US Warns it Will ‘React’ to Any Iranian Nuclear Escalation

Advanced centrifuges on display in Tehran during its National Nuclear Technology Day. (Reuters)
Advanced centrifuges on display in Tehran during its National Nuclear Technology Day. (Reuters)
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US Warns it Will ‘React’ to Any Iranian Nuclear Escalation

Advanced centrifuges on display in Tehran during its National Nuclear Technology Day. (Reuters)
Advanced centrifuges on display in Tehran during its National Nuclear Technology Day. (Reuters)

The United States would not expect a special meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog's board this year if the agency's deal with Iran on replacing its surveillance cameras at a centrifuge-parts workshop is carried out, a US official said on Wednesday.

"If implemented as agreed with the (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director General, we would not foresee needing a special Board of Governors (meeting) on this set of issues before the end of the year," said the official on condition of anonymity.

"Of course, if there are any new nuclear escalations, we would react accordingly,” Reuters quoted the official as saying.

Iran and the IAEA have earlier announced reaching an agreement on replacing surveillance cameras at the workshop in the TESA Karaj complex that had been removed after an apparent attack, removing one potential obstacle to wider nuclear talks.

One of the IAEA's four cameras at the workshop was destroyed in June in apparent sabotage that Iran blamed on Israel.

Iran then removed the cameras and did not let the IAEA return to replace them, angering the US and its allies.

Iran said Wednesday that it “voluntarily” agreed to grant access to the nuclear watchdog in an effort to prevent misunderstandings, according to a report by Nournews, an outlet close to Iran’s security forces.

The IAEA will soon install new surveillance cameras at Iran’s Karaj centrifuge component manufacturing workshop under an agreement reached by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, the Vienna-based watchdog stated.

On November 23, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi visited Tehran and said he wanted to deepen cooperation with Iran, days before the resumption of negotiations between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal.

“I sincerely hope that we can continue our constructive discussions to address and resolve all outstanding safeguards issues in Iran,” Grossi said in a statement.



Russia, China ‘Emerging Axis’ Troubling, Says Australia Intelligence Chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, commemorating Russian national heroes Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, on National Unity Day in Red Square, in Moscow, Russia, 04 November 2024. Russia's National Unity Day (or Day of People's Unity) is celebrated this year from 04 to 07 November. (EPA/ Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, commemorating Russian national heroes Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, on National Unity Day in Red Square, in Moscow, Russia, 04 November 2024. Russia's National Unity Day (or Day of People's Unity) is celebrated this year from 04 to 07 November. (EPA/ Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)
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Russia, China ‘Emerging Axis’ Troubling, Says Australia Intelligence Chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, commemorating Russian national heroes Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, on National Unity Day in Red Square, in Moscow, Russia, 04 November 2024. Russia's National Unity Day (or Day of People's Unity) is celebrated this year from 04 to 07 November. (EPA/ Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, commemorating Russian national heroes Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, on National Unity Day in Red Square, in Moscow, Russia, 04 November 2024. Russia's National Unity Day (or Day of People's Unity) is celebrated this year from 04 to 07 November. (EPA/ Mikhail Tereshchenko/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool)

The head of Australia's national intelligence office said an "emerging axis" of countries providing support to Russia, including China, Iran and North Korea, was "a profoundly troubling strategic development" that western countries were struggling to catch up with.

Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence, Andrew Shearer, said on Wednesday that the strategic impact of an emerging axis, that had China and Russia at its core, had been underestimated.

"The massive provision by China of dual use assistance to Putin, and economic support and diplomatic support is keeping Putin's army in the field in Ukraine, killing innocent Ukrainians just as surely as if they were providing artillery ammunition and missiles," Shearer said at the Raisina Downunder conference in Canberra.

He also listed the provision of Iranian drones, and North Korean missiles and combat troops to Russia. South Korea and the US say around 10,000 North Korean troops have arrived in Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

"This is a profoundly troubling strategic development and we are all grappling to catch up with it and put in place effective measures, but I think this is one of the strategic challenges of our time," Shearer said.

Australia is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership with the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Shearer is the top advisor to Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on intelligence matters.