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IAEA Monitors Iran's 60% Uranium Enrichment Reduction

Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami (File photo: Reuters)
Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami (File photo: Reuters)
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IAEA Monitors Iran's 60% Uranium Enrichment Reduction

Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami (File photo: Reuters)
Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami (File photo: Reuters)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors are monitoring Iran as it is slowing the rate at which it's stockpiling near weapons-grade uranium, according to Bloomberg.

The step comes in reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran after they reached an informal understanding that includes a deal to release prisoners and increase the flow of Iranian oil to global markets in exchange for releasing Iran's frozen assets.

IAEA director Rafael Grossi is preparing to publish his quarterly report on Iran's safeguards before the board meeting on Sept. 11 in Vienna.

Bloomberg said that some nuclear officials expect the IAEA's quarterly report to show Iran reducing its uranium enrichment production by 60 percent.

Tehran and the major powers participating in the 2015 nuclear agreement entered a diplomatic path to revive the deal in April 2021.

Tehran began enriching uranium by 60 percent in response to the 2021 attack on the largest nuclear fuel station at Natanz, for which Israel held responsibility.

Earlier this month, Iran said that informal contacts could eventually lead to the resumption of nuclear talks. It has modulated uranium output to signal diplomatic readiness in the past.

US officials secretly admitted that they had already begun to ease the application of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, allowing Tehran to restore production to the highest level since the restrictions kicked in five years ago.

With the world's No. 4 oil reserves, Iran has been shipping the most crude to China in a decade, and government officials say they're confident output will only grow.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted consultants and companies that track tanker shipments saying that Iran's oil output and exports jumped in August despite US sanctions, as Tehran sells to buyers including China.

Analysts said the higher exports result from Iran's success in evading US sanctions and Washington's discretion in enforcing them as the two countries seek better relations.

The United States has sought to limit Iran's oil exports since Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear accord in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions aimed at curbing revenues to Iran's government.

According to the industry trackers, exports have risen during President Joe Biden's term, with China a top buyer.

SVB International, a consultant, estimates Iran's oil production increased in August to 3.15 million barrels per day (bpd), the highest since 2018, with crude oil and condensate exports at just under 2 million bpd.

Sarah Vakhshouri, from the company, said that Iran is on the path to recover its pre-sanctions oil production.

Three other trackers contacted by Reuters had similar estimates.

The United States is in talks with Iran over a potential agreement in which Iran would release five US citizens and $6 billion in Iranian funds in South Korea would be unfrozen.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has declined to offer a timeline on a deal.

Analysts said Iran has for years evaded oil sanctions through ship-to-ship transfers and "spoofing," or manipulating GPS transponders so that ships show up in different positions. Tehran is only getting better at those tactics.

According to figures from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which Iran is a member, a production rate of 3.15 million bpd would be the highest figure for Iran since 2018.

TankerTrackers.com, which assesses oil shipments, estimates Iran's crude and condensate exports averaged 1.92 million bpd in the first 27 days of August, of which the crude portion was 1.77 million bpd, in figures provided to Reuters.

According to the company's figures, the August oil exports would be the highest monthly rate this year.

Another tanker-tracking firm that declined to be named said August crude exports exceeded 1.5 million bpd.

Kpler, a flow data provider, expects August crude exports to average about 1.2 million bpd, down from a 2018 high of 1.54 million bpd in May. The company often revises up its figures.

Iran has said it expects higher supply in the near term. State media quoted Iran's oil minister as saying crude output will reach 3.4 million bpd by the end of September.

The rise from Iran comes as OPEC+, which includes OPEC, Russia, and others, is cutting output to support the oil market, where expectations that economic weakness will dent demand have weighed on prices.

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World

A 60-Day Deadline Could Pressure Trump on Ending the Iran War

US Air Force personnel perform maintenance on bomber at UK's RAF Fairford (EPA)
US Air Force personnel perform maintenance on bomber at UK's RAF Fairford (EPA)
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A 60-Day Deadline Could Pressure Trump on Ending the Iran War

US Air Force personnel perform maintenance on bomber at UK's RAF Fairford (EPA)
US Air Force personnel perform maintenance on bomber at UK's RAF Fairford (EPA)

Washington - Robert Jimison

Over nearly eight weeks of war in Iran, Republicans in Congress have turned back repeated efforts by Democrats to halt the operation and force US President Donald Trump, who began the conflict without congressional authorization, to consult with lawmakers on the military campaign.

But some Republicans have signaled that a key statutory deadline in the coming weeks could be an inflection point when they will expect the president to either wind down the conflict or seek congressional approval to continue it.

Democrats have tried and failed several times to invoke a provision of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a law aimed at curbing a president’s ability to wage war without congressional approval, to challenge the conflict in Iran.

The latest defeat came on Wednesday, when Senate Republicans blocked such a measure for the fifth time since the war began.

Yet the law also establishes a set of deadlines, the first of which is coming on May 1, that could increase the pressure on the Trump administration in the coming days. Here is what the law says about how long a president can continue to direct US forces in a conflict without congressional approval.

The 60-Day Mark

When the United States began joint strikes with the Israeli air force on Feb. 28, the president said he was acting under his authority as commander in chief to protect US bases in the Middle East, and to “advance vital United States national interests.”

He said the action was taken in “collective self-defense of our regional allies, including Israel.”

Many Democrats disputed that justification and have continued to argue that Trump acted illegally.

White House officials and most Republicans on Capitol Hill say he is operating within the bounds of the war powers statute, which sets a 60-day clock for a president to remove American forces from hostilities without congressional authorization to use military force.

Although the war began at the end of February, Trump formally notified Congress of the operation on March 2, starting the 60-day period that ends on May 1.

Some Republicans have already signaled they will not support any extension beyond 60 days.

Senator John Curtis, Republican of Utah, wrote in an opinion essay earlier this month that he “will not support ongoing military action beyond a 60-day window without congressional approval.”

Other Republicans, including Representative Brian Mast of Florida, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that the president could lose significant support if the conflict continued into May.

Moments after Republicans just barely blocked a war powers resolution in the House last week, Mast said there could be “a different vote count after 60 days,” alluding to the May 1 deadline.

A 30-Day Extension

Under the statute, once the initial 60-day deadline passes, the president’s options for continuing a military campaign without congressional approval become limited.

At that point, Trump would effectively have three choices: seek congressional authorization to continue the campaign, begin winding down US involvement or give himself an extension.

The law allows a one-time, 30-day extension of the deployment if the president certifies in writing that additional time is necessary to facilitate the safe withdrawal of US forces, but it does not grant authority to continue waging an offensive campaign.

Congress Can Authorize the War

Lawmakers also have the option at any time of granting explicit permission for Trump to continue the operation by passing an authorization for the use of military force.

Such measures have become the primary way Congress approves military campaigns short of a formal declaration of war, something that has not been done since World War II.

While Republicans have largely united in blocking Democrats’ attempts to halt the war, it is unclear whether the same unity exists when it comes to affirmatively authorizing the conflict.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, has said she is working with a group of senators on a formal authorization for the use of military force against Iran, but has yet to introduce the resolution.

Congress has not voted in favor of using military force since 2002, when lawmakers authorized it against Iraq.

Murkowski was an early critic of the administration’s lack of transparency around the objectives, costs and timeline for the war, and said that her goal with an authorization vote would be to reassert congressional authority and require the administration to be held to firm parameters for the operation.

Why Trump Might Ignore the Deadlines

Administrations led by presidents of both parties have long argued that the Constitution gives broad authority to the commander in chief, meaning that the limits the war powers law places on the president are unconstitutional.

In 2011, President Barack Obama continued a military engagement in Libya beyond the 60-day mark, arguing that the law did not apply because “US operations do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor do they involve US ground troops.”

Though that prompted bipartisan backlash at the time, some lawmakers anticipate that the Trump administration could make a similar argument about Iran.

During his first term, Trump similarly balked at the law in 2019 when he vetoed a bipartisan resolution both chambers had passed that sought to end American military involvement in Yemen’s civil war. He argued then that the measure was an “unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities.”

Still, ignoring the deadline could pose a political problem for Republicans, which so far has given the administration broad latitude to carry out the war without congressional involvement, including any formal oversight.

“Many Republicans are on record having set the 60-day mark as somehow legally important,” said Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who has been among the Democrats offering resolutions aimed at limiting the president’s ability to continue the war without congressional authorization. “So I do think it will be harder for Republicans to continue to look the other way once we are out of the 60 days.”

The New York Times

World

Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei 'Gravely Wounded' but 'Mentally Sharp'

A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard in front of a billboard showing Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian military commanders during a rally to mark International Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, 13 March 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard in front of a billboard showing Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian military commanders during a rally to mark International Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, 13 March 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
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Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei 'Gravely Wounded' but 'Mentally Sharp'

A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard in front of a billboard showing Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian military commanders during a rally to mark International Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, 13 March 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard in front of a billboard showing Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian military commanders during a rally to mark International Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, 13 March 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was seriously wounded in the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei but is mentally sharp, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Citing several Iranian officials which it did not name, the Times said Mojtaba Khamenei had “at least for now” delegated decision-making to generals in the Revolutionary Guards army.

Khamenei has not appeared in public since succeeding his father and only issued written statements, creating speculation over his condition and if he is still alive, according to AFP.

Although Mojtaba Khamenei was “gravely wounded (in the February 28 airstrike), he is mentally sharp and engaged,” the NYT report said.

“One leg was operated on three times, and he is awaiting a prosthetic. He had surgery on one hand and is slowly regaining function. His face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak,” it cited the officials as saying, adding that “eventually, he will need plastic surgery.”

Access for security reasons is extremely limited to Khamenei, who remains in hiding, with only handwritten messages passed on, it said.

Guards commanders do not visit him but President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is also a heart surgeon, has been involved in his care, it said.

The report said the generals from the Guards viewed the war with the US and Israel “as a threat to the regime's survival” that has now been contained.

They have also been in charge of military strategy, including the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

World

France, UK Eye 'Real Progress' in Hormuz Plan

Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey (R) and Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) Lieutenant General Nick Perry attend a 'Strait of Hormuz Military Planning Conference' at the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, north-west London on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Alastair Grant / POOL / AFP)
Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey (R) and Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) Lieutenant General Nick Perry attend a 'Strait of Hormuz Military Planning Conference' at the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, north-west London on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Alastair Grant / POOL / AFP)
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France, UK Eye 'Real Progress' in Hormuz Plan

Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey (R) and Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) Lieutenant General Nick Perry attend a 'Strait of Hormuz Military Planning Conference' at the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, north-west London on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Alastair Grant / POOL / AFP)
Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey (R) and Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) Lieutenant General Nick Perry attend a 'Strait of Hormuz Military Planning Conference' at the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, north-west London on April 23, 2026. (Photo by Alastair Grant / POOL / AFP)

Britain and France Thursday voiced hope that military plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz were coming together and would succeed in restoring trade flows through the vital passage.

At a two-day meeting in London, military planners discussed the practicalities of a multinational mission led by the UK and France to protect navigation in the key waterway following a sustainable ceasefire, top defense officials said.

The aim is to form a "defensive, multinational mission that will strengthen the confidence of commercial shipping, and, if necessary, clear mines and protect vessels when the hostilities end", AFP quoted British defense minister John Healey as saying.

The British ministry said the meeting involved more than 44 countries from every continent.

Healey and French counterpart Catherine Vautrin said in a joint statement they were "confident that real progress can be made".

"International trade, energy, and economic stability for all our nations depend on freedom of navigation" in the strait, Healey told those attending.

He called for "practical military plans", saying "millions of people" were relying on a successful outcome from the meeting.

"We can't let them down," he said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said more than a dozen countries have agreed to participate in the mission to free up navigation in Hormuz.

Iran said on Wednesday it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as the United States continued to blockade Iranian ports.

While strikes around the region have mostly stopped since the start of a ceasefire, the US and Iran have continued to exert pressure around the trade route.

Before the war started on February 28, about a fifth of the world's oil was shipped through the Strait.