974 (original small quantities protocol).

The original small quantities protocol was made available to States with minimal or no nuclear material and no nuclear material in a “facility.”