
Iran says UN nuclear watchdog official will visit country for talks, but no inspections planned
A senior official from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to nuclear sites is planned, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
Since Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to access Iran's facilities, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority.
Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31, which led the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, said it remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
'Negotiations with the IAEA will be held tomorrow to determine a framework for cooperation,' Araghchi said on his Telegram account.
'A Deputy Director General of Grossi will come to Tehran tomorrow, while there are no plans to visit any nuclear sites until we reach a framework.'
Last month, Iran enacted a law passed by parliament suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council
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Egypt Independent
43 minutes ago
- Egypt Independent
Israel says UN chief warned it could be listed in upcoming sexual violence report
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Israel about potentially listing the country's armed forces in an upcoming UN report on sexual violence, according to the spokesperson for Israel's mission to the UN. 'I am putting Israeli armed and security forces on notice for potential listing in the next reporting cycle, due to significant concerns of patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented by the United Nations,' Guterres wrote in the letter sent to Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, on Monday. The UN's Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict publishes an annual report titled Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, in which it documents sexual violence committed in armed conflict. Guterres' letter to Danon, which was shared by Israel's mission to the UN, said the UN is concerned about 'credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces, perpetrated against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention center and military base.' 'Due to consistent denial of access to United Nations monitors,' the letter said, 'it has been challenging to make a definitive determination regarding patterns, trends and systematicity of sexual violence in these situations.' Guterres urged Israel to take 'necessary measures to ensure immediate cessation of all acts of sexual violence.' A 2024 report by leading Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said that sexual violence was repeatedly carried out by soldiers or prison guards against Palestinian detainees. The IDF repeatedly rejected allegations of systematic abuse. Israel runs several prison facilities that hold Palestinians, including Sde Teiman and Ketziot Prison in the country's Negev desert, Megiddo and Gilboa near the West Bank, Etzion in Jerusalem, and more. Last summer, Israel transferred hundreds of Palestinian detainees out of Sde Teiman following a petition from human rights groups – which drew heavily on CNN reporting about the makeshift prison – for it to be shut down. In September, the High Court of Justice warned the prison must abide by the law, but did not order the government to shut it down. Responding to the letter on Tuesday, Danon said the 'Secretary-General chooses once again to adopt as their word baseless accusations, which are steeped in biased publications,' urging the UN to focus on sexual violence committed by Hamas. In March, a UN commission found that Israel had 'increasingly employed sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence' against Palestinians 'as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination.' It also accused Israel of carrying out 'genocidal acts through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities.' Israel's mission to the UN in Geneva strongly rejected the statement at the time, calling it a 'shameless attempt to incriminate' the Israeli military. Last year, a UN team also found 'clear and convincing' information that hostages in Gaza were sexually abused and there are 'reasonable grounds' to believe the sexual violence was ongoing there. Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, said the team had found 'reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape occurred' during Hamas' October 7 terror attack in Israel. It amounted to the UN's most definitive finding on allegations of sexual assault in the aftermath of the attack.


Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt FM pushes political track on Iran nuclear file in calls with Araghchi, Grossi - Foreign Affairs
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls on Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss reviving negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and reinforcing the political and diplomatic track. According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty told Araghchi that resuming cooperation with the IAEA was essential to building mutual trust and creating conditions for regional security and stability. He urged commitment to diplomatic channels to resolve outstanding issues. In his call with Grossi, Abdelatty reviewed the latest developments in the Iranian nuclear file, heard the agency chief's assessment of a recent visit to Tehran by the IAEA's deputy director general, and discussed ways to rebuild trust between Iran and the agency. The two also explored expanding cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in a way that supports regional and international security. The calls came ahead of technical talks between Iran and the IAEA in Tehran on Monday — the agency's first visit since Iran suspended cooperation in July, following Israeli and US strikes on key nuclear facilities during the 12-day war in June. President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the suspension on 2 July. In past negotiations with the West, Tehran has used limits on IAEA inspections as leverage. Earlier this month, Iran said it would hold the US accountable for any future attacks on its nuclear sites while ruling out direct talks with Washington. Similar calls between Abdelatty, Araghchi, and Grossi took place on 6 August, when the Egyptian minister voiced Cairo's support for resuming negotiations and advancing a peaceful political process. According to US intelligence agencies and the IAEA, Iran's last organized nuclear weapons program ended in 2003. However, it has since enriched uranium to 60 percent — a short technical step from the 90 percent level required for weapons-grade material. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
More Egyptian aid for Gaza
The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) on Monday sent the 12th aid convoy with approximately 2,300 tons of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem Crossing as part of its ongoing food and relief support for the Palestinians. The aid included food, medical supplies, personal care items, infant formula, and tens of thousands of loaves of bread. A day earlier, the 11th aid envoy, called 'Zad Al-Izza', from Egypt to Gaza entered the Strip, also including three tankers carrying 160 tons of diesel intended for the operation of vital facilities such as hospitals and water treatment plants. No humanitarian aid has been able to enter Gaza since Israel occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing on 2 March. However, two weeks ago and under intense global pressure, Israel allowed some aid convoys to enter the Strip. 'Since then, the ERC and other Egyptian institutions have mobilised to bring in the largest volume of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,' said ERC Executive Director Amal Imam, adding that the organisation has succeeded in bringing in nearly 1,000 trucks carrying approximately 14,000 tons of aid, of which 800 trucks have already reached delivery points in Gaza. 'In a single day, on 31 July, for example, 129 aid trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah Crossing, including 50 provided by the ERC, 54 from the United Nations, and 25 from the UAE,' Imam said. Imam noted that since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023, more than 36,000 trucks have transported nearly 500,000 tons of aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing. Nabila Makram Ebeid, executive secretary of the National Alliance for Civil Development Action, announced in a press statement on Sunday that the alliance has delivered 11 relief convoys since 1 August carrying approximately 67,000 tons of food and medical and humanitarian supplies. She added that the last convoy on Sunday included 200 trucks carrying more than 4,000 tons of aid. The aid included healthcare materials, medicines, and medical supplies. It also provided shelter materials for families who have lost their homes. Ebeid explained that there is high-level coordination between state agencies and civil society organisations, such as the ERC, the Tahya Misr Fund, and Zakat House, to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza on a daily basis. Land routes have not been the only means of delivering aid and support to Gaza. Egypt's military aircraft have continued for the third week to carry out humanitarian airlift missions in cooperation with several Arab and Western countries in order to drop dozens of tons of food and medical supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza. As a result, said Imam, Egypt's aid has accounted for approximately 80 per cent of the total international aid provided to Gaza, affirming its leading role as a key supporter of the Palestinian people and a strategic hub for humanitarian efforts in the region. Meanwhile, Egypt sharply condemned the Israeli cabinet's decision to adopt a plan for the entire conquest of the Gaza Strip. A statement by the Foreign Ministry on 9 August described the plan as 'an attempt to consolidate Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, continue its war of extermination in Gaza, eliminate all aspects of life for the Palestinian people, undermine their right to self-determination and the creation of their independent state, and liquidate the Palestinian cause in a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law.' During a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in New Alamein City on Saturday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed that 'the displacement of the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is a red line that Egypt will not allow to be crossed.' 'The full occupation of Gaza and the displacement of the Palestinians are part of Israel's expansionist policies that we will never allow to happen,' he said. North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer said that 'Israel's policy of starving the Palestinians and occupying Gaza aims to force them to take only two paths: the first is to head towards Israel, where they will be exposed to a hail of fire and die, and the second is to head towards the Egyptian border.' 'For this reason, Egypt has made unilateral efforts to bring in food and medicine to the besieged Palestinians so that they can remain on their land and do not have to leave.' During a press conference held near the Rafah Crossing on 7 August, Megawer said that 'I warn Israel against approaching Egypt's borders with the Gaza Strip, and I affirm that Egypt's response would be surprising not only to Israel, but also to the entire world.' 'Egypt is not a weak country. It is highly capable of defending its borders and national security,' he said. He stressed that 'anyone who knows Egypt and its strength would not dare approach its borders or test its patience, and all should note that the security of Egypt's borders is a red line that cannot be crossed under any circumstances.' MP and journalist Mustafa Bakri noted that Megawer had directed a stern and blunt message to Israel. He said that Megawer's remarks show that Cairo is fully aware of Israel's plans regarding Gaza and the displacement of its people. 'It also shows that the coming period is dangerous and that Egypt will not accept any infringement on its national security,' Bakri said. He noted that while Egypt is ramping up relief efforts to help Gaza, it is still facing malicious campaigns suggesting that it is not doing enough to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians. Osama Hamdan, a Hamas leader in Lebanon, claimed in an interview with Aljazeera TV channel that Egypt is closing the Rafah Crossing and preventing the flow of aid. 'The Egyptian army should allow the flow of aid into Gaza even if it means military confrontation with the Israelis,' Hamdan said. The banned Muslim Brotherhood group also used social media to allege that Israel will export gas to Egypt under a $35 billion agreement. In response, Petroleum Ministry Spokesperson Moataz Atef said on 8 August that reports regarding the signing of a new gas supply agreement between Egypt and Israel are not accurate. He explained that what had happened is an amendment to a previous agreement signed in 2019 and not a new deal as some have claimed. 'The primary goal of this amendment is to maximise energy sources and diversify them as Egypt is striving to become a regional energy hub and ensure its energy security through 2040,' Atef said, adding that Egypt will also use its liquefaction plants to re-export the gas as liquified natural gas to Europe. * A version of this article appears in print in the 14 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: