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Iran failing to comply with nuclear obligations, says UN watchdog
The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran isn't complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's board, which represents the agency's member nations, voted for the resolution at a meeting in Vienna, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote.
In the draft resolution seen by The Associated Press, the board of governors renews a call on Iran to provide answers without delay in a long-running investigation into uranium traces found at several locations that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites.
Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons programme until 2003.
The resolution was put forward by France, the UK, and Germany, as well as the United States.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Indian Express
With Israel-Iran conflict, a dilemma grows for stakeholders in the region
In the early hours of June 13, Israel announced it had launched a large-scale airstrike against Iran, targeting key nuclear and military sites across the country. The operation, named 'Rising Lion,' reportedly involved over 200 Israeli aircraft executing multiple waves of attacks on approximately 100 targets. Alongside the strikes meant to debilitate strategic infrastructure, the operation also killed Major General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and other senior military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran immediately called the attack a 'declaration of war' and launched a retaliatory drone strike, which was intercepted by Israeli air defences. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation on Iran would 'continue for as many days as it takes' to 'roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival.' The international community has expressed concern over the escalation, with calls for restraint from various states. What can account for the nature and timing of the Israeli offensive? And what are the implications for ongoing regional security dialogues, and for India's own interests in the region? First, the motivations for the operation, and especially for its timing, are mixed. The strikes were driven by a combination of long-term and more immediate security concerns, as well as strategic and political calculations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised that Iran's capability to produce nuclear weapons within months posed a direct danger to Israel's survival. The operation targeted Iran's main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz (but interestingly not the Fordo or Isfahan sites). The operation also aimed to degrade Iran's ballistic missile production capabilities and air defence systems, including the Russian-made S-300, which was reportedly destroyed in the attacks. By targeting these assets, Israel sought to diminish Iran's ability to retaliate effectively. It is also possible that the Netanyahu government felt the window for the strikes was closing, given the ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, which were scheduled to resume in Oman on Sunday. In addition, these strikes also happened in the run-up to the UN conference scheduled for June 17–20 and sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France. The gathering's agenda, which includes discussions on regional security and economic cooperation, aims to deliver a practical action document for the establishment of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, the most immediate consideration is to be found in Israel's own domestic compulsions. Internally, the Netanyahu government has been increasingly facing pressures related to military conscription and public opinion. The preemptive action may have been partially motivated by a desire to consolidate political support and demonstrate strong leadership in the face of external threats. On June 11, the Israeli Knesset narrowly voted against a motion to dissolve the parliament, a move that would have forced early elections and posed a significant challenge to Netanyahu's government. This episode underscores the fragility of Netanyahu's coalition, which relies heavily on ultra-Orthodox parties. The Israeli airstrikes on Iran will most likely lead to heightened tensions and uncertainty in the region. Iran perceives the Israeli actions as a direct affront, especially given the US's prior knowledge of the operation, and has warned of severe consequences for American personnel and interests in the region. This has complicated the US's position, as it seeks to balance its commitment to Israel's security with the need to engage Iran diplomatically. The heightened uncertainty and risks of a military escalation, as well as increased oil prices and concerns about global economic repercussions, also directly affect the US long-term strategy of disengaging its military from the region and pivoting to other security theatres in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific. The Israeli strikes could also complicate ties with states with which Tel Aviv aimed to normalise relations. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which have some of the closest links with Israel of any country in West Asia, have strongly condemned the strikes, labelling them a breach of Iran's sovereignty and a serious threat to regional stability. Despite often being at odds with Shiite Iran, the largely Sunni Arab countries have been trying to avoid a regional war that could also prove damaging to their economies and see them caught in the crossfire. Not surprisingly, India has also expressed deep concern regarding the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement urging both nations to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation. This reaction is similar to India's official response to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran in April 2024. However, the conflict raises concerns over regional stability, especially considering India's significant energy imports from West Asia and the safety of over nine million Indians living in the region. Furthermore, India still has close ties with Iran, notably through its investments in the Chabahar port. India's broader regional connectivity strategy is at risk of derailment given its strong commercial stakes in the development of the India-Middle East Economic Corridor. A deepening Israel-Iran conflict will therefore put India into an acute geopolitical dilemma when it has been successful in balancing ties with Israel, Iran and the Gulf Arab states for the past decade. India's shifting statements on the Gaza crisis had already led to some questions in the region over its positioning on important West Asian security issues. While one cannot expect an active mediating role, India, which historically has good relations with both Israel and Iran, could play a more immediate part in providing a channel of communication and ensuring a dialogue, along with regional players like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to ensure a de-escalation of the current crisis. The writer is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Institute of Political Science, Leiden University in the Netherlands. He studies India's foreign and security policy-making, the politics of migration governance, the international politics of South Asia, and India's relations with the Middle East
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
From Netanyahu's bogus vacation to fake diplomatic talks with US: How Israel fooled Iran before the strike
In the early hours of Friday, Israel unleashed a powerful wave of airstrikes across Iran , targeting nuclear facilities and key military sites. The assault killed at least two senior Iranian military officers and marked the most intense attack on Iranian soil since the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s—bringing the region dangerously close to a broader war. Iran responded swiftly, launching a swarm of drones toward Israel. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed 'severe punishment,' signaling that the confrontation is far from over. The strikes came at a moment of peak tension over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Just a day earlier, the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors formally censured Iran for the first time in 20 years, citing non-cooperation with nuclear inspectors. In defiance, Tehran immediately announced plans to build a third uranium enrichment site and replace its centrifuges with more advanced models. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3.5, 4.5 BHK Homes starting at ₹4.89 Cr.* Hero Homes Learn More Undo While Israeli officials framed the operation as a necessary move to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb, it remains uncertain how close Tehran truly is to achieving that capability. Yet, it wasn't just military might that gave Israel the upper hand—it was strategic deception. Live Events Just hours before the assault, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall, placing a note quoting a biblical verse: 'Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion.' This line from the Book of Numbers (23:24) later revealed itself as the inspiration for the name of the mission: Operation Rising Lion . The note, made public only after the strikes began, served as a symbolic signal of what was to come. Behind the scenes, Israeli intelligence had carefully orchestrated a misinformation campaign to mislead Tehran, according to a report of The Jerusalem Post. In the days leading up to the operation, the Prime Minister's Office reportedly leaked false military strategies, staged a bogus vacation for Netanyahu, and used diplomatic talks with the United States as a smokescreen to divert attention from the impending strike. By early Friday morning, dozens of Israeli fighter jets roared into Iranian airspace, targeting nuclear enrichment facilities and military infrastructure in a coordinated and sustained wave of attacks. Among the casualties was Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose death was later confirmed by Iranian state media.
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti Question Worlds Silence On Israels Attack On Iran
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced his concerns regarding international community's silence over Israel's military actions against Iran. Drawing parallels to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Omar said 'Today, Israel did what Russia did in Ukraine. But when Israel attacks Iran, these powers—whether it's America, Europe, or anyone else—become silent, and when same thing is done by Russia against Ukraine these powers get united against Russia'. Questioning the justification for the military strike, Abdullah said, 'As far as I know, Iran didn't give any reason to be attacked. This looks like a pre-emptive strike. And if the world's powers remain silent on this, it's a very sad thing.' Like Omar Abdullah PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti too rose questions on world community she wrote on X 'Israel's attack on Iran is yet another brazen act by a state that appears to have gone rogue. The silence of the global community particularly Western powers led by the United States is both alarming and telling. This silence amounts to tacit approval. In the case of India-Pakistan tensions, the U.S. never fails to assert that its intervention has been crucial in preventing escalation." "Yet when it comes to Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza or its latest strike on Iran that same urgency is conspicuously missing. These glaring double standards endangers global peace and stability. Equally disturbing is the deafening silence of the so-called Muslim countries, which remain shamelessly non-existent in the face of such grave injustice. Their inaction is not just disappointing it's a betrayal of the very causes they claim to stand for," it added. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed his condolences following a tragic incident involving a Dreamliner aircraft that fell from the sky shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad. While speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah said that all passengers and crew lost their lives, with only one person fortunate enough to survive. Abdullah extended his solidarity to the families affected by the incident, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation.
