UN Nuclear Watchdog’s Board Sets Emergency Meeting on Zaporizhzhia Attackshttps://english.aawsat.com/world/4956951-un-nuclear-watchdog%E2%80%99s-board-sets-emergency-meeting-zaporizhzhia-attacks
UN Nuclear Watchdog’s Board Sets Emergency Meeting on Zaporizhzhia Attacks
A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir near the town of Nikopol after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine June 16, 2023. (Reuters)
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UN Nuclear Watchdog’s Board Sets Emergency Meeting on Zaporizhzhia Attacks
A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir near the town of Nikopol after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine June 16, 2023. (Reuters)
The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday at Ukraine and Russia's request to discuss attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the notification to member states seen by Reuters said.
Drones attacked the Russian-held facility in southern Ukraine, Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, on Sunday, hitting one reactor building, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said, adding that nuclear safety was unaffected.
Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused one another of targeting Zaporizhzhia; both sides deny doing so.
In a confidential note to member states on Tuesday, the Board's chairperson said Ukraine and Russia had written to him on Monday requesting an extraordinary meeting.
"I hereby notify the Members of the Board that a meeting of the Board has been arranged as follows: 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Thursday, 11 April 2024," the note said, hours after diplomats had told Reuters the meeting was due to be held that day.
The meeting is unlikely to bring clarity as to who was behind recent attacks. The Board has passed four resolutions since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 condemning Russian actions against Ukrainian nuclear facilities. The most recent was last month, calling on Russia to withdraw from Zaporizhzhia.
Only China has joined Russia in opposing those resolutions. Diplomats said they had not heard of a push for a resolution on Thursday, which would be more difficult at such short notice.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has not assigned blame for the attacks but demanded that they stop.
"Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said after Sunday's drone strikes.
The Russian and Ukrainian letters were attached to the chairperson's note.
Russia said it wanted a meeting on "the recent attacks and provocations of the armed forces of Ukraine" against Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian statement said Kyiv wanted to discuss "the situation in Ukraine and the safety, security and safeguards implications".
The meeting's agenda, also attached, had only one item: "matters referred to" in the letters.
The rules of the Board, the Vienna-based IAEA's top decision-making body that meets several times a year, state that any country on it can call a meeting. Both Russia and Ukraine are on the Board this year.
People visit the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran, November 4, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
IRGC Media: Technical Modifications to Allow Iran Develop Missiles that Reach US
People visit the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran, November 4, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran on Saturday said it could introduce technical modifications to its long-range missiles, enabling them to reach US territory.
Tasnim News agency, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) affiliated media outlet, said modifications to the Khorramshahr-4’s warhead could increase its range to 3,000 or 4,000 kilometers by reducing the weight of its warhead to 1,500-kilogram instead of 2,000.
It said a modified version of the missile would reach US bases and those of its allies in eastern and southeastern Europe, as well as central Europe.
Also, the news agency said Iran would develop an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of approximately 10,000 kilometers to reach the US East Coast, including areas near Washington and New York, and more than 13,000 kilometers to cover the entire US territory.
Tasnim noted that such modification “is possible at present” using the IRGC’s satellite launch vehicles, including the Qased, Zuljanah and Qaem systems, constructing underground “missile cities,” and developing a warhead capable of withstanding re-entry into the Earth's orbit.
Opened Lock
Last week, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued an order to respond to threats of any scale or type with an “immediate and effective response without geographical restrictions.”
Khamenei issued the directives during his first publicly announced meeting with senior military commanders since taking office.
Tasnim on Saturday admitted that former Leader Ali Khamenei had restricted the range of ballistic missiles manufactured in the country to 2,000 kilometers.
It said by “abusing our patience,” Iran’s “enemies unlocked a key aspect of its offensive capabilities.”
Last week, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman General Hossein Mohebbi confirmed the removal of the 2,000-kilometer range restriction.
“That restriction has been lifted for us,” he declared, without specifying a new range or whether Iran possessed missiles exceeding the previous limit. He promised to demonstrate those capabilities “in practice.”
In August 2025, Iranian lawmaker Amir Hayat-Moqaddam told local media that Tehran has been developing long-range strike capabilities for two decades. He warned that “perhaps our next missile will hit Washington directly. We can target America from the sea.”
Also, Iranian lawmaker Kamran Ghazanfari claimed in early November that Iran developed intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting Europe and the United States.
People visit the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Museum in Tehran, Iran, November 4, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Stealth Cruise Missile
Meanwhile, Iranian state television displayed an inspection of a strategic missile facility belonging to the IRGC.
It aired footage on Tuesday describing the underground complex as a new “missile city.”
A military analyst said on his page that the Guards’ missile unit had “quietly” unveiled two new missiles, but that “their unveiling is significant” to those who “monitor and analyze.”
He described the first one as Iran’s “first stealth cruise missile,” noting that its jet engine—which had been mounted externally on previous cruise missiles, making them easier to detect—is now housed inside the body.
The second, he said, is a ballistic missile that combines the warhead of the “Fattah” hypersonic missile with the “Khyber Shikan 2” missile, explaining that the range of the “Fattah” has increased from about 1,400 kilometers to nearly 2,000 kilometers.
Iranian state television aired footage on Tuesday of Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi during his inspection of a strategic missile facility belonging to the IRGC.
It reported the unveiling of new weapons, including a “surprise” missile, without disclosing its name, range or specifications. Iranian media revealed neither the facility’s location nor the date of the visit.
Treats Expand to Europe
Meanwhile, Iran’s hardline newspaper Kayhan said on Wednesday that Tehran would expand threats against US bases beyond the region, including facilities in Europe and neighboring countries if a new war resumes.
“By removing the geographical limits on threats, the enemy should hear the roar of new missiles at US bases thousands of kilometers away in Germany, Britain, Albania, Greece, Cyprus and some neighboring countries,” said the newspaper, which is published under the supervision of the supreme leader’s representative.
Despite claiming it restricts its missile range, Iran in March reportedly tried and failed to hit the joint US-UK base at Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, some 4,000 kilometers away from Iran.
No War No Peace State
US President Donald Trump has told senior advisers in recent days that he may hold off on attacking Iran if the US faces no new provocations, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Trump has alternated between threats of escalating the war with new strikes and winding down hostilities, and current and former officials say he does not appear to have made up his mind about how to resolve the unpopular conflict, which he launched in February with Israel.
But in meetings with his national security advisers and after a series of intelligence briefings, Trump said he was considering holding off on strikes, said the people, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on condition of anonymity.
He has also indicated sympathy for allies in the region who have asked him not to return to a full-fledged war.
At the same time, the US military is ready to escalate if needed, three more people familiar with US planning said.
A third aircraft carrier is moving into the Middle East in the coming days to replace one of the two currently operating in the region, but all three carriers could stay if needed, the people said.
Trump could opt to bomb Iran's underground nuclear facilities, one of the people familiar with Trump's calls with several leaders said. But the US has already struck those facilities, and it is unclear whether further strikes would be successful.
US intelligence agencies have assessed that renewed strikes would not significantly shift Iran’s demands in negotiations, two US officials said.
Netanyahu Vows to Eliminate Iran Threat ‘Once and for All’https://english.aawsat.com/world/5341241-netanyahu-vows-eliminate-iran-threat-%E2%80%98once-and-all%E2%80%99
10 November 2026, Israel, Jerusalem: Caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech on the sidelines of the opening session of the new Knesset. (dpa)
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Netanyahu Vows to Eliminate Iran Threat ‘Once and for All’
10 November 2026, Israel, Jerusalem: Caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech on the sidelines of the opening session of the new Knesset. (dpa)
Israel's caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated his calls for a national unity government with his opponent Gadi Eisenkot, as well as his vow to eliminate the threat from Iran.
A meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday "only strengthened the conviction that it is essential to form a national unity government" to guarantee Israel's security, Netanyahu said in a video statement, adding that such a government could "eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all".
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Escalates Criticism of SpaceX Over Speed Capshttps://english.aawsat.com/world/5341239-ukraine%E2%80%99s-zelenskiy-escalates-criticism-spacex-over-speed-caps
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds a press briefing in Copenhagen November 10, 2026. (AFP)
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Escalates Criticism of SpaceX Over Speed Caps
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds a press briefing in Copenhagen November 10, 2026. (AFP)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy escalated his criticism of SpaceX on Saturday, saying speed restrictions on its military-grade Starshield satellite terminals had dangerous political implications and undermined critical air defenses.
Zelenskiy said Starshield terminals operating in temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine had been limited to a maximum speed of 161 kph for the past five days, hampering Ukraine's military capabilities.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has raised the issue with SpaceX at the institutional level, Zelenskiy said.
"The restrictions have now been in place for five days. They say it is some kind of technical issue. We do not believe that is the case," Zelenskiy told reporters in remarks released by his office on Saturday.
"If you impose restrictions there, you are already partially recognizing the temporarily occupied territories as not ours. And that is why I believe we have the right to raise this issue and restore the speed – so that there are no restrictions at all."
Zelenskiy said the speed restrictions made it more difficult for Ukrainian air defense units to intercept Russian jet-powered drones and made Ukrainian cities more vulnerable. He said he had ordered his top military and foreign ministry officials to address the issue and seek clarification.
SpaceX has pushed back against the allegations, denying that it introduced new restrictions or made any changes to its satellite operations.
It is the second such outage in recent weeks. In mid-October, Ukrainian officials said that SpaceX limited the speed of Starlink and its Starshield communication systems to about 160 kph (100 mph) amid tensions with US President Donald Trump's administration over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. Service was then restored on October 24.
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