UN watchdog asks Iran to clarify tunnels but upbeat on deal
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency called Wednesday on Iran to explain tunnels built around a nuclear site but voiced optimism that United States-Iran talks would land a deal.
The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington think tank, released satellite imagery on Wednesday that it said showed a new, deeply buried tunnel alongside an older one around the Natanz site, as well as a new security perimeter.
"I've been raising this issue repeatedly, and I will continue to do so," Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters on a visit to Washington.
Grossi, who visited Tehran last week, said that all countries need to inform the IAEA of intentions for facilities around nuclear sites but that Iran has a stance "unique in the world" that it does not need to inform the agency ahead of time.
"We're asking them, what is this for? They are telling us, it's none of your business," Grossi said.
Grossi said it "cannot be excluded" that the tunnels would store undeclared material but said he did not want to speculate on intentions.
But Grossi also said that Iranian and IAEA experts would meet to follow up on his visit, including on reinstalling cameras on nuclear sites.
"It was agreed that I am sending a technical team to continue our discussions on this very specific kind of things," he said.
"They are going to be meeting in the next few days in Tehran.
Iran and the US have held two rounds of talks since President Donald Trump called for a diplomatic solution to avoid conflict. A new round of technical talks is expected this weekend.
"I think there's a general expectation that this goes well and that the agreement is verified by the IAEA," Grossi said.
He said that was "more or less the sense of what I'm getting when I'm talking to leaders," mentioning specifically Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as hopeful for a US-Iran deal.
Trump in 2018 ripped up an earlier nuclear agreement negotiated under Barack Obama and reimposed sweeping sanctions.
But Trump has voiced hope in his second term for a new accord that would resolve the issue diplomatically, and has discouraged Israel from a military strike on Iran.
Asked about a military option, Grossi said, "I should simply remind that attacks on nuclear facilities is something that could have potentially very, very serious consequences."
The Obama deal, known as the JCPOA, allowed Iran to maintain uranium enrichment at 3.67 percent -- far below the level needed for nuclear weapons -- for civilian nuclear usage.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood firm in an interview released Wednesday that there should be no enrichment.
"If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries in the world have one, and that is they import enriched material," he told the Honestly podcast.
Rubio said the Trump team would not repeat the Obama deal which "gave Iran immediate and full sanctions relief in exchange for enrichment capabilities that at any point could be weaponized in the future." Obama administration officials counter that the JCPOA worked in constraining Iran's program until Trump walked away and that it is unrealistic to expect Iran to surrender its whole program.
The Trump administration has kept up sanctions despite the diplomacy. On Tuesday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an Iranian shipping network and its purported owner.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei responded that the move was in "clear contradiction with the United States' demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America's lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard."
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Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee heads to G7 Summit to manifest Seoul's stability, integrity
Liberal president makes debut trip to Canada to signal stability, reaffirm US alliance President Lee Jae-myung departed for Canada on Monday afternoon, Seoul time, to attend the Group of Seven summit, marking his first appearance on the global stage since taking office just under two weeks ago. Seoul officials are presenting the trip as both a symbolic debut for the newly elected liberal president and the starting point of a foreign policy doctrine centered on 'pragmatism.' Lee's presence at the G7, only two weeks after his victory in the early election on June 3, is widely viewed as a message to the international community that South Korea has turned the page on recent domestic unrest. His meetings with global leaders — particularly US President Donald Trump — are being closely watched for signs of how Seoul will navigate the complex dynamics between Washington and Beijing, as well as upcoming US-led tariff negotiations with key trade partners, including South Korea. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a briefing hours before Lee's departure that his participation would 'enhance South Korea's international standing by informing the world about the greatness of South Korean citizens who overcame the fallout from the martial law declaration and insurrection,' referring to the political crisis under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Kang also emphasized the resilience of what she described as 'K-democracy.' Democratic Party Rep. Han Min-soo echoed the sentiment, saying the G7 invitation itself demonstrated that the international community recognizes South Korea's democratic recovery and institutional strength. 'It's a sign of trust and support,' he said. The summit is also expected to be the first time the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have met in person since political transitions in all three countries reshaped the architecture of trilateral security cooperation in East Asia. Gone are the days when Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, Joe Biden of the United States and Fumio Kishida of Japan -- predecessors of the three incumbent leaders -- projected optimism about trilateral cooperation, capped by the Camp David summit in 2023, which emphasized joint deterrence against North Korea and deepened economic coordination. That vision, symbolized in the Camp David declaration, has since been upended by political shifts across all three nations. President Lee, who was the final member of the trio to take office following the inaugurations of Japan's Shigeru Ishiba in October and US President Donald Trump in January, now faces the delicate task of ensuring policy continuity despite ideological differences. As opposition leader during Yoon's presidency, Lee had been a vocal critic of the conservative administration. But as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, and now as president, Lee has consistently pledged to uphold the 'ironclad' alliance with Washington, maintain constructive ties with Tokyo, and preserve trilateral cooperation as a cornerstone of Seoul's foreign policy. According to the presidential office Sunday, Seoul remains open to holding three-way talks with the US and Japan on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Analysts say Lee's challenge in Canada is not only to introduce himself to fellow G7 leaders but also to assure Trump that he can be a reliable counterpart — one who will continue core strategic agendas and not let political turnover in Seoul cast down on the consistancy of the alliance. "It's a crucial moment for Lee to present himself as a stable and pragmatic partner for Washington," one foreign policy expert said. "In the past, Washington has had a sort of prejudice against left-leaning governments in South Korea," said Kim Heung-kyu, professor of political science and director of the US-China Policy Institute at Ajou University. In the past, the election of liberal presidents in South Korea has led to Seoul taking a different approach on existing plans with Washington. For example, when former liberal President Moon Jae-in took office in 2017, uncertainties arose in terms of the continuity of a planned deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense launchers, an anti-missile system, on the Korean Peninsula. Also under the Moon administration, ties between Seoul and Tokyo hit their lowest point after Seoul moved to scrap the so-called "comfort women agreement" between Moon's predecessor Park and the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, saying the pact did not reflect the wishes of the people. "The US might have preconceptions about the Lee administration's mantra of 'pragmatism' in diplomacy. At least, if (the US) can remove that doubt (during the bilateral talks), I think it will be a huge achievement," Kim said. The idea could resonate with Wi Sung-lac, Lee's top security adviser. In his book published in 2020, when Wi was a retired career diplomat after serving as the South Korean ambassador to Russia until 2015, he stressed South Korea's need to "sympathize with the threat that the US is facing and maintain the willingness to act as an ally." South Korea's assurance 'will be an asset to persuade the US at a critical moment," Wi also noted. Balancing act While all eyes are on whether South Korea's Lee will take part in the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in the Netherlands as well, there are mixed views over whether Lee's presence at both multilateral summits might be unfavorable to South Korea's relationship with China. Lee's office has yet to unveil whether he would attend the NATO summit. Kim of Ajou University said while China is unlikely to voice concerns about South Korea's participation in the G7 summit, given that it is an economic forum, the same is unlikely to hold for his anticipated participation in the NATO summit next week. Lee's office has not confirmed his attendance at NATO. "It would be a bit burdensome for our president to join the NATO members if their joint statements send hostile messages against Russia and China," Kim said. "Under such extraordinary circumstances, South Korea should remain an observer and play the role of (the observer)." However, Lee Shin-wha, professor of political science and international relations at Korea University, said President Lee's presence at both summits could increase South Korea's bargaining power in dealing with China, because South Korea can demonstrate that it frequents such multilateral summits. "There is some speculation that Lee should not attend the NATO summit because of (South Korea's relations with) China, but I don't think so," professor Lee said. While President Lee is scheduled to attend the G7's expanded session Tuesday, local time, and hold bilateral meetings, his national security adviser Wi declined to confirm which leaders Lee would meet during the visit. But Lee's office said that he "might have a chance" to sit down for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The G7 summit is a forum comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also a member. Along with South Korea, this year's event features the leaders of India, Ukraine, Mexico, South Africa and the United Nations. During the expanded G7 session Tuesday, local time, Lee is to deliver remarks on achieving resilience in energy-related supply chains through diversification and on Seoul's role in forging a global artificial intelligence ecosystem, according to the presidential office.
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader
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Asked about the plan during an interview on Fox News Channel's 'Special Report with Bret Baier," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address whether the White House rejected the plan. 'But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we'll do what we need to do," Netanyahu said. 'And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.' Netanyahu spokesperson Omer Dostri later called reports about the Israeli plan to kill Khamenei 'fake.' Netanyahu in the Fox interview also said regime change 'could certainly be the result' of the conflict 'because the Iranian regime is very weak.' Trump's rejection of the proposal was first reported by Reuters. Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday issued a stark warning to Iran not to retaliate against US targets in the Middle East. Trump in an early morning social media posting said the United States 'had nothing to do with the attack on Iran' as Israel and Iran traded missile attacks for the third straight day. Iran, however, has said it would hold the US -- which has provided Israel with much of its deep arsenal of weaponry -- responsible for its backing of Israel. 'If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,' Trump said. Hours later, Trump took to social media again to predict 'Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal" and that it could come 'soon.' But as he departed the White House on Sunday evening for the Group of Seven leaders summit in the Canadian Rockies, Trump was more tempered in comments to reporters about when the Israeli strikes and Iranian retaliation would wind down. 'I hope there is going to be a deal, and we'll see what happens, but sometimes they have to fight it out,' Trump said. The conflict is expected to loom large during his talks with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union. The US president said he has a track record for de-escalating conflicts, and that he would get Israel and Iran to cease hostilities 'just like I got India and Pakistan to" after the two countries' recent cross-border confrontation. India struck targets inside Pakistan after militants in April massacred 26 tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any links to the attackers. Following India's strikes in Pakistan, the two sides exchanged heavy fire along their de facto borders, followed by missile and drone strikes into each other's territories, mainly targeting military installations and airbases. It was the most serious confrontation in decades between the countries. Trump on Sunday repeated his claim, disputed by India, that the two sides agreed to a ceasefire after he had offered to help both nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate. Trump also pointed to efforts by his administration during his first term to mediate disputes between Serbia and Kosovo and Egypt and Ethiopia. 'Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran!' Trump posted. 'Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!' There's a divide in Trump world about how far the president should go in backing Israel. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson are among the prominent backers of Trump who have argued that voters supported Trump because he would not involve the nation in foreign conflicts. GOP Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul praised Trump for having shown restraint and said he hoped the president's 'instincts will prevail.' 'So, I think it's going to be very hard to come out of this and have a negotiated settlement,' Paul told NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'I see more war and more carnage. And it's not the US's job to be involved in this war.' In an interview on CBS' 'Face the Nation,' GOP South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he preferred diplomatic efforts, but if diplomacy doesn't work Trump should 'go all in' on destroying Iran's nuclear program. 'If that means providing bombs, provide bombs,' he said. 'If that means flying with Israel, fly with Israel.'
Korea Herald
11 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee Jae-myung to head to Canada for G7 in debut trip
Lee's meeting with Trump, Ishiba would 'create momentum' for addressing trade challenges President Lee Jae-myung is poised to travel to Canada on Monday to attend the Group of Seven summit in the Kananaskis region, South Korea's national security adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters Sunday. Invited to the event as a guest after his inauguration on June 4, Lee, the liberal president, is set to return to Seoul on Wednesday evening. Wi said Lee's bilateral meetings with leaders at the multilateral summit are being coordinated on the margins of the event during his stay on Monday and Tuesday. He said that holding such meetings to build trust with leaders attending the G7 summit comes "in a very timely fashion," but did not elaborate on who Lee's interlocutors would be. Lee's top security aide also said that encounters between Lee and US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the upcoming summit would "create momentum" for addressing current economic and trade challenges. According to a presidential office staffer who declined to be named, a bilateral meeting in Canada between Lee and Trump, in particular, would "provide an impetus for working-level talks" between Seoul and Washington, but the official did not immediately explain potential arrangements for Lee to meet the leader of South Korea's closest ally. During the expanded G7 session Tuesday, Lee will deliver remarks on achieving resilience in energy-related supply chains through diversification and on Seoul's role in forging a global artificial intelligence ecosystem, according to the presidential office. Lee's address at the forum will "enable South Korea to enhance its international standing as a member country of the 'G7 Plus,'" Wi said. The G7 summit is an economic forum comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also a member. Along with South Korea, this year's event will also feature the leaders of India, Ukraine, Mexico, South Africa and the United Nations. Wi said Lee's attendance at the G7 summit will serve as a declaration to the world that South Korea had moved past six months of political turmoil following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law in December. "We are telling the world that South Korea has overcome the crisis in its democracy and that democratic (South Korea) is back," Wi said. According to the presidential office, Lee "might have a chance" to sit down for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but Lee's office added that Seoul was not considering providing an additional batch of humanitarian aid or loans to Ukraine. Seoul's commitments during the conservative Yoon administration are estimated to be worth over $2.5 billion, including those made through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund. As for the possibility that the G7 summit could address matters related to the recent Israel-Iran conflict, the presidential office said Lee's stance on the matter would be based on Seoul's previous statement, which "(urged) all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and deescalate tensions" in the Middle East.
