https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:27:27 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-iranian-foreign-minister-meets-with-japanese-premier-kishida-in-tokyo/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:09:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658358 Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Monday and discussed bilateral cooperation as well as the Iran nuclear deal, reports Anadolu Agency. Amirabdollahian arrived in the Japanese capital on Sunday evening and is also scheduled to meet with senior government officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues. "As a supporter of the Iran nuclear deal, Japan is seriously concerned about the expansion of Iran's nuclear-related activities and requested full and unconditional cooperation in the joint statement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Kishida said in a statement released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He also urged Iran to respond in a "constructive" way. Earlier, the Iranian […]]]> 658358 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-geopolitical-realities-in-the-middle-east-and-the-political-mandate-of-the-iaea/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:45:44 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657382 Geopolitical events in the Middle East, as well as the recent visit of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, to Iran for nuclear programme talks, contribute to how quickly the world is changing. With rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia brokered by China, undermining US influence, new geopolitical realities are being created in the region. Having received funding from the UN, the IAEA has decided to take on a political mandate. Although Iran has never been charged with breaking the law, there is a widespread assumption in the West that this may be the case. Uncertainties result from this deficit of trust. During discussions between 2002 and 2018, Iran committed to stick to several […]]]> 657382 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-israel-asks-france-to-intervene-to-prevent-confrontation-with-hezbollah/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:44:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654079 Israel asked France yesterday to use its influence in Lebanon to prevent the outbreak of a military confrontation with Hezbollah, Anadolu has reported. The Israeli Foreign Ministry made the request during a meeting in Paris between Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna. "The provocation of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah on the Lebanese border could degenerate into a military confrontation," said Cohen. "I asked my friend, Foreign Minister Colonna, to exercise France's influence in Lebanon in order to help resolve the tensions efficiently and quickly." Other regional security issues were also on the agenda, including Iran's nuclear programme. "The fight against the Iranian threat requires the entire international community to act now. The meeting of the IAEA […]]]> 654079 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230611-irans-khamenei-says-nothing-wrong-with-a-nuclear-deal-with-west/ Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:40:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644038 Iran's supreme leader said on Sunday that a deal with the West over Tehran's nuclear work was possible if the country's nuclear infrastructure remained intact, amid a stalemate between Tehran and Washington to revive a 2015 nuclear pact, Reuters reports. Months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington to salvage the nuclear accord with six major powers have stalled since September, with both sides accusing each other of making unreasonable demands. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's guarded approval comes days after both Tehran and Washington denied a report that they were nearing an interim deal under which Tehran would curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. "There is nothing wrong with the agreement (with the West), but the infrastructure of […]]]> 644038 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230606-iaea-chief-calls-on-iran-to-speed-up-reinstallation-of-cameras-at-nuclear-sites/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:15:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642725 The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has urged Iran to accelerate the pace of reinstalling surveillance cameras at its nuclear sites, describing cooperation with Tehran as "slow". Upon returning from Tehran in March, Grossi welcomed Iran's pledge to reinstall the monitoring equipment dismantled in June 2022, amid deteriorating relations with Western powers. Three months later, Grossi told the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna that "progress is much less than expected." "In fact, we have installed cameras and surveillance systems in several locations, but much more must be done than that," especially since Iran continues its nuclear escalation despite its denial of seeking to acquire an atomic bomb, he said, adding, "We must move […]]]> 642725 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230605-netanyahu-convenes-iran-war-drill-scorns-un-nuclear-watchdog/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:25:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642682 Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ramped up threats to attack Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday, convening a rare cabinet war drill after he accused UN inspectors of failing to confront Tehran, Reuters reports. With Iran having enriched enough uranium to 60 per cent fissile purity for two nuclear bombs, if refined further – something it denies wanting or planning – Israel has redoubled threats to launch pre-emptive military strikes, if international diplomacy fails. Israel has long maintained that for diplomacy to succeed, Iran must be faced with a credible military threat. "We are committed to acting against Iran's nuclear (drive), against missile attacks on Israel and the possibility of these fronts joining up," Netanyahu said in a video statement from […]]]> 642682 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230601-iaea-deals-blow-to-israel-closes-nuclear-investigation-into-iran-site/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:15:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641844 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday announced the closure of the investigation into the "suspected" nuclear facility in Iran, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about in a speech delivered in September 2019. In a new report distributed to the organisation's members, the agency stated that Iran: "Gave possible explanations for the uranium particles found at the suspicious Marivan site in Abadeh county… the matter is no longer outstanding at this stage." This report was issued a few days before the scheduled meeting of the IAEA's board of governors. Commenting on the announcement, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid tweeted: "The decision by the IAEA is a harsh blow to Israel because the information it provided led to the […]]]> 641844 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230531-monitoring-equipment-returns-to-only-some-iran-sites-iaea-reports/ Wed, 31 May 2023 18:36:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641793 The UN nuclear watchdog has re-installed only some monitoring equipment originally put in place under the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers that Iran then ordered removed last year, the watchdog said in two reports on Wednesday seen by Reuters. The re-installed equipment is a fraction of what the International Atomic Energy Agency had planned to set up to improve its surveillance of Iran's nuclear activities, as the IAEA said it had agreed with Iran in March, in a bid to defuse a standoff between both sides over Iran's cooperation. The limited progress described in the reports did, however, include the installation of real-time enrichment monitoring equipment on the only lines of centrifuges enriching uranium to up to 60 per cent purity, near weapons […]]]> 641793 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230530-explainer-why-is-opec-cutting-oil-output/ Tue, 30 May 2023 21:00:12 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641084 OPEC and its allies, including Russia, meet in Vienna on 4 June to decide on their output policy. The group, known as OPEC+, agreed on 2 April to increase crude oil production cuts to 3.66 million barrels per day (bpd) or 3.7 per cent of global demand, after several members pledged unilateral cuts. The surprise announcement helped to push up prices by about $9 a barrel to above $87 per barrel over the days followed, but Brent prices since lost those gains. Here are the main reasons why OPEC+ cut output: Concern about weak global demand  Saudi Arabia has said voluntary output cuts of 1.66 million bpd on top of the existing 2 million bpd cuts were a precautionary measure to improve […]]]> 641084 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230530-iaea-resolves-nuclear-issues-with-iran-iran-media/ Tue, 30 May 2023 14:43:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641064 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has resolved nuclear issues with Iran relating to one of three sites being investigated over the presence of uranium particles, Iranian media reported on Tuesday, Reuters reports. The Agency's alleged case, regarding the findings of uranium particles with 83.7 per cent purity, has also been closed, a source told the semi-official Mehr news agency. The IAEA is due to issue quarterly reports on Iran this week, ahead of a regular meeting of its 35-nation Board of Governors next week. READ: France says Iran ballistic test worrying in light of nuclear escalation]]> 641064 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230525-france-says-iran-ballistic-test-worrying-in-light-of-nuclear-escalation/ Thu, 25 May 2023 16:31:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639902 France, on Thursday, accused Iran of violating a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal after it carried out a long-range ballistic missile test, which Paris said was worrying given "uninterrupted escalation" of Tehran's nuclear programme, Reuters reports. Iran successfully test-launched a ballistic missile with a potential 2,000-km range on Thursday, state media said, the latest in ballistic missile tests and satellite launches. "These activities are all the more worrying in the context of the continuing escalation of Iran's nuclear programme", French Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Anne-Claire Legendre, told reporters at a daily briefing. UN Security Council resolution 2231 calls on Iran not to conduct "any activity" related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, but the language is ambiguous, […]]]> 639902 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230430-turkiye-helped-prevent-global-food-crisis-says-foreign-minister/ Sun, 30 Apr 2023 07:56:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=632251 A global food crisis was prevented thanks to the Black Sea grain deal, the Turkish foreign minister said on Saturday, as he listed the successes of Ankara's "entrepreneurial, humanitarian, and effective" foreign policy during the Russia-Ukraine war, reports Anadolu Agency. "We implemented the Istanbul grain deal with the UN. We prevented global food crisis," Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted. Turkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022, exacerbating global food insecurity. Cavusoglu said the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers came together for the first time since the war broke out on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy […]]]> 632251 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230413-top-japan-diplomat-discusses-tehran-nuclear-issue-with-iran-counterpart/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 12:45:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=628855 Top diplomats of Japan and Iran, on Wednesday, discussed the latest developments surrounding Tehran's nuclear issue, a statement from Tokyo said, Anadolu News Agency reports. Foreign Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told his Iranian counterpart, Huseyn Amir Abdollahian, that Japan has "consistently supported" the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Tokyo has "strong hopes for a constructive response from Iran, including the full and unconditional cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Hayashi told Abdollahian. Besides, the statement said, the duo exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and agreed on continuing bilateral dialogue on a wide range of fields. Hayashi also held a half-an-hour-long video conference with IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi on Wednesday. The duo discussed a variety of issues […]]]> 628855 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230328-iran-qatar-played-an-important-role-in-the-nuclear-deal-exchange-of-prisoners/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:20:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624990 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian yesterday praised the role played by Doha in the negotiations for a nuclear agreement and the prisoner exchange file with the US. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Abdollahian said: "Qatar is always moving in the right direction and has played a role in the field of prisoner exchange and the nuclear agreement." "A plan was proposed in the Iranian parliament to put a ceiling on nuclear negotiations," he explained, warning that "the door to negotiations will not remain open forever." "Iran is committed to cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency." READ: Saudi-Iran deal raises Israeli worries and concerns The statements come as the Minister of State at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Bin […]]]> 624990 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230324-iaea-confirms-almost-all-missing-uranium-in-libya-now-accounted-for/ Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:29:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624587 Most of the roughly 2.5 tons of natural uranium ore concentrate (UOC) recently declared missing from a site in Libya have been found at that site, the UN nuclear watchdog told member states on Friday in a statement seen by Reuters. The International Atomic Energy Agency informed member states in a similar confidential statement on 15 March first reported by Reuters that 10 drums containing the UOC had gone missing from a Libyan site not under government control. While the amount of fissile material is less than that required for a nuclear bomb, and would need to go through processes known as conversion and enrichment to be usable in one, the IAEA said at the time that losing it "may present a […]]]> 624587 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230323-iran-e3-diplomats-meet-in-oslo-to-break-nuclear-deal-logjam/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:43:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624386 Efforts to resume the stalled talks in Vienna aimed at the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal have gathered momentum again amid geopolitical shifts spurred by the Tehran-Riyadh rapprochement, Anadolu News Agency reports. Iran's deputy Foreign Minister and lead nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri, on Wednesday night confirmed reports about his meeting with senior European diplomats in Oslo last week. In a tweet, Bagheri said he met with political directors of E3 countries (The United Kingdom, Germany and France) and "discussed a range of issues of mutual interest and concern". "We spare no opportunity to clarify our views and warn against certain miscalculations. We are determined in advancing our national interests, including through diplomacy," he wrote. The US unilaterally withdrew from […]]]> 624386 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230320-the-road-to-war-an-ex-reuters-journalist-recalls-the-chase-for-wmd-in-iraq/ Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:59:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=623324 Louis Charbonneau covered the UN weapons inspections prior to the Iraq war and later became UN bureau chief. He is now UN Director at Human Rights Watch, Reuters reports. It was 6 March, 2003, about two weeks before the US would invade Iraq. I was on an airplane interviewing a large delegation of United Nations weapons inspectors and other UN officials about their hunt for Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD). After months of investigations, UN teams scouring Iraq had uncovered no evidence to support US allegations that the Iraqi government was developing nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. The US was threatening to use military force to rid Iraq of WMD, which the administration of President George W. Bush insisted […]]]> 623324 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230318-turkiye-offers-key-lessons-to-africa-for-nuclear-energy-iaea/ Sat, 18 Mar 2023 09:00:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=623004 Turkiye offers key lessons to newcomer states, including in Africa, that are pursuing nuclear energy development, the deputy Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday, Anadolu News Agency reports. "Turkiye is one of the fastest growing markets globally, and its nuclear energy journey is a befitting example to African countries aspiring to access and gain insights in the nuclear market," Mikhail Chudakov, the Deputy Director-General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy at the IAEA, said. Turkiye will host the next Nuclear Business Platform this summer, hosted by the Nuclear Technical Support Joint Stock Company in the resort city of Antalya in southern Turkiye. READ: Meeting of Turkiye, Syria, Iran, Russia officials postponed, Turkiye says]]> 623004 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230316-everything-to-know-about-nuclear-fuel-uranium/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 20:57:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622848 Eastern Libyan forces said, on Thursday, that 10 drums of uranium declared missing by the UN nuclear watchdog had been found near the warehouse they were taken from in southern Libya, Reuters reports. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday its inspectors found out about the missing uranium after carrying out an inspection originally planned for last year that "had to be postponed because of the security situation in the region". Here is everything you need to know about uranium and its usage as a nuclear fuel. What is Uranium and where can it be found? Uranium is a heavy metal which occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water. It is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals. […]]]> 622848 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230316-eastern-libya-forces-say-they-have-found-missing-uranium/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 20:28:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622846 Eastern Libyan forces said on Thursday that 10 drums of uranium declared missing by the UN nuclear watchdog had been found near the warehouse they were taken from in southern Libya, Reuters reports. Khaled Mahjoub, head of a media unit for the Libyan National Army, the main eastern military force, said in a statement that the 10 missing barrels had been recovered, though a separate video he sent showed workers counting 18. The IAEA said in a confidential statement to member states seen by Reuters that it detected the missing uranium during a check at an unnamed site in Libya on Tuesday, which it had postponed last year because of the security situation. Mahjoub said the site was a warehouse towards the […]]]> 622846 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230316-iran-takes-step-forward-to-resolve-outstanding-nuclear-issues-says-official/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:05:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622699 Iran has taken a "step forward" to resolve outstanding issues surrounding the nuclear agreement with world powers, a spokesman for the state Atomic Energy Organisation has said. Speaking at an event in Tehran on Tuesday, Behrouz Kamalvandi hailed the visit to Tehran by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, as "fruitful". Kamalvandi added that the Iranian nuclear programme is "politicised" at the domestic and foreign levels. On the future of the nuclear talks, he said that he sees it as "grey", and he is "neither optimistic nor pessimistic." READ: After Saudi deal, Iran top security official due in UAE The Iranian official criticised the three European signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear […]]]> 622699 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230315-tons-of-uranium-missing-from-libya-site-iaea-tells-member-states/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 19:48:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622659 UN nuclear watchdog inspectors have found that roughly 2.5 tons of natural uranium has gone missing from a Libyan site that is not under government control, the watchdog told member states in a statement on Wednesday seen by Reuters. The finding is the result of an inspection originally planned for last year that "had to be postponed because of the security situation in the region" and was finally carried out on Tuesday, according to the confidential statement by International Atomic Energy Agency chief, Rafael Grossi, Reuters reports. READ: A new show in Tripoli looks at 70 years of Libyas consumer culture IAEA inspectors "found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of UOC (uranium ore […]]]> 622659 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230309-qatar-praises-new-agreement-between-iran-iaea/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 12:08:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=620676 Qatar has praised the new agreement reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), calling for the continuation of dialogue between the two sides to resolve outstanding issues in the Iranian nuclear file. This came in the statement delivered by Secretary-General of Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Bin Hassan Al-Hammadi, before the session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, being held in Vienna. Al-Hammadi said the recent successful visit of the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi to Tehran, and the joint statement issued by the IAEA and Iran, laid the foundation for subsequent steps to facilitate broader cooperation between the two sides in order to expedite resolving […]]]> 620676 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230307-iaea-chief-says-israels-threats-to-strike-irans-nuclear-sites-illegal/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 11:19:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=619920 The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Raphael Grossi said any attack on Iran's nuclear sites by Israel or the United States would be "illegal", Reuters reported. Grossi was responding to a reporter's question on Saturday about threats by Israel and the United States to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if they deem talks to limit Tehran's nuclear ability as having failed. "Any attack on Iran's nuclear sites would violate international law whether by Israel or any other country," Grossi said. READ: Iran's Khamenei calls poisoning of girls 'unforgivable' The IAEA said on Saturday that Grossi had received sweeping assurances from Iran that it will assist a long-stalled investigation into uranium particles found at undeclared sites and re-install removed […]]]> 619920 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230306-israel-is-free-to-attack-in-self-defence-netanyahu-tells-iaea-chief/ Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:44:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=619609 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, after he said that any attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would be illegal, Sama news agency reported on Sunday. "Rafael Grossi is a worthy person who made an unworthy remark," Netanyahu told his cabinet yesterday. He made his comment after Grossi said on Saturday that, "I think any attack, any military attack on a nuclear facility is outlawed, is out of the normative structures that we all abide by." Netanyahu asked what law the IAEA chief was referring to. "Is it permissible for Iran, which openly calls for our destruction, to organise the tools of slaughter for our destruction? Are we forbidden […]]]> 619609 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230223-iran-responds-to-reported-discovery-of-its-84-enriched-uranium/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 15:30:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=617115 Iran seems to have directly addressed and responded to reports that it has enriched uranium to a high 84 per cent purity, after inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reportedly made the discovery recently. Nour News, an outlet and website directly linked to Iran's Supreme National Security Council which is overseen by Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Twitter that "It will be clear soon that the IAEA's surprising report of discovering 84 per cent enriched uranium particles in Iran's enrichment facilities was an inspector's error or was a deliberate action to create political atmospheres against Iran on the eve of the meeting of the Board of Governors". That Board, consisting of a group of nations overseeing […]]]> 617115 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230202-iran-dismisses-iaea-report-on-fordow-nuclear-plant-as-incorrect/ Thu, 02 Feb 2023 15:40:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=611557 The head of Iran's nuclear agency, on Wednesday, dismissed a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into the Fordow nuclear plant, Anadolu News Agency reports. Speaking at an event in Tehran, Mohammad Eslami said findings of the UN nuclear watchdog inspectors following their visit to the underground nuclear facility 20 miles north-east of the city of Qom were "incorrect". He said it was regrettable that reports about inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities were leaked to the media by the UN watchdog, unlike inspections in other countries. Eslami referred to remarks by the Iranian nuclear agency spokesman, on Wednesday, saying a senior lawmaker accompanied the IAEA team on their visit to Fordow and they "realised their mistake". READ: Iran jails […]]]> 611557 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221228-germany-says-it-sees-no-reason-to-resume-iran-nuclear-talks/ Wed, 28 Dec 2022 19:30:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=602924 Germany said on Wednesday that it sees no reason to revive the stalled talks on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. "From our point of view, there are currently no indications or reasons for a resumption of the Iran nuclear negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger told media representatives in Berlin. Germany has repeatedly made it clear that "these negotiations are not taking place at the moment," he added. Burger stressed that Berlin's main concentration was on supporting the Iranian protest movement rather than jump-starting the Iran nuclear talks. "Our focus is not on the negotiations at the moment, but to be on the side of the people who are on the streets in Iran standing up to be able to […]]]> 602924 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221218-ahead-of-iaea-visit-iran-says-uranium-enrichment-capacity-doubled/ Sun, 18 Dec 2022 15:35:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=601248 Iran's nuclear agency chief says the country's capacity to enrich uranium has more than doubled "in its entire history", crediting it to a bill passed two years ago, reports Anadolu Agency. Mohammad Eslami made the remarks in a meeting with lawmakers on Saturday, praising the "strategic action law" passed by the Iranian parliament in December 2020, weeks after the assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. He said the law, which required the government to ramp up uranium enrichment, proved critical in helping the country reach the unprecedented enrichment capacity. Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67%. The threshold was breached […]]]> 601248 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221208-un-israel-must-take-immediate-steps-to-give-up-nuclear-weapons/ Thu, 08 Dec 2022 12:36:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=599288 The UN General Assembly has called on Israel to take "immediate steps" to surrender its nuclear weapons and implement UN resolutions fully on the establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East. The General Assembly vote was carried 149-6 yesterday. Israel, Canada, Micronesia, Palau, the US and Liberia opposed the resolution, while another 26 countries abstained, including India and many European states. Among other provisions, the draft resolution called for immediate steps towards the full implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Non-Proliferation Treaty. The key component of the package deal adopted in the treaty calls for the creation of a Middle East "zone free of nuclear weapons as well as other weapons […]]]> 599288 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221202-un-nuclear-chief-says-iran-ties-need-to-get-back-on-track/ Fri, 02 Dec 2022 20:03:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598089 Iran appears to be at odds with the UN nuclear watchdog over information it should be providing regarding its atomic programme, the Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Friday, Reuters reports. "We don't seem to be seeing eye-to-eye with Iran over their obligations to the IAEA," Rafael Grossi told a conference in Rome, adding that he was concerned over a recent announcement by Tehran that it was boosting its enrichment capacity. "We need to put our relationship back on track," he said. Grossi said he was "still hopeful" Teheran would give an explanation for the unexpected discovery a few years back of traces of uranium traces at three undeclared sites. A recent IAEA report said Iran had […]]]> 598089 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221128-deliberate-ambiguity-israels-nuclear-weapons-are-greatest-threat-to-middle-east/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 20:00:01 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=597078 As western countries are floating the theory that Russia could escalate its conflict with Ukraine to a nuclear war, many western governments continue to turn a blind eye to Israel's own nuclear weapons capabilities. Luckily, many countries around the world do not subscribe to this endemic western hypocrisy. 'The Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction' was held between November 14-18, with the sole purpose of creating new standards of accountability that, as should have always been the case, be applied equally to all Middle Eastern countries. The debate regarding nuclear weapons in the Middle East could not possibly be any more pertinent or urgent. International observers rightly […]]]> 597078 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221126-german-chancellor-slams-iran-ramped-up-uranium-enrichment/ Sat, 26 Nov 2022 09:23:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=596836 German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Friday, condemned Iran's plans to boost its uranium enrichment, saying greater efforts were needed to stop Tehran from acquiring the nuclear bomb, Anadolu News Agency reports. "As far as Iran's enrichment policy is concerned, it underscores, once again, how important it is to do everything possible to ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear bomb or missile systems with which to transport it," Scholz said at a joint news conference with French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. He added preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb was one of the "central goals" of Germany as well as France and other Western allies, notably the US and UK. READ: UK: Iran 'must never acquire a nuclear […]]]> 596836 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221124-uk-iran-must-never-acquire-a-nuclear-weapon/ Thu, 24 Nov 2022 09:15:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=596496 Iran "must never acquire a nuclear weapon," the British Foreign Secretary asserted on Wednesday, Anadolu News Agency reports. "Iran is further expanding their nuclear programme," James Cleverly said on Twitter, adding that this was "yet more evidence of the danger the regime poses to global security." "A regime that brutally oppresses its own people at home will surely threaten our friends and allies abroad. Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon," he added. Cleverly's remarks followed a joint G-7 statement condemning Iran's decision earlier this week to ramp up uranium production at the underground Fordow nuclear facility in response to a resolution passed by the UN's nuclear watchdog. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 35-member Board of Governors had asked […]]]> 596496 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221123-iran-increases-uranium-enrichment-in-retaliation-to-iaea-resolution/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:12:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=596358 Iran has increased its enrichment of uranium and use of advanced in response to resolution by the world's nuclear watchdog against the Iranian government. Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Board of Governors passed a resolution condemning Iran's failure to cooperate with the agency and not abiding by the limits set out by the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. According to Iranian state media, the country responded by boosting uranium enrichment at the Fordow nuclear plant to 60 per cent and also supplying gas to centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear plant in Isfahan. After an attack on the Natanz facility in April 2021, which Tehran accused Israel of conducting, the Iranian government already increased […]]]> 596358 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221121-iran-head-of-atomic-energy-organisation-says-nuclear-programme-continues/ Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:29:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=595649 The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) has said that the issue of multiple resolutions against Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will not impede the progress of the country's nuclear development programme. Mohammad Eslami made his remarks during a speech on Sunday at an event in the province of Isfahan in central Iran, the official Iranian news agency, IRNA, has reported. "The issue of the resolution is clearly an unconstructive measure to put maximum pressure on Iran and it will not help the engaged sides to resolve the remaining issues," IRNA quoted Eslami as saying. "Such pressures will not end." He added that the IAEA's decision will be met with a strong response by […]]]> 595649 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221117-iaea-board-passes-resolution-ordering-iran-to-cooperate-with-probe/ Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:54:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=594820 The UN atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday ordering Iran to cooperate urgently with the Agency's investigation into uranium traces found at three undeclared sites, diplomats at the closed-door vote said, Reuters reports. The resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany says the Board "decides it is essential and urgent" that Iran explains the origin of the uranium particles and, more generally, give the International Atomic Energy Agency all the answers it requires. While it is not the first resolution the Board has passed against Iran on the issue – another was adopted in June – its wording is stronger and hints at a diplomatic escalation down the line – possibly referring Iran to the UN […]]]> 594820 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221116-un-nuclear-watchdog-chief-urges-iran-to-answer-pressing-questions/ Wed, 16 Nov 2022 09:01:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=594317 The Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday urged Iran to answer some of the questions on its nuclear program, Anadolu News Agency reports. "We, as an international community, have questions – open questions – that need to be answered," said Rafael Grossi during a joint press statement with German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, in Berlin. "Our Iranian counterparts still need to provide answers about traces of uranium that were found in places where they should not have been," he added. Grossi further said the Vienna-based IAEA Board of Governors would meet this week "to analyse the situation" when it comes to Iran's nuclear developments. Last week, Grossi said Tehran did not offer anything new during a […]]]> 594317 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221111-us-eu-powers-push-iaea-board-to-order-iran-to-cooperate-urgently/ Fri, 11 Nov 2022 16:38:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=592906 The United States, Britain, France and Germany want the UN nuclear watchdog's Board to pass a resolution calling it "essential and urgent" for Iran to explain uranium traces found at three undeclared sites, their text seen by Reuters showed. The draft resolution was sent to other countries on the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on Friday ahead of a quarterly meeting that starts on Wednesday. It also comes the day after the IAEA issued a report, also seen by Reuters, on the years-long investigation into the traces, Reuters reports. Iran has agreed to hold a meeting with IAEA officials in Tehran after next week's Board meeting to make progress in the stalled inquiry. The issue has been an […]]]> 592906 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221110-iran-sets-up-meeting-on-iaea-inquiry-as-diplomatic-clash-looms/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 16:47:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=592727 Iran has agreed to a visit by the UN nuclear watchdog this month to start giving answers the agency and its 35-nation board have long called for on the origin of uranium particles found at three sites, an IAEA report on Thursday seen by Reuters said. Iran has yet to provide new material, however, and its offer came before next week's quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors at which diplomats say they expect Western powers to push for a resolution calling on Iran to cooperate, a move that Tehran usually bristles at, Reuters reports. Many diplomats see Iran's offer as a thinly veiled attempt to reduce support for another resolution after a similar one was passed in June, though in the absence of tangible […]]]> 592727 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221110-iran-offers-nothing-new-in-latest-meeting-un-nuclear-watchdog-says/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:08:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=592569 The Head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, on Wednesday, said Iran did not offer anything new during a recent meeting in Vienna about its nuclear program, but added that talks would continue in the coming weeks, Reuters reports. Tehran had announced on 2 November that it was sending a delegation to Vienna to try to narrow differences with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is trying to keep tabs on Iran's nuclear activity. "So, they didn't bring anything new," IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told Reuters on the sidelines of the COP27 climate conference in Egypt. "We are going to meet again at a technical level in Iran in a couple of weeks." Iran is seeking closure of the IAEA's […]]]> 592569 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221102-iea-world-energy-outlook-2022-and-energy-transition-following-global-energy-crisis/ Wed, 02 Nov 2022 20:06:47 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=591213 This week, the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2022 was published, highlighting the UN Climate change Conference (COP27) and energy transition in the age of the Ukraine war. The 524 page IEA report IEA speaks of the need for a 38 per cent fall in CO2 emissions to 1.5 degrees from 2021 to 2030, within the Net Zero Target. They add that current policies show a 1 per cent fall in CO2. This percentage reveals that policymakers must make wide-ranging amendments in terms of oil-based economies. It was during the COP23 in Bonn in 2017 that I raised the issue of taxation on fossil fuels with NASA Scientist, early climate change whistleblower, Professor James Hensen, who first sounded the […]]]> 591213 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221028-iran-is-an-ever-more-relevant-problem-nuclear-watchdog-chief-says/ Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:56:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=590117 Iran is a problem that is ever more "relevant", the UN nuclear watchdog's chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Friday, in an apparent reference to the growing number of advanced centrifuges the Islamic Republic is using to enrich uranium, Reuters reports. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said in recent confidential reports to member States seen by Reuters that Iran has been installing and enriching with more cascades, or clusters, of advanced centrifuges at its underground enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow. At the same time, indirect talks with the United States on reviving a largely hollowed-out 2015 nuclear deal with Iran are stalled, with officials saying one important sticking point has been Iran's demand that the IAEA end an investigation into uranium traces found […]]]> 590117 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220922-saudi-arabia-calls-on-iran-to-stop-interfering-in-others-affairs/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:36:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=581901 Speaker of the Saudi Shura Council, Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Sheikh, has called on Iran to cooperate and stop meddling in the domestic affairs of others and stop "exploiting" the Houthis in Yemen "Saudi Arabia calls on Iran, as a neighbour with whom our people share religious and cultural ties, to cooperate with the countries of the region by adhering to the principles of international legitimacy," Al-Sheikh said during a meeting of the heads of the Shura Councils of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in the Omani capital, Muscat. Al-Sheikh also called on Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and fulfil its obligations in this regard. The official affirmed the kingdom's commitment to supporting the UN-sponsored […]]]> 581901 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220920-france-fm-iran-wont-get-better-nuclear-deal-offer/ Tue, 20 Sep 2022 10:06:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=581228 France said yesterday that there would not be a better offer for Iran to revive a nuclear deal with world powers and it was up to Tehran to decide now what steps to take, Reuters reported. "There will not be a better offer on the table and it's up to Iran to take the right decisions," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations' General Assembly in New York, adding that no initiatives were underway to stop the process from stalling. Her comments were echoed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the negotiations' coordinator, who told reporters in New York that he saw no prospect of any progress during this week's gathering of […]]]> 581228 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220913-western-powers-seek-unity-against-iran-at-iaea-but-no-resolution/ Tue, 13 Sep 2022 16:55:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=579565 Western powers are lobbying other states on the UN nuclear watchdog's board to jointly pressure Iran to give the agency the answers it has long sought on uranium traces found at three undeclared sites, diplomats said on Tuesday, reports Reuters. At its last quarterly meeting in June, the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution expressing "profound concern" that the traces remain unexplained due to insufficient cooperation by Iran, and calling on Tehran to engage with the watchdog "without delay". The Vienna-based IAEA says there has been no progress and no engagement by Iran since then. Rather than pass a new resolution at this week's board meeting, the four countries behind June's resolution – the United […]]]> 579565 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220912-israel-no-return-to-iran-nuclear-deal-before-us-mid-term-elections/ Mon, 12 Sep 2022 08:33:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=579152 Israel believes that there will be no return to Iran's nuclear deal before the US mid-term elections, senior Israeli officials said yesterday. "If the US does not give into Iran's demands, and Iran does not give into US demands and the IAEA does not close the probes, there will be no return to the agreement," the Times of Israel reported the official saying. According to the paper, the official claimed that Iran does not want to return to the deal without additional concessions, and Israel "does not have any expectation that Iran will agree [to a new deal]." "Iran must be pressured by the West before it accepts a new deal," the official continued, stressing that "there are many things that can be done to cause Iran to understand that time is not on its side." […]]]> 579152 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220911-europeans-doubt-irans-intentions-in-nuclear-talks-sparking-tehrans-ire/ Sun, 11 Sep 2022 09:35:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=579096 France, Britain and Germany on Saturday said they had "serious doubts" about Iran's intentions to revive a nuclear deal, comments that were rejected by Tehran and called "very untimely" by Moscow, Reuters reported. Iran earlier this month sent its latest response to the European Union's proposed text to restore the 2015 agreement under which Tehran had restrained its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from US, EU and UN economic sanctions. Diplomats have said Iran's response to the EU coordinator was a step backwards, with it seeking to link a revival of the deal with the closure of investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into uranium traces at three sites. The IAEA's Board of Governors meet on Monday, three […]]]> 579096 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220908-iran-will-not-cross-red-lines-for-nuclear-deal/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:45:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=578422 Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has affirmed that his country "will not cross its red lines at the nuclear level." The minister's confirmation follows accusations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that "Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium exceeds 19 times the permissible limit." The agency said that it is not in a position to confirm that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. "The agency's inspectors have visited Iran several times within the framework of its cooperation, and they confirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities many times," said the foreign ministry in Tehran. It denied accusations that Iran is engaged in unauthorised enrichment. READ: IAEA not sure if Iran's nuclear programme is peaceful Iran stressed its request to […]]]> 578422 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220908-iaea-not-sure-if-irans-nuclear-programme-is-peaceful/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 08:47:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=578393 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday that it was "not in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful." According to AFP, the UN watchdog said that there had been "no progress" in resolving questions over the past presence of nuclear material at undeclared sites. Iran continues to enrich uranium at undisclosed locations and has exceeded the enrichment limits laid down in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. Reuters has reported that the country's stockpile of enriched uranium is now more than 19 times the limit stated in the deal. READ: Iran has enough uranium near weapons-grade for a bomb, IAEA report shows The IAEA said that Director General Rafael Grossi […]]]> 578393