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☆ Zelenskiy to IAEA: Russia holds nuclear plant hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The president met Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Monday at the Dnipro hydroelectric power station - northeast of the Zaporizhzhia plant. Russian officials say they want to connect the Zaporizhzhia plant to the Russian grid. Russia said last month the construction of protective structures for key facilities at the Zaporizhzhia plant were nearing completion. "Holding a nuclear power station hostage for more than a year - this is surely the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of European or worldwide nuclear power," Zelenskiy said. Last week, the Ukrainian military warned that Avdiivka, a smaller town 90 km (55 miles) farther south, could become a "second Bakhmut" as Russia turns its attention there.

☆ Exclusive: IAEA confirms almost all missing uranium in Libya now accounted for
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VIENNA, March 24 (Reuters) - Most of the roughly 2.5 tons of natural uranium ore concentrate (UOC) recently declared missing from a site in Libya have been found at that site, the U.N. nuclear watchdog told member states on Friday in a statement seen by Reuters. The International Atomic Energy Agency informed member states in a similar confidential statement on March 15 first reported by Reuters that 10 drums containing the UOC had gone missing from a Libyan site not under government control. "During the (inspection), Agency inspectors observed that drums that had not been present at the declared location at the time of the previous (inspection) had since been brought back and left in close proximity to the declared location," it said. "Agency inspectors confirmed that these drums contained UOC and witnessed their transfer back to within the declared location for storage," the statement added. Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product left over when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. The United States, Britain, Russia, China, France and Pakistan produce uranium weapons, which are not classified as nuclear weapons, according to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons. Ingesting or inhaling quantities of uranium - even depleted uranium - is dangerous: it depresses renal function and raises the risk of developing a range of cancers. "It's worth making sure everyone understands that just because the word uranium is in the title of depleted uranium munitions, they are not nuclear munitions, they are purely conventional munitions," Cleverly said. A spokesperson from Britain's defence ministry said: "The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades."

March 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day summit in Moscow this week. UKRAINEPutin said Chinese proposals could be used as the basis of a peace settlement in Ukraine, but nothing emerged from the meeting to tie his hands militarily. Bottom line: The agreed summit language suits Putin's purposes, enabling him to continue fighting while saying he is open to talk peace. Bottom line: Russia is still waiting on a deal and China has powerful leverage to secure advantageous price terms. Putin said Chinese companies would be first in line to replace Western companies that have quit Russia.

☆ Column: The road to war: An ex-Reuters journalist recalls the chase for WMD in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Louis Charbonneau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 20 (Reuters) - Louis Charbonneau covered the UN weapons inspections prior to the Iraq war and later became UN bureau chief. The U.S. was threatening to use military force to rid Iraq of WMD, which the administration of President George W. Bush insisted Iraq was developing in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. Reuters colleagues Evelyn Leopold and Irwin Arieff quickly cobbled together a story on doubts about the Niger uranium intel based on what I dictated. The next morning, I reached out to UN sources for more information on the Niger uranium. The IAEA experts had concluded they weren’t useful for a nuclear weapons program.

☆ Explainer: Everything to know about nuclear fuel uranium
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here is everything you need to know about uranium and its usage as a nuclear fuel. WHAT IS URANIUM USED FOR? The radioactive metal is the most widely used fuel for nuclear energy due to its abundance and the relative ease of splitting its atoms. It is also used in treating cancer, for naval propulsion, and in nuclear weapons. HOW MUCH URANIUM IS NEEDED FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPONThe amount of uranium that went missing contains enough of the U-235 isotope to build a first-generation nuclear bomb if enriched to over 90%, according to Dr. Edwin Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

☆ Exclusive: Tons of uranium missing from Libyan site, IAEA tells member states
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary IAEA inspectors visited site not controlled by govtInspection postponed since 2022 over security situationWatchdog found 10 barrels of natural uranium missingIAEA sees possible radiological risk, security concernsVIENNA, March 15 (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors have found that roughly 2.5 tons of natural uranium have gone missing from a Libyan site that is not under government control, the watchdog told member states in a statement on Wednesday seen by Reuters. IAEA inspectors "found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of UOC (uranium ore concentrate) previously declared by (Libya) ... as being stored at that location were not present at the location," the one-page statement said. "The loss of knowledge about the present location of nuclear material may present a radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns," it said, adding that reaching the site required "complex logistics". Since 2014, political control has been split between rival eastern and western factions, with the last major bout of conflict ending in 2020. Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia to receive nuclear-powered submarines under agreement with U.S., UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Australia will receive conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines under an agreement announced following a Monday meeting of the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. "The plan we announce today delivers on this commitment and reflects our longstanding leadership in, and respect for, the global nuclear non-proliferation regime." The submarines will be modeled after the United Kingdom's next-generation nuclear submarine design and include up-to-date U.S. technology. Known as "SSN-AUKUS" after the strategic partnership among the countries, they will be built and used by both the U.K. and Australia. Pending congressional approval, the U.S. will seek to sell Australia three Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines beginning in the early 2030s.

☆ Analysis: Nuclear submarine plan aims to give Australia strategic edge to deter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sooner than that, around 2027, U.S. nuclear submarines are expected to be deployed in Western Australia. It is vital that Australia has the same capability to deter - or, if necessary, fight - China as it expands its nuclear submarine fleet and ranges deeper into Australia's northern waters, he said. A U.S. Defense Department report last year said the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) had a fighting force of 340 ships and submarines, including 12 nuclear submarines - six equipped with ballistic missiles - and 44 conventionally powered submarines. The report added that China would build a guided missile submarine by the middle of this decade. The U.S. has long wanted to base its nuclear submarines in Australia, and if that is the near-term solution under AUKUS, it is a significant shift, Gill said.

☆ Why the West hasn’t gone after Russian nuclear energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy monopoly Rosatom, which exports and enriches uranium as well as builds nuclear power stations around the world, has been in control of Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region since Russian forces seized it a year ago. Experts say Rosatom remains protected by the vital role it plays in global nuclear power, and the fact it can’t easily be replaced. In 2021, the United States relied on the Russian nuclear monopoly for 14% of the uranium that powered its nuclear reactors. The Akkuyu nuclear power plant as its construction continues in November 2022 Serkan Avci/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesSuch dependency can trump other considerations. It is also one of only several EU countries that rely on nuclear energy for more than 40% of their electricity and it has a long-term financing deal with Rosatom to build a nuclear power plant.

☆ Women leaders sidelined at multilateral organizations, new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The study, to be released during this week's meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, called for proportional representation of women at every level of multilateral organizations, from field offices to headquarters, as well as in secretariats and governing bodies. "But I also believe that women bring this combination of leadership, wisdom and empathy, and sometimes, an even greater understanding of what is happening in the world." Since 1945, the 33 institutions studied have had 382 leaders, but only 47 were women, the report showed. And despite recent progress, only one-third of the institutions are currently headed by women. GWL Voices said it would release a more extensive version of the report in September that would also look at the senior management teams and governing bodies of the 33 institutions.

☆ Netanyahu rebuffs IAEA chief's remarks against possible attack on Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM, March 5 (Reuters) - Israel rebuffed as "unworthy" on Sunday comments by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief that any Israeli or U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would be illegal. He was responding to a reporter's question about threats by Israel and the United States to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if they deem diplomacy meant to deny it the bomb to be at a dead end. "Rafael Grossi is a worthy person who made an unworthy remark," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet in televised remarks on Sunday. Is it permissible for Iran, which openly calls for our destruction, to organise the tools of slaughter for our destruction? The IAEA said on Saturday Grossi had received sweeping assurances from Iran that it will assist a long-stalled investigation into uranium particles found at undeclared sites and re-install removed monitoring equipment.

☆ Iran Promises to Increase Cooperation With IAEA Over Nuclear Work
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Laurence Norman In Berlin | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, wearing tie, arrives for his meeting with head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslam in Tehran Saturday. Iran made fresh promises to increase its cooperation with the United Nations atomic agency on Saturday, but International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi returned from Tehran with no breakthrough over a series of Western concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities. In a press conference on his return, Mr. Grossi said Iran had promised to allow the agency to reinstall cameras and other monitoring equipment at several important nuclear-related facilities. Iran removed the equipment last summer.

☆ Iran Promises to Increase Cooperation with IAEA Over Nuclear Work
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Laurence Norman In Berlin | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Iran makes sweeping pledge of cooperation to IAEA before board meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran issued a joint statement on IAEA chief Rafael Grossi's return from a trip to Tehran just two days before a quarterly meeting of the agency's 35-nation Board of Governors. "Iran expressed its readiness to ... provide further information and access to address the outstanding safeguards issues," the joint statement said. A confidential IAEA report to member states seen by Reuters said Grossi "looks forward to ... prompt and full implementation of the Joint Statement". Follow-up talks in Iran between IAEA and Iranian officials aimed at hammering out the details would happen "very, very soon", Grossi said. Asked if all that monitoring equipment would be re-installed, Grossi replied "Yes".

☆ UN nuclear watchdog chief cites 'great expectation' in talks with Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 4 (Reuters) - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday talks were ongoing with Iran on two sets of important matters including the science sector, and there was "great expectation" about the process. Clearly, there is great expectation about our joint work in order to move forward in the issues that Iran and the agency are working on, to clarify and to bring credible assurances about the nuclear programme in Iran," Grossi told reporters in Tehran. Grossi said the talks were taking place in an "atmosphere of work, honesty and cooperation". Under a 2015 agreement with six world powers, Iran curbed its disputed uranium enrichment programme in return for relief from international sanctions. Grossi said it was an “issue of necessity to have a very deep, serious systematic dialogue with Iran.

☆ U.S., Europe Split on Response to Iran’s Near-Weapons-Grade Nuclear Enrichment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. and its European allies have split over the response to Iran’s production of near-weapons-grade uranium, with Britain, France and Germany favoring a public censure of Tehran while the Biden administration is reluctant to do that, according to diplomats involved in the discussions. The International Atomic Energy Agency said this week that Iran had produced particles of enriched uranium of around 84% in recent weeks, just shy of the roughly 90% needed for weapons-grade nuclear fuel.

☆ A nuclear watchdog says it found uranium in Iran that's less than 7% away from bomb-making levels in enrichment purity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A UN nuclear watchdog has found uranium enriched to 83.7% purity at Iran's nuclear plants. The new findings come as Iran continually breaches its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. On February 19, Bloomberg reported that the highly enriched uranium had been discovered, citing two senior diplomats. That means it's been breaching its 2015 nuclear deal with Western powers, China, and Russia. Iran has in turned continually breached the deal, raising the level of its uranium enrichment and stockpiling more material.

☆ U.N. Agency Confirms Iran Produced Enriched Uranium Close to Weapons Grade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iran has greatly expanded its nuclear work since 2019, a year after the Trump administration took the U.S. out of a 2015 nuclear accord; a nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, in 2010. The United Nations atomic agency confirmed Tuesday that its inspectors had found traces of near weapons-grade nuclear material at Iran’s underground Fordow facility but said Tehran continues to produce 60% enriched uranium at the site. In a confidential report sent to member states and viewed by The Wall Street Journal, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that during a check at Fordow on Jan. 22, the IAEA took samples which were found to contain highly enriched particles of up to 83.7%.

☆ IAEA report says pressing Iran on enrichment to near bomb-grade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Diplomats said last week that the agency had found the traces at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), where Iran is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity. The International Atomic Energy Agency chided Iran in an earlier report for making substantial changes to those cascades without informing it. The report also said Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60%, which is being produced at two sites, had grown by 25.2 kg to 87.5 kg since the last quarterly report. The total stockpile of uranium enriched to that and lower levels is estimated at 3,760.8 kg, the report said. Iran denies ever having sought nuclear weapons and says it only wants to master nuclear technology for civil uses.

☆ Pacific islands tap Taiwan ally Nauru for next top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The top Pacific islands diplomatic post will pass to Taiwan ally Nauru next year, the 18-member regional bloc agreed Friday, as it resolved to face climate change and superpower rivalry as a united "family". The Pacific Islands Forum, meeting in Fiji, also said it would hold more talks with Japanese scientists and the International Atomic Energy Agency over Japan's plan to release treated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Some Pacific islands fear the water release could contaminate fish stocks but Tokyo has said it does not pose a risk, and the meeting agreed that "science and data" should guide political decisions on the issue. Nauru has diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not China, and Waqa has previously clashed with Chinese diplomats. The leaders agreed to consider establishing a special envoy's office in the United States, which has pledged to triple aid to the region.

☆ Iran denies enriching uranium above 60% - IRNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Iran has denied reports that it has enriched uranium to 84% purity, which is close to weapons grade. The Islamic Republic has been enriching uranium to up to 60% purity since April 2021. Three months ago it started enriching to that level at a second site, Fordow, which is dug into a mountain. The presence of particles above 60% enrichment does not mean production with an enrichment above 60%," the spokesperson for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on Monday, according to the official IRNA News agency. Bloomberg News reported on Sunday that U.N. nuclear watchdog monitors had last week detected uranium enriched at 84%.

☆ Near Weapons-Grade Enriched Uranium Detected in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization has in the past shown the atomic enrichment facilities at its Natanz nuclear research center . United Nations atomic agency inspectors have detected uranium that has been enriched to near weapons-grade in Iran in recent weeks, three senior diplomats said Sunday, a finding that will deepen concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has been producing highly enriched, weapons-grade material of 60% purity since early 2021, but the material found was of 84% purity, according to the diplomats. Weapons-grade enriched uranium is generally considered to be from around 90%-enriched uranium.

☆ IAEA says it is in discussions with Iran after report of enrichment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

VIENNA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Sunday it was discussing the results of recent verification activities with Iran after Bloomberg News reported that the agency had detected uranium enriched to 84% purity, which is close to weapons grade. "The IAEA is aware of recent media reports relating to uranium enrichment levels in Iran," the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Twitter. "The IAEA is discussing with Iran the results of recent Agency verification activities and will inform the IAEA Board of Governors as appropriate." loadingReporting by Francois Murphy, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US military once blasted airships with nukes on balloons to see if they could drop nuclear bombs on submarines and survive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Airships were popular in naval combat and briefly considered for the delivery of nuclear weapons. In the 1950s, the military tried to nuclearize almost anything it could, a nuclear history expert said. The tests were a part of Operation Plumbbob's 24 above-ground nuclear tests from May to October 1957. "If we had already used blimps and airships effectively in World War II, then why wouldn't we consider putting nuclear weapons on them?" The US military eventually developed better aircraft and more effective ways of launching nuclear weapons, and the wild idea of using airships to drop nuclear weapons was lost to history.

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