Latest news with #Non-ProliferationTreaty
Barnama
an hour ago
- Politics
- Barnama
IAEA To Continue Inspections In Iran When Security Conditions Permit
BERLIN, June 20 (Bernama-TASS) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue its inspections in Iran in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as soon as security conditions permit, said IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, according to TASS. "The Agency is and will remain present in Iran. Safeguards inspections in Iran will continue as required by Iran's safeguards obligations under its NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) Safeguards Agreement, as soon as safety and security conditions allow," the IAEA press service quoted him as saying. Israel began to launch airstrikes against Iran on June 13, targeting multiple locations including on its nuclear programme, prompting Iran to carry out retaliatory attack.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Will He? Won't He? Should He? What To Make Of Trump's Plans For Iran
In the ongoing war between two arch-rivals, Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the death and destruction and the utter defiance of international law by both sides under the garb of 'self-defence' have pushed the entire West Asian region and the world to the edge. Their conception of one another as an existential threat had played out mostly clandestinely in the past. However, in the last year and a half, their confrontation has been more direct, with the latest showdown shaping up to be a fight to the finish. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already declared that he intends to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat through direct attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities. It has also proven its aerial and intelligence superiority in killing most of the military leadership in Iran and its top-level nuclear scientists. Iran, in turn, has retaliated by causing severe damage to Israeli military and civilian infrastructure, though not in equal measure. It's not over yet, though. While the world is deeply concerned with this escalation, which could envelop the whole region, what US President Trump does now will be decisive. Netanyahu is keen on effecting a regime change in Iran and even eliminating its supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei - something Trump has not greenlit, as per reports. A brute, no-holds-barred approach is now shaping up this emaciated and dysfunctional global order. Trump In A Sticky Spot Trump has an aversion to conventional or 'forever' wars - at least, so it had seemed, and he had maintained, throughout his presidential campaign last year. But now, at the formal request of Israel, the US under Trump is supporting the Israeli campaign against Iran through its naval and air power. It's important to remember here how Trump had given 60 days to Iran to conclude the nuclear deal negotiations, the last round of which was supposed to take place in Oman on Sunday, June 15. Both sides, however, kept shifting their goalposts, especially with regard to Iran's nuclear enrichment potential and threshold. The US insisted on Iran conceding that it would not pursue any uranium enrichment, but this was not acceptable to Tehran as it would tantamount to abject surrender. To be sure, nuclear enrichment is permitted under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for civil nuclear energy purposes. Divisions Within Of course, Iran possessing a nuclear weapon is out of question, and the biggest red line. In 2015, a hesitant Iran did try to cut a deal with the Western world, promising to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. But even that was a red line for Israel, which has insisted that Iran is on the verge of making a weapon and has material for up to nine bombs. Indications by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - whose intent and modus operandi Iran suspects - that Iran was not in compliance with the prescribed standards, added to the suspicion. Many observers in the US, including Senators and congressmen, believe that Israel wants to drag the US into its Middle East war on one pretext or the other, providing a fait accompli. The US has also taken some extreme steps on its part. Two days ago, the Trump administration officially removed Colonel Nathan McCormack from his post as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, allegedly because he called Israel a 'death cult' and said that America was acting as Israel's proxy. The MAGA Quandary As per various surveys, as many as 64% of Republicans are not in favour of the US getting directly involved in Israel's war against Iran. It may also not be seen favourably by his MAGA ('Make America Great Again') base, though at the moment, Trump doesn't seem too concerned about this, claiming that he was the one to popularise 'MAGA' in the first place. He has even decried the testimony of his own colleague, the National Intelligence Authority (NIA) head, Tulsi Gabbard, which had stated that Iran was nowhere near fully developing a nuclear weapon. Gabbard is not alone in echoing this sentiment. IAEA Director General Grossi also said recently in an interview that his agency 'did not have any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon'. Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had a bolder take. 'The reality is that Netanyahu attacked Iran not primarily to prevent a nuclear weapon but to prevent a nuclear agreement between the US and Iran. He was key in driving Trump to leave the original US-Iran JCPOA deal, and now wanted to prevent a new one,' Bildt said on X on June 18. Trump's decision at this stage is extremely critical and can change the course of this war, the region and the world. Unpredictable as he is, Trump might still consider giving Iranians and diplomacy a chance through a fast-track nuclear deal, even as Khamenei has retorted that Iranians are not the ones to surrender. The Arabs On the other hand, in unusual unity and camaraderie, the Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, have all condemned Israeli aggression and attacks on Iranian sovereignty. Most of them have even told the US that they would not allow their airspaces to be used in strikes against Tehran for fear of reprisals and becoming collateral damage. The distrust that they might be treated in the same way should they fall on the wrong side of the US-Israel combine, has also deepened. Tehran has also threatened to attack over two dozen US bases in the Middle East should the US join Israel in its war. This is the worry plaguing most Arabs today: they do not want to become a theatre of war. Pakistan, though, has once again tried to become relevant, being the land of 'mercenaries' and the rentier state that it is. First, it threatened Israel in support of Iran, but just a few days later, its Field Marshal General Asim Munir was in the US for a rare lunch with the US President. If America decides to use Islamabad as a minion yet again, it'd be no surprise. Russia , China and North Korea Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already spoken to Trump, offering to mediate between Tehran and Tel Aviv. That's not an invalid proposition after all. While Moscow can handle Tehran, its strategic and security partner, the US can try to prevail upon Netanyahu, who has asked for American help. Moscow has also advised and warned the US to intervene militarily. These, however, are just diplomatic hopes that may never actually come to fruition. China on the other hand, which has significant geo-economic interests in the region, not only continues to criticise Israeli attacks but has also been reportedly providing assistance to the Iranian establishment. Its Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, was clear when he stated, 'Israel's actions violate international law. We cannot sit back and watch the regional situation slide into an unknown abyss.' Even North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has accused Israel of 'state-sponsored terrorism', calling it a 'cancer-like entity'. All these are indications that if the US does enter the war, these powers may intervene on behalf of Iran, and not only at the UNSC. The Iranian Game Plan The 86-year-old Khamenei, who has been ruling Iran conservatively for over 36 years, has remained intransigent so far, though in the face of Israel's regime change threats and direct risk to his life, he has passed on his powers to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the military. He is said to be in some safe location, which Israelis and Americans claim they know about. By now, it's quite clear that Tehran failed to grasp the extent of the deep Israeli intelligence penetration in its country. It's also certain that even though many in Iran are thoroughly disgruntled by their regime's oppressive policies, that discontent is unlikely to work in Israel's favour, for, in such times of external aggression, most countries and people unite against the aggressors. Iranians have shown an intent to return to the table, and their Foreign Affairs Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has spoken to the EU, France, Germany and the UK, who have all favoured a non-nuclear Iran and a negotiated solution to end the war. The French are also against a regime change. In any case, an unstable Iran could be perilous for the whole region as well as the world. Along with Houthis, Iran has been mulling closing the strategic choke points of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab, which will directly impact oil supplies from the region, which, by the way, accounts for over 20% of global crude trade. All regional actors, especially oil majors, are actively engaging in shuttle diplomacy to avoid the kind of outcomes Libya and Iraq had seen, which had fuelled regional headaches, uncertainty and the rise of extremism and terrorism. Let's hope Iran does not become another Iraq or Libya, where half-baked information or manufactured evidence led to a terrible disaster, whose reverberations continue to haunt the international community and US credibility to this day. Trump will have to be very, very careful about what he does next.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Dangerous bombing
Bombing nuclear power plants is a very risky and dangerous thing to do. Right now, Israel and the United States are doing just that — and they should stop. Almost 80 years ago, in August 1945, two cities in Japan — Hiroshima and Nagasaki — were destroyed by nuclear bombs. Over 2.2 lakh people died, and many more were hurt for years after. The world saw how horrible nuclear weapons could be, and most countries agreed they should never be used again. So in 1970, a big agreement called the Non-Proliferation Treaty (or NPT) was signed. Countries promised not to build more nuclear weapons. Iran signed it. Israel did not. But overall, it helped keep the world safer — only nine countries have nuclear bombs today. And the big accidents at nuclear power plants — like Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011 — all happened by mistake, not in war. Each time, countries worked to make safety better. But now, dangerous things are happening again. In 2022, when Russia attacked Ukraine, it also captured Europe's biggest nuclear power plant. Luckily, there was no disaster. But just last week, Israel bombed several of Iran's nuclear sites. These are not weapons — they are working or nearly working power plants. If bombs damage them, they could leak radiation and hurt thousands of people and the environment — just like Chernobyl. This isn't the first time. In 1981, Israel bombed a nuclear plant in Iraq before it could be used. They knew they couldn't do it after the plant was running, or it would have caused a huge disaster. They were careful again in 2007 when bombing a plant in Syria that was still being built. Back in 1981, even the U.S. was angry at Israel for bombing Iraq's plant. But today, leaders like Putin, Trump, and Israel's Netanyahu don't seem to care about the risks. In 1991, during a war, the U.S. destroyed two nuclear plants in Iraq — it was very dangerous. Why are we repeating those mistakes now? Iran may now leave the nuclear safety treaty. If that happens, other countries might think they also need nuclear weapons to stay safe. That would make the world more dangerous for everyone. There's a clock called the Doomsday Clock that shows how close the world is to a big disaster. Right now, it's just 89 seconds from midnight — the closest ever. Bombing nuclear plants brings us even closer. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Observer
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Observer
Iran, Israel trade fresh air attacks as Trump weighs US involvement
Iranian missiles struck an Israeli hospital on Thursday while Israel hit targets across Iran as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the U.S. would join Israel in air strikes seeking to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel. The worst-ever conflict between the two regional powers has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and further destabilize the Middle East. Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's air campaign. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said. Trump in later remarks said Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for a meeting. "We may do that" he said, adding "it's a little late" for such talks. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rebuked Trump's earlier call for Iran to surrender in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday. "Any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said. "The Iranian nation will not surrender." Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and says its program is for peaceful purposes only. The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week Tehran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva to urge Iran to return to the negotiating table, a German diplomatic source told Reuters. Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that. DRONE ATTACKS On Thursday morning, several Iranian missiles struck populated areas in Israel, including a hospital in the southern part of the country, according to an Israeli military official. Trails of missiles and interception efforts were visible in the skies over Tel Aviv, with explosions heard as incoming projectiles were intercepted. Israeli media also reported direct hits in central Israel. Emergency services said five people had been seriously injured in the attacks and dozens of others hurt in three separate locations. People were still trapped in a building in a south Tel Aviv neighbourhood, they added. Images showed buildings extensively damaged in Ramat Ghan near Tel Aviv and emergency workers helping residents, including children. Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, in southern Israel, reported it had sustained damage. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it was targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the hospital. In Iran, the ISNA news agency reported that an area near the heavy water facility of the Khondab nuclear facility was targeted by Israel. Earlier, air defences were activated in Tehran, intercepting drones on the outskirts of the capital, the semi-official SNN news agency reported. Iranian news agencies also reported it had arrested 18 "enemy agents" who were building drones for Israeli attacks in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Some residents of Tehran, a city of 10 million people, jammed highways out of the city on Wednesday. Arezou, a 31-year-old Tehran resident, told Reuters by phone that she had made it to the nearby resort town of Lavasan. "My friend's house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians," she said. "Why are we paying the price for the regime's decision to pursue a nuclear programme?" CALLS FOR DIPLOMACY Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the war to suggesting the United States might join it. A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. But the prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Senior U.S. Senate Democrats urged Trump to prioritise diplomacy and seek a binding agreement to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons, while expressing concern about his administration's approach. "We are alarmed by the Trump administration's failure to provide answers to fundamental questions. By law, the president must consult Congress and seek authorization if he is considering taking the country to war," they said in a statement. "He owes Congress and the American people a strategy for U.S. engagement in the region." In social media posts on Tuesday, Trump mused about killing Khamenei. Russian President Vladimir Putin, asked what his reaction would be if Israel did kill Iran's Supreme Leader with the assistance of the United States, said on Thursday: "I do not even want to discuss this possibility. I do not want to." Putin said all sides should look for ways to end hostilities in a way that ensured both Iran's right to peaceful nuclear power and Israel's right to the unconditional security of the Jewish state. Since Friday, Iran has fired around 400 missiles at Israel, some 40 of which have pierced air defences, killing 24 people, all of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities. The Iranian missile salvoes mark the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that a significant number of projectiles fired from Iran have penetrated defences, killing Israelis in their homes. Iran has reported at least 224 deaths in Israeli attacks, mostly civilians, but has not updated that toll for days. U.S.-based Iranian activist news agency HRANA said 639 people had been killed in the Israeli attacks and 1,329 injured as of June 18.
The Hill
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
European, Iranian officials expected to meet Friday in diplomatic push
Officials from Iran and three major European countries are expected to meet Friday in Geneva, in the latest diplomatic push amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed the meeting to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA. Araqchi said he plans to meet with foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany and France, as well as European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas. Reuters initially reported on the planned talks, which the outlet said would focus on persuading the Iranian side to guarantee its nuclear program would be used solely for civilian purposes. The four European officials held a phone call with Araqchi on Monday, 'regarding the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel,' according to a readout of the call issued on Wednesday. 'E3 Ministers and the High Representative of the European Union shared their concerns with regards to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and expressed their view that all sides must show restraint, refrain from taking steps which lead to further escalation in the region, and return to diplomacy,' the statement Wednesday read. 'They reiterated the E3 and the European Union's commitment to regional security. They reaffirmed Israel's right to protect its security and people, in adherence with international law,' the statement continued. They said they expressed concern about Iran's nuclear program, which 'largely exceeds any credible civilian purpose,' and urged Iran to 'take decisive steps to return to negotiations and pave the way for a diplomatic solution.' The officials did not confirm the meeting on Friday but warned Iran against withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and 'underscored their call to de-escalate and their commitment to contribute and to reach a negotiated solution to Iran's nuclear programme.'
