IAEA: Uranium traces found at undeclared Iranian site
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said it has detected uranium particles at an undeclared site in Iran in its latest report on the country’s nuclear program issued on Monday.
Iran
Israel kills powerful Islamic Jihad commander Abu al-Ata in targeted Gaza strike
The Israel Defense Forces killed a senior commander of the Islamic Jihad terror group responsible for the firing dozens of rockets out of the Gaza Strip, authorities said early Tuesday, in an attack that could send the sides sliding back toward war.
Iran enriching 12 times as much uranium now Fordo restarted, nuclear head says
The head of Iran’s nuclear program told The Associated Press on Monday that the country is now producing more low-enriched uranium daily, after restarting an underground facility.
Iran downgrades new oil find to just 2.2 billion accessible barrels
Iran’s oil minister said Monday that an oil field whose discovery President Hassan Rouhani announced over the weekend adds only 22.2 billion barrels to the country’s estimated crude reserves.
IAEA accuses Iran of evading attempts to probe uranium production
The top inspector for the UN’s nuclear agency has reportedly accused Iran of evading attempts to gather information on Tehran’s uranium production at a warehouse that was flagged by Israel and where particles were found earlier this year.
Netanyahu: Europe ‘must stop stalling,’ confront Iran over its nuclear program
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged Thursday that Iran ‘continues to lie’ about its nuclear program and called on Europe to ‘stop stalling’ and confront the Islamic Republic, as the UN atomic agency reportedly discussed a site in Tehran alleged by Israel to be a secret atomic warehouse.
Mike Pompeo: Iran positioning itself for rapid nuclear break-out
Iran has positioned itself to rapidly break out into a nuclear power by resuming uranium enrichment at Fordow, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.
As Iran expands enrichment, Netanyahu vows it will never have nukes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday to ‘never let Iran develop nuclear weapons’ after Tehran announced it was expanding its uranium enrichment efforts in a further breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran starts injecting uranium gas into Fordo centrifuges, breaking nuke deal
Iran began inserting uranium gas into centrifuges at the Fordo nuclear facility, state television announced Wednesday, marking its latest step away from the nuclear deal.
Iran’s Rouhani says Fordow enrichment site will soon be fully operational
Iran’s underground uranium enrichment Fordow facility ‘will soon be back to full operation’, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted, a few hours after Tehran announced that uranium gas had been injected into centrifuges at the site on Wednesday.
U.S. targets Iranian top leader’s inner circle with new sanctions
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on nine people close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including his chief of staff, one of his sons and the head of the judiciary.
Iran uses embassy takeover anniversary to announce doubling of nuclear enrichment
U.S.-Iran tensions escalated Monday as Tehran announced a doubling of its uranium enrichment activities in a calculated breach of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and the Trump administration leveled a slate of fresh sanctions targeting an inner circle of officials around Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Russia nixed arms sales to Israel’s enemies at its request, PM’s adviser says
Russia acquiesced to Israeli requests and canceled certain arms sales to regimes that are antagonistic toward Israel, an adviser to the prime minister said this week, according to the Ynet news site.
IAF chief: Security challenges posed by Iran becoming more complex
Amid the backdrop of the threat of Iranian cruise missiles, Tehran’s influence in the Syrian civil war, and its proxy in Yemen, the Houthi rebel group, Israel Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin on Wednesday said, ‘The security challenge is becoming more complex. In addition to the missiles and rockets, there are also attack drones and cruise missiles now.’
Iran’s Khamenei blames U.S. and Israel for protest in Iraq and Lebanon
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed the protests in Iraq and Lebanon on the United States, Israel and some Western countries.
Israel hails US, Gulf states for sanctioning Iran Guards, Hezbollah
Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday applauded the US and six Gulf states for announcing sanctions on 25 entities associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror organization.
Iran, Russia take aim at U.S. military presence near Syrian oilfields
Iran and Russia on Tuesday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain a military presence near oil fields in northeastern Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying any exploitation of resources would be illegal.
U.S. Treasury’s Mnuchin says U.S. will ramp up pressure on Iran
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday the United States would increase economic pressure on Iran over its nuclear program, making the pledge during a Middle East trip that includes visits to U.S. allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu says Iran seeking to fire missiles at Israel from Yemen
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Iran is seeking to develop and deploy guided weapons that can strike any point in the Middle East, including placing them in Yemen to strike Israel.
Hezbollah chief warns of civil war, says Israel exploiting Lebanon protests
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday warned that ongoing massive anti-government protests in Lebanon could plunge the country into civil war, and accused Israel and other countries of working to take advantage of the demonstrations to fuel unrest.