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No Known Intelligence that Iran Moved Uranium, US Defense Chief Says

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, speak during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, US, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Idrees Ali
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, speak during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, US, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Idrees Ali
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No Known Intelligence that Iran Moved Uranium, US Defense Chief Says

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, speak during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, US, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Idrees Ali
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, speak during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, US, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Idrees Ali

US defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes on Iran's nuclear program over the weekend.

"I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise," Hegseth said, Reuters reported.

After the strikes, several experts also cautioned that Iran likely moved a stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium out of Fordow before the strike early Sunday morning and could be hiding it and other nuclear components in locations unknown to Israel, the US and UN nuclear inspectors.

They noted satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showing "unusual activity" at Fordow on Thursday and Friday, with a long line of vehicles waiting outside an entrance to the facility. A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday most of the near weapons-grade 60% highly enriched uranium had been moved to an undisclosed location before the US attack. Hegseth's comments denying those claims came at a news briefing where he accused the media of downplaying the success of US strikes on Iran's nuclear program following a leaked, preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency suggesting they may have only set back Iran by months.

Hegseth said the assessment was low confidence, and, citing comments from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, said it had been overtaken by intelligence showing Iran's nuclear program was severely damaged by recent US strikes, and that it would take years to rebuild.

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World

Russian Attacks Knock Out Power for Thousands in Ukraine’s North

A woman is holding a Ukrainian flag and crying after the buses with released Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) drove by in the Chernihiv region on March 6, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A woman is holding a Ukrainian flag and crying after the buses with released Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) drove by in the Chernihiv region on March 6, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Russian Attacks Knock Out Power for Thousands in Ukraine’s North

A woman is holding a Ukrainian flag and crying after the buses with released Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) drove by in the Chernihiv region on March 6, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
A woman is holding a Ukrainian flag and crying after the buses with released Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) drove by in the Chernihiv region on March 6, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Russian attacks damaged two energy facilities in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region, leaving close to 212,000 consumers without power, a regional electricity distribution company said on Wednesday.

Chernihivoblenergo said nearly 150,000 consumers in the city of Chernihiv and the surrounding district were without power after a Russian attack damaged an energy ‌facility in ‌the Chernihiv district.

It later added ‌that ⁠close to another ⁠62,000 consumers were left without power in three other districts in the region after an attack on an energy facility in the Nizhynskyi district.

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 147 drones ⁠at the country overnight, of which ‌121 were downed ‌or neutralized.

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy ‌facilities throughout the war, causing regular, hours-long ‌blackouts across the country. Ukraine has also targeted Russia's energy system, particularly oil refineries, depots and transport terminals.

Chernihiv was badly hit by ‌power outages over the winter as Russia carried out its biggest ⁠bombing ⁠campaign of the four-year war against Ukraine's electricity grid.

An earlier attack left much of the region without power on Saturday.

Close to 21,000 residents of the town of Slavutych, which lies in the neighboring Kyiv region, were also temporarily without power after a morning attack, the regional governor said on Telegram.

Critical infrastructure has been switched to backup power supplies, the governor added.

World

UK Police Arrest 2 Men over Arson Attack on Jewish Charity Ambulances

A member (L) of the Jewish community views the scene of an antisemitic arson attack through a makeshift fence in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026, a day after volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation were set on fire. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)
A member (L) of the Jewish community views the scene of an antisemitic arson attack through a makeshift fence in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026, a day after volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation were set on fire. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)
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UK Police Arrest 2 Men over Arson Attack on Jewish Charity Ambulances

A member (L) of the Jewish community views the scene of an antisemitic arson attack through a makeshift fence in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026, a day after volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation were set on fire. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)
A member (L) of the Jewish community views the scene of an antisemitic arson attack through a makeshift fence in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026, a day after volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation were set on fire. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)

British police said they arrested two men in connection with the suspected antisemitic arson attack on four Jewish community ambulances in north London earlier this week.

Police said on Wednesday the men, aged 47 and 45, were arrested at addresses in north west London and central ⁠London respectively, and were ⁠being held in custody.

The ambulances were set on fire in the early hours of Monday morning in an attack which British Prime Minister Keir ⁠Starmer called a "deeply shocking antisemitic arson". No injuries were reported.

Police, who had previously said they were looking into a possible link to Iran, said the investigation continued, as CCTV footage had suggested there were at least three people involved.

An enhanced police presence remained in place ⁠around ⁠the affected communities in north London as a precaution, the police statement added.

In Britain, concern has mounted about rising levels of antisemitism, while authorities have also warned of the threat posed by Iran, including the surveillance or targeting of Jewish sites. Tehran has denied such accusations.

World

Tehran Rejects Trump's Talk of Negotiation, as Israel and Iran Launch Airstrikes

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after airstrikes targeting Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after airstrikes targeting Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
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Tehran Rejects Trump's Talk of Negotiation, as Israel and Iran Launch Airstrikes

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after airstrikes targeting Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after airstrikes targeting Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Israel and Iran exchanged airstrikes on Wednesday, as Iran's military rejected President Donald Trump's claim Washington was in negotiations to end to the war, saying the US is negotiating with itself.

The rejection of negotiations by the unified command of the Iranian Armed Forces, which is dominated by the Revolutionary Guards, comes amid reports the US has sent a 15-point plan for discussion to Tehran.

"Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you (Trump) negotiating with yourself?" the top spokesperson for Iran's joint military command, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, said on Iranian state TV.

"People like us can never get along with people like you."

"As we have always said... no one like us will make a deal with you. Not now. Not ever."

Iran's leadership has previously said it cannot negotiate with the US as it has attacked the country twice during high level negotiations in the past two years.

Four weeks into the war that has killed thousands, created the worst energy shock in history and sparked global inflation fears, there was no letup in airstrikes from Iran and Israel on Wednesday.

The Israeli Defense Forces said in a Telegram post it had launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran. The semi-official Iranian SNN News Agency said the strikes hit a residential ⁠area in the ⁠city, with rescuers searching the rubble.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched a new wave of attacks against locations in Israel including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as U.S. bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, Iranian state media reported.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday the US was in "negotiations" with "the right people" in Iran to end the war, adding the Iranians wanted to reach a deal very badly.

Stocks rose and oil prices fell on Wednesday on reports the US is seeking a month-long ceasefire and had sent a 15-point plan to Iran for discussion, raising hopes for a ⁠resumption of oil exports out of the Arabian Gulf.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Washington sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war in the Middle East. Israel's Channel 12, quoting three sources, said the US was seeking a month-long ceasefire to discuss the 15-point plan.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed that the US had sent a plan to Iran but provided no further details.

The Israeli media outlet said the plan would include the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, ceasing support for proxy groups, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 after saying they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending Iran's nuclear program, although mediator Oman said significant progress had been made.

The US struck Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025.

Since the start of "Operation Epic Fury" by the US in February, Iran has attacked countries that host US bases, struck Gulf energy infrastructure and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.