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IAEA confirms internal contamination at Iran's Natanz site

IAEA confirms internal contamination at Iran's Natanz site

Roya News2 days ago

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed the presence of internal radiation and chemical contamination at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility following reports of an 'Israeli' strike.
In a statement Friday, Grossi said radiation levels outside the facility remain unchanged, but contamination, mainly in the form of alpha particles, was detected inside. He noted that the situation is manageable with proper safety measures.
While there is no indication of a direct attack on Natanz's underground enrichment areas, Grossi suggested that damage to the power supply may have impacted centrifuge operations. Iranian authorities had earlier told the IAEA that no radiation had leaked beyond the site.
Meanwhile, Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, also confirmed no radiation leak occurred after multiple attacks targeted the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan facility at Natanz early Friday. According to semi-official Mehr News Agency, the assault coincided with 'Israeli' strikes across Iran. Eslami stated the damage was limited to surface-level infrastructure, with no casualties reported, and that a detailed assessment is ongoing.

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IAEA confirms internal contamination at Iran's Natanz site
IAEA confirms internal contamination at Iran's Natanz site

Roya News

time2 days ago

  • Roya News

IAEA confirms internal contamination at Iran's Natanz site

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed the presence of internal radiation and chemical contamination at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility following reports of an 'Israeli' strike. In a statement Friday, Grossi said radiation levels outside the facility remain unchanged, but contamination, mainly in the form of alpha particles, was detected inside. He noted that the situation is manageable with proper safety measures. While there is no indication of a direct attack on Natanz's underground enrichment areas, Grossi suggested that damage to the power supply may have impacted centrifuge operations. Iranian authorities had earlier told the IAEA that no radiation had leaked beyond the site. Meanwhile, Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, also confirmed no radiation leak occurred after multiple attacks targeted the Shahid Ahmadi Roshan facility at Natanz early Friday. According to semi-official Mehr News Agency, the assault coincided with 'Israeli' strikes across Iran. Eslami stated the damage was limited to surface-level infrastructure, with no casualties reported, and that a detailed assessment is ongoing.

Prince El Hassan calls for establishing regional mechanism for security, cooperation
Prince El Hassan calls for establishing regional mechanism for security, cooperation

Jordan Times

time01-05-2025

  • Jordan Times

Prince El Hassan calls for establishing regional mechanism for security, cooperation

Prince El Hassan speaks on Wednesday at the conclusion of a three-day workshop in Amman titled 'Nuclear Security in the Middle East and North Africa: Keeping Pace with an Evolving World (Petra photo) AMMAN — HRH Prince El Hassan, chairman of the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) called for the creation of a regional mechanism for cooperation and security, based on shared humanity, pluralism and the geopolitical realities of the Middle East. His remarks came on Wednesday at the conclusion of a three-day workshop in Amman titled 'Nuclear Security in the Middle East and North Africa: Keeping Pace with an Evolving World'. The event was organised by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission in partnership with the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Prince El Hassan said that regional cooperation is not only a strategic requirement but also a moral obligation. He stressed the need for a broader, more connected understanding of security — one that includes water, energy, food and the environment. 'Nuclear safety cannot be addressed in isolation,' he said, 'but must be part of a wider dialogue on sustainable development'. He also emphasised that the future of nuclear and human security relies on science, cultural understanding, and communication across generations. During the closing session, NTI vice president for nuclear materials security, scott Roecker, and IAEA director of nuclear security, Elena Buglova, both highlighted the importance of regional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and joint planning to improve nuclear security and promote regional stability. In a joint statement issued at the end of the workshop, Prince El Hassan and NTI CEO Dr Ernest J. Moniz, who is also a former US secretary of energy, stressed the urgent need for international cooperation to manage nuclear risks. 'Nuclear security challenges cross borders,' the statement read, 'and require action built on trust and cooperation'. The statement described the workshop as a historic first for the region, focused on managing sensitive nuclear materials in a complex and fastchanging geopolitical environment. It praised Jordan's leadership in hosting the event and its recognised role as a regional centre for peaceful nuclear technology training. The discussions focused on the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a way to enhance security and stability. The IAEA acknowledged Jordan's growing role in training newcomer countries in the safe use of nuclear technologies. The workshop, the statement added, was a rare opportunity to highlight nuclear energy priorities from the Middle East to the wider world — especially since nuclear security summits have been largely absent from the region, unlike major climate forums such as the COP meetings. With nuclear energy expected to grow as a tool for addressing climate change and energy security, the ideas presented at the workshop offer a responsible roadmap for safe expansion. The regional vision discussed in Amman also highlighted the importance of the Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) Nexus as a tool for building long-term peace and sustainable development. 'The WEFE approach offers a holistic way to stabilise the region through cooperation rather than conflict,' the statement said, adding that this initiative could serve as a model for other regions facing similar challenges. 'We encourage world leaders to adopt this spirit of cooperation,' the statement concluded. 'Let the work achieved here in Amman be a starting point for deeper partnerships. Together, we can ensure nuclear technologies are used safely and sustainably— and reduce risks through shared commitment, dialogue, and mutual respect.'

Boyd explores prehistoric research, Natufian mortuary practices in Levant
Boyd explores prehistoric research, Natufian mortuary practices in Levant

Jordan Times

time03-04-2025

  • Jordan Times

Boyd explores prehistoric research, Natufian mortuary practices in Levant

Schematic human figure made of pebbles, from Ain Mallaha, dated to 12,000 BC (Photo courtesy of Gary Todd) AMMAN — The prehistoric research of contemporary Palestine is neglected and Professor Brian Boyd from Columbia University deals with prehistory during the Mandate and more modern periods. Boyd received his PhD degree in archaeology at the University of Cambridge. Following that, he was a research fellow at Cambridge until 1997, after which he became a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Wales Lampeter between 1997 and 2006. Archaeology and history play an important role in creating different political narratives and influencing public perception and higher education. Therefore, research and teaching on prehistory of Palestinian universities currently finds itself in a much-reduced state compared to institutions across the Green Line. "Active field projects on prehistoric sites are very rare in contrast to a plethora of Israeli- run projects," Boyd said. Regarding the Epipalaeolithic Natufian Period mortuary practice in the Levant, Boyd said that scholars know a great deal about how people treated the dead from their communities. "There are approximately 100 Natufian sites that have been excavated all across Southwest Asia [in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria], but only some of these sites (around 20-25) contain human burials, which suggests to us that certain places in the landscape were deliberately chosen as appropriate places to bury the dead," Boyd said. The archaeologist added that quite often, these people were buried with animals, or parts of animals (fox, gazelle, tortoise, dog), accompanied by food processing equipment, such as pestles and mortars, and occasionally were buried wearing clothing and body decoration (shells from the Mediterranean or local water sources), and sometimes wrapped in "shrouds" or contained in "coffins", the remains of which are often only discernible through detailed analysis of the bodies and their surrounding soils. As a student, Boyd worked at Hayonim Terrace and at 'Ain Mallaha, which is in the Upper Jordan Valley, close to the border with Lebanon. "At both of these sites we found Natufian architecture [circular stone structures, some of which were probably dwellings], many human burials, sometimes accompanied by animals," Boyd underlined. The professor added that "remains, such as gazelles, dogs, tortoises, and the remains of ancient plants and wild cereals [wheat, barley], and many thousands of stone and bone objects, most of which relate to food practices [gathering, hunting, cultivating], but also some that are often referred to as 'art' objects [but we have to be careful about using such modern terms when discussing material from deep history]." Regarding Boyds' plans, he said: "I prefer to use the term 'representation'. Along with colleagues and students from Birzeit University and the UK, I am currently working in the landscapes of the village of Shuqba, in the Occupied West Bank, close to Ramallah. Our work is in progress, but we are focusing on landscape use by Epipalaeolithic [Natufian] and Middle Palaeolithic [Neanderthal] communities."

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