Latest news with #Vienna
CNA
2 hours ago
- General
- CNA
Damning IAEA report spells out past secret nuclear activities in Iran
VIENNA: Iran carried out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the UN nuclear watchdog at three locations that have long been under investigation, the watchdog said in a wide-ranging, confidential report to member states seen by Reuters. The findings in the "comprehensive" International Atomic Energy Agency report requested by the agency's 35-nation Board of Governors in November pave the way for a push by the United States, Britain, France and Germany for the board to declare Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations. A resolution would infuriate Iran and could further complicate nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. Using the IAEA report's findings, the four Western powers plan to submit a draft resolution for the board to adopt at its next meeting the week of Jun 9, diplomats say. It would be the first time in almost 20 years Iran has formally been found in non-compliance. Iran's foreign ministry and the Iranian nuclear agency rejected the report, calling it "politically motivated" in a joint statement. They said Tehran will take "appropriate measures" in response to any effort to take action against the country at the Board of Governors meeting, state media reported, without elaborating. Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. While many of the findings relate to activities dating back decades and have been made before, the IAEA report's conclusions were more definitive. It summarised developments in recent years and pointed more clearly towards coordinated, secret activities, some of which were relevant to producing nuclear weapons. It also spelled out that Iran's cooperation with IAEA continues to be "less than satisfactory" in "a number of respects". The IAEA is still seeking explanations for uranium traces found years ago at two of four sites it has been investigating. Three hosted secret experiments, it found. The IAEA has concluded that "these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material", the report said. Nuclear material and/or heavily contaminated equipment from that programme was stored at the fourth site, Turquzabad, between 2009 and 2018, it said. "The Agency concludes that Iran did not declare nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at three undeclared locations in Iran, specifically, Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, and Turquzabad," the report said. At Lavisan-Shian in Tehran, a disc made of uranium metal was "used in the production of explosively-driven neutron sources" at least twice in 2003, a process designed to initiate the explosion in a nuclear weapon, the report said, adding that it was part of "small-scale" tests. The report is likely to lead to Iran being referred to the UN Security Council, though that would probably happen at a later IAEA board meeting, diplomats said. More immediately, it is likely to lead to Iran again accelerating or expanding its rapidly advancing nuclear programme, as it has done after previous rebukes at the board. It could also further complicate talks with the United States aimed at reining in that programme. URANIUM ENRICHMENT A separate IAEA report sent to member states on Saturday (May 31) said Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90 percent of weapons grade, had grown by roughly half to 408.6 kg. That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. Both IAEA reports said enrichment to such a high level was "of serious concern" since it is the only country to do so without producing nuclear weapons. Israel, which has long urged strong action against Iran's nuclear programme, said the IAEA report showed Tehran was determined to complete its nuclear weapons programme. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the world should act now to stop Iran from doing this. US intelligence agencies and the IAEA have long believed Iran had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003. Iran denies ever having had one. Separately on Saturday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his Omani counterpart presented elements of a US proposal for a nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington during a short visit to Tehran. Araqchi said in a post on X that Iran "will respond to the US proposal in line with the principles, national interests and rights of people of Iran". His statement came ahead of an anticipated sixth round of talks between Washington and Tehran. The date and venue of talks have not yet been announced.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Iran has increased its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, nuclear watchdog says
Where U.S. and Iran still stand apart on nuclear talks Where U.S. and Iran stand apart on nuclear talks Where U.S. and Iran stand apart on nuclear talks Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, a confidential report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Saturday, and called on Tehran to urgently change course and comply with the agency's probe. The report comes at a sensitive time as Tehran and Washington have been holding several rounds of talks in the past weeks over a possible nuclear deal that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to reach. The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency — which was seen by The Associated Press — says that as of May 17, Iran has amassed 900.8 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60%. That's an increase of 294.9 pounds — or almost 50% — since the IAEA's last report in February. The 60% enriched material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. A report in February put this stockpile level at 605.8 pounds. There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the new IAEA report. The IAEA report raised a stern warning, saying that Iran is now "the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material" — something the agency said was of "serious concern." Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, speaks to journalists attending a weeklong seminar at the agency in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Jon Gambrell / AP Approximately 92.5 pounds of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90%, according to the watchdog. The IAEA report, a quarterly, also estimated that as of May 17, Iran's overall stockpile of enriched uranium — which includes uranium enriched to lower levels — stood at 20,387.4 pounds. That's an increase of 2,101.4 pounds since February's report. Iran's nuclear program Iran has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make "several" nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Iranian officials have increasingly suggested that Tehran could pursue an atomic bomb. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has "undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so." Israel said Saturday's report was a clear warning sign that "Iran is totally determined to complete its nuclear weapons program," according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. It said IAEA's report "strongly reinforces what Israel has been saying for years — the purpose of Iran's nuclear program is not peaceful." It also added that Iran's level of enrichment "has no civilian justification whatsoever" and appealed on the international community to "act now to stop Iran." It is rare for Netanyahu to make statements on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest, underlying the urgency with which he sees the matter. Grossi said Saturday that he "reiterates his urgent call upon Iran to cooperate fully and effectively" with the IAEA's years-long investigation into uranium traces discovered at several sites in Iran. The IAEA also circulated to member states on Saturday a second, 22-page confidential report, also seen by the AP, that Grossi requested following a resolution passed by the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors last November. In this so-called "comprehensive report," the IAEA said that Iran's cooperation with the agency has "been less than satisfactory" when it comes to uranium traces discovered by IAEA inspectors at several locations in Iran that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites. Western officials suspect that the uranium traces discovered by the IAEA could provide evidence that Iran had a secret military nuclear program until 2003. One of the sites became known publicly in 2018 after Netanyahu revealed it at the United Nations and called it a clandestine nuclear warehouse hidden at a rug-cleaning plant. Iran denied this but in 2019 IAEA inspectors detected the presence of manmade uranium particles there. After initially blocking IAEA access, inspectors were able to collect samples in 2020 from two other locations where they also detected the presence of manmade uranium particles. The three locations became known as Turquzabad, Varamin, and Marivan. A fourth undeclared location named as Lavisan-Shian is also part of the IAEA probe but IAEA inspectors never visited the site because it was razed and demolished by Iran after 2003. In Saturday's comprehensive report, the IAEA says that the "lack of answers and clarifications provided by Iran" to questions the watchdog had regarding Lavisan-Shian, Varamin and Marivan "has led the agency to conclude that these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material." FILE - The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 6, 2023. Heinz-Peter Bader / AP How the world could react to U.N. report Saturday's comprehensive report could be a basis for possible further steps by European nations, leading to a potential escalation in tensions between Iran and the West. European countries could move to trigger snap-back sanctions against Iran that were lifted under the original 2015 nuclear deal ahead of October, when the deal formally expires. On Thursday, senior Iranian officials dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasizing that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country's nuclear program to continue. The comments came a day after Trump said he has told Netanyahu to hold off on striking Iran to give the U.S. administration more time to push for a new deal with Tehran. Trump said on Friday that he still thinks a deal could be completed in the "not too distant future." "They don't want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal," Trump said of Iran. He added, "That would be a great thing that we could have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East."
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Iran has amassed even more near weapons-grade uranium, UN watchdog says
VIENNA (AP) — Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, a confidential report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Saturday and called on Tehran to urgently change course and comply with the agency's probe. The report comes at a sensitive time as Tehran and Washington have been holding several rounds of talks in the past weeks over a possible nuclear deal that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to reach. The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency — which was seen by The Associated Press — says that as of May 17, Iran has amassed 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%. That's an increase of 133.8 kilograms (294.9 pounds) — or almost 50% — since the IAEA's last report in February. That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. A report in February put the stockpile at 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds). There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the new IAEA report. What does the report say? The IAEA report raised a stern warning, saying that Iran is now 'the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material" — something the agency said was of "serious concern.' Approximately 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90%, according to the watchdog. Iran has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but the IAEA chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has previously warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make 'several' nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. Iranian officials have increasingly suggested that Tehran could pursue an atomic bomb. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has 'undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.' Call for cooperation Grossi said Saturday that he 'reiterates his urgent call upon Iran to cooperate fully and effectively' with the IAEA's years long investigation into uranium traces discovered at several sites in Iran. The IAEA also circulated to member states a second 22-page confidential report, also seen by the AP, that Grossi requested following a resolution passed by the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors last November. In the so-called 'comprehensive report,' the IAEA said that Iran's cooperation with the agency has "been less than satisfactory' when it comes to uranium traces discovered by IAEA inspectors at several locations in Iran that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites. Western officials suspect that the uranium traces discovered by the IAEA could provide evidence that Iran had a secret military nuclear program until 2003. One of the sites became known publicly in 2018 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed it at the United Nations and called it a clandestine nuclear warehouse hidden at a rug-cleaning plant. Iran denied this but in 2019 IAEA inspectors detected the presence of manmade uranium particles there. What is the IAEA inspecting in Iran? After initially blocking IAEA access, inspectors were able to collect samples in 2020 from two other locations where they also detected the presence of manmade uranium particles. The three locations became known as Turquzabad, Varamin, and Marivan. A fourth undeclared location named as Lavisan-Shian is also part of the IAEA probe but IAEA inspectors never visited the site because it was razed and demolished by Iran after 2003. In Saturday's report, the IAEA says that the 'lack of answers and clarifications provided by Iran" has led the agency to conclude that these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that "some activities used undeclared nuclear material.' What's next? Saturday's comprehensive report could be a basis for possible further steps by European nations, leading to a potential escalation in tensions between Iran and the West. It could provide a basis for European countries to trigger snap-back sanctions against Iran that were lifted under the original 2015 nuclear deal ahead of October when the deal formally expires. On Thursday, senior Iranian officials dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasizing that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country's nuclear program to continue. The comments came a day after Trump said he has told Netanyahu to hold off on striking Iran to give the U.S. administration more time to push for a new deal with Tehran. Trump said on Friday that he still thinks a deal could be completed in the 'not too distant future.' 'They don't want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal,' Trump said of Iran. He added, 'That would be a great thing that we could have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East.' ___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
IAEA report says Iran had secret activities with undeclared nuclear material
VIENNA (Reuters) -Iran previously carried out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the U.N. nuclear watchdog at three locations that have long been under investigation, the watchdog said in a wide-ranging, confidential report to member states seen by Reuters. The International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded that "these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear programme carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material", the "comprehensive" report requested by the IAEA's Board of Governors in November said.
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU state raises alarm about growing illiteracy
Almost a third of the population in Austria has poor reading skills, signaling an alarming trend, the EU country's government statistics office has said. The decline is particularly noticeable among those with jobs that require medium or low qualifications, Statistics Austria said in a statement earlier this week. In Austria, which has a population of nine million, a total of 29.0% or around 2.6 million people have a low level of literacy, according to data on the agency's website. The number of those who have problems with reading increased by 11.9% between 2012 and 2023, the figures show. The average literacy level among Austrians aged 16 to 65 stands at 254 points, which is significantly below the average of 260 points set by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). People from 16 to 24 performed above the OECD average, while older people appear to have significantly lower reading skills than the expected level, the agency said. 'The differences in reading skills among adults are large, and this gap has continued to widen,' Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria, was cited as saying. There has been 'a particularly strong decline' in the consumption of complex reading materials such as newspapers and magazines, with the Austrians mainly reading emails and other shorter texts, the agency noted. According to Statistics Austria, the number of those with low day-to-day math skills also grew by 6.7% between 2012 and 2023, amounting to 22.6% of the population. Russia's state-owned pollster VTSIOM said last year that 'reading remains a popular means of obtaining knowledge and information among the Russians' despite what it called 'serious competition' from visual media. In the poll carried out in November 2024, some 87% of respondents said that they had read something over the previous week. Fiction topped the chart of the most popular reading materials (40%) in Russia, leaving news and social media posts in second place (37%), according to VTSIOM's figures.
