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IAEA: Tehran Not Fulfilling Nuclear Commitments

International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi in Vienna on Wednesday. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi in Vienna on Wednesday. (Reuters)
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IAEA: Tehran Not Fulfilling Nuclear Commitments

International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi in Vienna on Wednesday. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi in Vienna on Wednesday. (Reuters)

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Thursday that Iran is not fulfilling many aspects of its nuclear commitments.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi told Iran International that "Iran has ceased to implement lots of aspects and nuclear-related obligations under the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).”
“We once again call on Iran to halt all production of uranium enriched to 60 percent. No other non-nuclear weapons states party to the NPT enriches to 60 percent because there is no reasonable peaceful application for such material,” US Ambassador Laura Holgate said.
“As reported by the Director General, establishing a new verification baseline for these activities would pose major challenges. We urge Iran to cooperate fully with the Agency in providing all relevant data and look forward to further reporting from the Director General on these issues.”
The three European countries - members of the JCPOA - stressed that Iran should abstain from intensifying its nuclear program.
Presenting his latest report, Grossi said: “You will note that Iran’s stockpiles of uranium enriched up to 5%, enriched up to 20%, and enriched up to 60% – high enriched uranium – have all increased since we met in September with the increase of the 60% continuing at the same rate as I reported at the time of the last Board."
Iran has enough uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to weapons-grade, for three atom bombs by the IAEA's definition and is still stonewalling the agency on key issues, confidential IAEA reports showed on Wednesday.
Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% grew to 128.3 kg since the last report on Sept. 4, one of the two reports to member states seen by Reuters said. That is more than three times the roughly 42 kg that by the IAEA's definition is theoretically enough, if enriched further, for a nuclear bomb.
"The (IAEA) Director General (Grossi) continues to strongly condemn Iran's sudden withdrawal of the designations of several experienced Agency inspectors," it added.
On Sep.17, Iran revoked the license of eight inspectors of the IAEA in Iran with French and German nationalities.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said that this decision was taken because the inspectors were politicizing the matter.

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Trudeau Says He Will Step Down after New Liberal Party Leader Named

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)
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Trudeau Says He Will Step Down after New Liberal Party Leader Named

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Canada on January 6, 2025. (AFP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberals after nine years in office but will stay on in his post until the party chooses a replacement.

Trudeau, under heavy pressure from Liberal legislators to quit amid polls showing the party will be crushed at the next election, said at a news conference that parliament would be suspended until March 24.

That means an election is unlikely to be held before May and Trudeau will still be prime minister when US President-elect Donald Trump - who has threatened tariffs that would cripple Canada's economy - takes office on Jan. 20.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau said.

Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015 and won reelection twice, becoming one of Canada's longest-serving prime ministers.

But his popularity started dipping two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage, and his fortunes never recovered.

Polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October, regardless of who the leader is.

Parliament was due to resume on Jan. 27 and opposition parties had vowed to bring down the government as soon as they could, most likely at the end of March. But if parliament does not return until March 24, the earliest they could present a non-confidence motion would be some time in May.

Trudeau said he had asked Canada's Governor General, the representative of King Charles in the country, to prorogue parliament and she had granted that request.

Trudeau had until recently been able to fend off Liberal legislators worried about the poor showing in polls and the loss of safe seats in two special elections last year.

But calls for him to step aside have soared since last month, when he tried to demote Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, after she pushed back against his proposals for more spending.

Freeland quit instead and penned a letter accusing Trudeau of "political gimmicks" rather than focusing on what was best for the country.

"Removing me from the equation as the leader who will fight the next election for the Liberal Party should also decrease the level of polarization that we're seeing right now in the House and in Canadian politics," Trudeau said.

The Conservatives are led by Pierre Poilievre, a career politician who rose to prominence in early 2022 when he supported truck drivers who took over the center of Ottawa as part of a protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.