Congress to Establish Task Force to Monitor Iran's Nuclear Program

US Capitol Building (AFP)
US Capitol Building (AFP)
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Congress to Establish Task Force to Monitor Iran's Nuclear Program

US Capitol Building (AFP)
US Capitol Building (AFP)

The US Congress approved the inclusion of provisions from the Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability Monitoring Act of 2022, with bipartisan support to establish a State Department-led joint task force to monitor and regularly provide reports to Congress regarding Iran's nuclear weapons and missile capabilities, in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The lawmakers approved the bill noting that the task force shall submit a detailed report to the appropriate congressional committees every four months, including accurate information on the uranium enrichment program, the storage of nuclear materials, armament, and the missile program, that would pose a threat to US targets.

The bill has been included in next year's defense budget to be approved by Congress this week, ensuring decisive approval.

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez welcomed the law's inclusion in the defense budget, saying the inclusion of the legislation to better track Iran's nuclear efforts in the NDAA is an important step forward as the US continues to look for creative ways to address Iran's illicit nuclear program fully.

The senator stressed the importance of the project, noting that its approval would contribute to boosting efforts to prevent Tehran from becoming a nuclear weapons state and potentially igniting a nuclear arms race in the most dangerous tinderbox in the world.

For his part, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called on the US government to stay "focused on monitoring Iranian nuclear ambitions."

Graham said the extra monitoring would make it harder for Iran to break out in a nuclear fashion.

Project details

The draft requires the Secretary of State to form a task force that includes officials from the State Department, Intelligence, and the Ministry of Energy, specialized in monitoring Iran's nuclear program, provided that it submits an immediate report to Congress within 72 hours of the receipt of intelligence on the development in the nuclear weapons capabilities.

The bill requires the administration to submit an annual "comprehensive plan for engaging with allies and regional partners" in all relevant multilateral fora to address such nuclear weapons and missile activities.

It must also include a description of a coordinated whole-of-government approach to use political, economic, and security-related tools to address such activities.

The unclassified portion of the report required shall be made available to the public on an internet website of the Department of State.

The bill clearly stated that Congress should push for any necessary steps to ensure that the Iranian Republic does not develop a nuclear weapons capability, referring to the military option that the administration did not rule out in its recent statements.

The lawmakers' request is not limited to Iran only but extends to its regional agents and destabilizing activities to provide Congress with a clear picture of Iran's malign activities at the domestic and international levels.

It also includes drone development activities and details of the United States' efforts to counter Iran's political and military influence.



Russia Fires over 100 Drones at Ukraine as Kremlin Dismisses Transport Chief after Travel Chaos

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Rio via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Rio via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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Russia Fires over 100 Drones at Ukraine as Kremlin Dismisses Transport Chief after Travel Chaos

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Rio via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Rio via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russia fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said Monday, as the Kremlin dismissed the country’s transport chief after a weekend of travel chaos when Russian airports grounded hundreds of flights due to the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks. 

At least 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured, including three children, in Russian attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said. 

Russia recently has intensified its aerial strikes on civilian areas after more than three years of war. Over the past week, Russia launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday. 

Russia’s bigger army is also trying hard to break through at some points along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620 miles) front line, where Ukrainian forces are severely stretched. 

The strain of keeping Russia’s invasion at bay, and the lack of progress in direct peace talks, has compelled Ukraine to seek more military help from the US and Europe. 

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a leading US defense company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives “hundreds of thousands” more this year. 

“Air defense is the main thing for protecting life,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday. 

That includes developing and manufacturing interceptor drones that can stop Russia’s long-range Shahed drones, he said. 

Extensive use of drones has also helped Ukraine compensate for its troop shortages on the front line. 

One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, 27 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said. 

Russian short-range drones also killed two people and injured two others in the northern Sumy region, officials said. Sumy is one of the places where Russia has concentrated large numbers of troops. 

Also, nine people were injured and seven killed in the eastern Donetsk region, regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. He didn’t specify the type of weapons used. 

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday that its troops shot down 91 Ukrainian drones in 13 Russian regions overnight, as well as over the Black Sea and the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. 

The Kremlin dismissed Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt on Monday, an order published on the Kremlin website said. 

The announcement did not give a reason for Starovoyt’s dismissal. Over the weekend, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions because of Ukrainian drone attacks.