Nuclear Chief: Iran Can Enrich Uranium ‘At Any Rate’

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) head Mohammad Eslami (Reuters)
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) head Mohammad Eslami (Reuters)
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Nuclear Chief: Iran Can Enrich Uranium ‘At Any Rate’

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) head Mohammad Eslami (Reuters)
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) head Mohammad Eslami (Reuters)

Iran can enrich uranium whenever it wants, and at any rate, announced head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami.

In an interview with Iranian television, Eslami stated that the US wanted to stop Iran's nuclear technology but failed.

Asked about the failed negotiations to revive the nuclear deal, Eslami said that it was proved that the US reasons for not agreeing were mere excuses and that Washington's primary goal was to prevent Iran's progress.

Asked about reaching 60 percent of enriched uranium, the official said this step had a noticeable impact, and it was only normal to affect the negotiations.

He added that the US officials have an impression that Iran is a nuclear state and they cannot get rid of that quickly. More importantly, they realized these local abilities could not be eliminated.

Eslami pointed out that Iran recently carried out an unprecedented amount of enrichment, proving to all, whether friends or enemies, that the Iranian ability is real and undeniable.

Negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement between Iran and the major powers stalled in Vienna more than a year ago. Last September, the EU's attempt to renew the talks failed.

Tehran enriched uranium to 20 percent at the Natanz plant days after US President Joe Biden assumed his position in January 2021 and raised the enrichment rate to 60 percent at the facility in April.

In January 2022, Tehran began enriching uranium by 20 percent at the Fordow facility, and in June, it raised the enrichment to a purity of 60 percent.

In February, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said Iran's estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 18 times the limit set out in the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers.



Garbage Heap Collapse Kills 9 at India Waste Plant

This photograph taken on July 8, 2026 shows a pedestrian (C) walking amidst vehicles along a bridge in New Delhi. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
This photograph taken on July 8, 2026 shows a pedestrian (C) walking amidst vehicles along a bridge in New Delhi. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
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Garbage Heap Collapse Kills 9 at India Waste Plant

This photograph taken on July 8, 2026 shows a pedestrian (C) walking amidst vehicles along a bridge in New Delhi. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
This photograph taken on July 8, 2026 shows a pedestrian (C) walking amidst vehicles along a bridge in New Delhi. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)

Nine workers were killed at a waste-to-energy plant in western India after a garbage heap collapsed onto an administrative building following heavy rains, the facility's operator said Monday.

Building and construction accidents are common during India's June-to-September monsoon season, with old and rickety structures buckling after prolonged downpours.

The accident occurred last Wednesday at the Antony Waste plant on the outskirts of Pune, when thousands of tons of waste from a nearby landfill gave way, trapping 23 people inside the building.

"The incident, triggered by incessant rains causing thousands of tons of waste from an adjacent landfill to destabilize, severely damaged the structure where 23 personnel were present," AFP quoted the company as saying in a statement.

Nine were killed and the other 14 were rescued alive.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the rain as workers struggled to reach those buried under debris, according to plant officials.

Operations at the plant have been temporarily suspended pending structural and safety assessments.

Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in India, the world's most populous country.

The arrival of a potentially powerful El Nino weather system this year could also shift normal weather patterns in the country, weather forecasters say.


Germany Funds 50,000 Strike Drones for Ukraine, Source Says

FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine prepares to launch a Hornet middle strike drone towards Russian troops from a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine prepares to launch a Hornet middle strike drone towards Russian troops from a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo
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Germany Funds 50,000 Strike Drones for Ukraine, Source Says

FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine prepares to launch a Hornet middle strike drone towards Russian troops from a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine prepares to launch a Hornet middle strike drone towards Russian troops from a position near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 23, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo

Germany is funding 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter said, in an order that marks one of the biggest known purchases of drones for Kyiv by a Western government.

Ukraine has relied heavily on a range of unmanned vehicles during the more than four-year-old war against Russia, and it is producing millions of drones annually ‌as Ukrainian ‌forces conduct thousands of drone strikes each day, Reuters said.

The ‌attack ⁠drone order involves ⁠Shrike first-person-view (FPV) drones made by major Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall and equipped with software from US defense technology firm Auterion designed to autonomously track and hit moving targets in the final phase of the flight.

Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed the size of the contract, adding that it was worth about €90 million ($103 million) and was funded by a European ⁠country. Meier told Reuters some of the drones ‌had already been delivered to Ukraine's government ‌with the rest due for dispatch this year.

SkyFall confirmed Germany's involvement, ‌but said the company could not comment on the details of ‌the purchase.

Germany's Defense Ministry declined to comment, citing operational security.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry also declined to comment.

SHRIKE CATCHES PENTAGON'S EYE

The Shrike, a low-cost drone that has been deployed in Ukraine since 2023, recently gained prominence overseas.

A ‌version called Shrike 10-F produced by SkyFall with UK company Skycutter recently topped the leaderboard in the ⁠first round of ⁠a Pentagon-run competition as part of a $1.1 billion initiative to buy hundreds of thousands of one-way attack drones. Auterion said its software was being used in several entries in the competition.

Meier said Auterion was helping to supply a total of 100,000 drones for Ukraine this year in partnership with different hardware makers, funded by several Western governments.

That also includes a $50 million Pentagon contract to provide 33,000 drones, which he said have been delivered to Ukraine.

Last month, Britain said it would provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine this year as part of a broader £752 million ($1.01 billion) funding package.


Fire Breaks Out at Bangkok Pub, Killing at Least 27 People

Tables and chairs are covered in ash in the aftermath of a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
Tables and chairs are covered in ash in the aftermath of a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
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Fire Breaks Out at Bangkok Pub, Killing at Least 27 People

Tables and chairs are covered in ash in the aftermath of a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
Tables and chairs are covered in ash in the aftermath of a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar in Bangkok on July 13, 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

A huge fire tore through a pub in Bangkok overnight into Monday, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens before firefighters brought the blaze under control.

Footage shared online by first responders shows a huge blaze raging and plumes coming out of the front door of the Na Ladprao hall in the northern part of the Thai capital. People are seen trying to flee as thick black smoke billows into the sky.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said investigators would examine the ceiling materials and whether any emergency exits may have been obstructed, potentially making it more difficult for people to evacuate.

The Bangkok city government said the fire broke out shortly before midnight Sunday.

By Monday morning, the site had been cordoned off as dozens of Thai forensic officers combed through the burned remains for clues about what caused the fire.

The building's street-facing windows had been blown out and debris littered the sidewalk, including charred television sets, speakers and an electric guitar. From outside, the scale of the devastation was visible through the shattered windows, where burned-out tables, some still holding empty beer bottles, remained inside, The Associated Press reported.

Some Buddhist monks visited the site Monday morning to pray for the victims, while nurses handed out face masks to people nearby to help protect them from smoke and lingering fumes from the burned-out building.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the scene that 27 people died.

Bangkok Gov. said 63 people were taken to the hospital, 22 of them in critical conditions. He said authorities are working on identifying victims as many did not carry an ID or were unconscious.

Firefighters took about half an hour to bring the fire under control. Photos of the aftermath show charred tables and chairs, and the damaged interior of the bar.

A registration spot was set up to gather information from relatives coming at the scene looking for their loved ones.