IAEA Says Unable to Verify Whether Iran Has Suspended All Uranium Enrichment

A combination picture of satellite images shows Shiraz South Missile Base in Shiraz South, Iran, before reconstruction, July 3, 2025 (LEFT), and after reconstruction and clearance efforts, January 30, 2026. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
A combination picture of satellite images shows Shiraz South Missile Base in Shiraz South, Iran, before reconstruction, July 3, 2025 (LEFT), and after reconstruction and clearance efforts, January 30, 2026. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
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IAEA Says Unable to Verify Whether Iran Has Suspended All Uranium Enrichment

A combination picture of satellite images shows Shiraz South Missile Base in Shiraz South, Iran, before reconstruction, July 3, 2025 (LEFT), and after reconstruction and clearance efforts, January 30, 2026. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
A combination picture of satellite images shows Shiraz South Missile Base in Shiraz South, Iran, before reconstruction, July 3, 2025 (LEFT), and after reconstruction and clearance efforts, January 30, 2026. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS

Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear agency access to its nuclear facilities bombed by Iran and the United States during a 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the watchdog circulated to member states and seen Friday by The Associated Press.

The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency stressed that it “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities,” or the “size of Iran’s uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.”

The IAEA report on Friday warned that due to the continued lack of access to any of Iran’s four declared enrichment facilities, the agency “cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran.”

The agency also said that Iran has not provided access to IAEA inspectors to the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant since Iran first made available information about the new facility over eight months ago. The confidential report warned that therefore the agency does not know whether this facility “contains nuclear material or is operational.”

The report stressed that the “loss of continuity of knowledge over all previously declared nuclear material at affected facilities in Iran needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency.”

Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, but the IAEA and Western nations say Tehran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003.

The IAEA reported that Iran had informed the agency in a letter dated Feb. 2 that “the conditions resulting from acts of aggression and the continuation of threats have created a situation in which the normal implementation of safeguards is legally untenable and materially impracticable,” adding that it would be “inconsistent with Iran’s essential security considerations."

The confidential IAEA report also said Friday that Iran did provide access to its inspectors “to each of the unaffected nuclear facilities at least once since the military attacks of June 2025, with the exception of Karun Nuclear Power Plant, which is in the early stages of construction and does not contain nuclear material.”

Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA after the war with Israel. Iran is legally obliged to cooperate with the IAEA under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Highly enriched material should be verified regularly According to the IAEA, Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi warned in a recent interview with the AP. He added that it doesn’t mean that Iran has such a weapon.

Such highly enriched nuclear material should normally be verified every month, according to the IAEA’s guidelines.

The IAEA also reported that it had observed, through the analysis of commercially available satellite imagery, “regular vehicular activity around the entrance to the tunnel complex at Isfahan.”

The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.

Both Israel and Iran struck the Isfahan site in June.

The IAEA also reported that through the analysis of commercially available satellite imagery, it has observed “activities being conducted at some of the affected nuclear facilities, including the enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow,” but it added that “without access to these facilities it is not possible for the Agency to confirm the nature and the purpose of the activities.”

The IAEA reported on Friday that Grossi attended negotiations between the US and Iran on Feb. 17 and Feb. 26 in Geneva at which he “provided advice on issues relevant to the verification of Iran’s nuclear program.” The report said that those negotiations are “ongoing."

The Trump administration has held three rounds of nuclear talks this year with Iran under Omani mediation. Thursday's talks in Geneva ended without a deal, leaving the danger of another Mideast war on the table as the US has gathered a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the region.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated in the Geneva talks, said technical discussions involving lower-level representatives would continue next week in Vienna, the home of the IAEA. The agency is likely to be critical in any deal.

The US is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

If the talks fail, uncertainty hangs over the timing of any possible attack, as well as its mission and goals.

Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment on its soil or hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Similar talks last year between the US and Iran about Iran’s nuclear program broke down after the start of the war in June. Before then, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity.

 



Putin Threatens Retaliatory Seizures of European Ships

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting aboard the Guards missile cruiser Varyag during the final stage of the Pacific Fleet's exercises off the coast of Sakhalin region, Russia, 12 August 2026. (EPA/Gavriil Grigorov Kremlin / Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting aboard the Guards missile cruiser Varyag during the final stage of the Pacific Fleet's exercises off the coast of Sakhalin region, Russia, 12 August 2026. (EPA/Gavriil Grigorov Kremlin / Pool)
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Putin Threatens Retaliatory Seizures of European Ships

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting aboard the Guards missile cruiser Varyag during the final stage of the Pacific Fleet's exercises off the coast of Sakhalin region, Russia, 12 August 2026. (EPA/Gavriil Grigorov Kremlin / Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting aboard the Guards missile cruiser Varyag during the final stage of the Pacific Fleet's exercises off the coast of Sakhalin region, Russia, 12 August 2026. (EPA/Gavriil Grigorov Kremlin / Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened to seize ships belonging to European countries in retaliation for plans to sell off cargo seized from Russian "shadow fleet" vessels.

Several European companies have intercepted ships carrying Russian oil in contravention of European sanctions targeting the vital revenue source.

New sanctions passed last month permit EU members to sell the oil or any other cargo seized from the ships.

Moscow has bristled at the moves, with Putin calling it "piracy and banditry".

"We will be forced to respond in kind," the Kremlin chief said while overseeing naval drills in Russia's Far East.

Moscow would act "wherever we ourselves deem necessary and appropriate -- anywhere," he added.

Swedish court documents obtained by AFP earlier in August showed Stockholm will transfer to Kyiv a seized Russian ship suspected of transporting grain from occupied Ukraine.

Putin was speaking aboard the Russian cruiser Varyag off the island of Sakhalin, where Russia's navy was conducting drills.

The exercises come a week before joint US-South Korean war games, designed to simulate a possible invasion from North Korea.

Tensions are high in the region amid accusations from Kyiv and Seoul that Pyongyang and Moscow are further intensifying their military cooperation.


Pakistan Interior Minister in Iran to Discuss Regional Security

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Foreign Ministry Office shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on August 11, 2026. (Iran Foreign Ministry / AFP)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Foreign Ministry Office shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on August 11, 2026. (Iran Foreign Ministry / AFP)
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Pakistan Interior Minister in Iran to Discuss Regional Security

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Foreign Ministry Office shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on August 11, 2026. (Iran Foreign Ministry / AFP)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Foreign Ministry Office shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) meeting with Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on August 11, 2026. (Iran Foreign Ministry / AFP)

Pakistan's interior minister is visiting Iran to discuss regional security, stability and other developments, the Pakistani foreign office said Wednesday, as Islamabad tries to mediate a resolution to the Middle East war.

Mohsin Naqvi, previously involved in mediation efforts between Iran and the US, is known to be close to the powerful head of the Pakistani army, Asim Munir.

Iranian state news agency IRNA reported late Tuesday that Naqvi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

"He is discussing bilateral relations, security, regional security and stability, and constructive engagement amongst the parties in the region and regional developments," Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad.

The Iranian government's website said Naqvi conveyed to Pezeshkian "a message from the Pakistani prime minister and the chief of the army", without specifying its content.

Tehran insists on retaining control of the Strait of Hormuz after the war and wants to charge fees for passage, repeatedly striking ships it accuses of attempting to circumvent its preferred route. The US has imposed a rival blockade on Iranian ports.

Attacks in the waterway, which was free to transit before the war, led to the collapse of an April ceasefire, and mediators have urged both sides to return to the terms of a subsequent June memorandum that set out a path for peace talks.

Last week Iran said it had agreed a route with neighboring Oman for ships transiting the strait and was finalizing arrangements for jointly managing the strategic waterway.

On Tuesday the US military announced that it had fired on a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran's ports.


North Korea Fires Missile Ahead of Major US-South Korea Drills

People watch a news broadcast on a television screen showing a report on a missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, 12 August 2026. (EPA)
People watch a news broadcast on a television screen showing a report on a missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, 12 August 2026. (EPA)
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North Korea Fires Missile Ahead of Major US-South Korea Drills

People watch a news broadcast on a television screen showing a report on a missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, 12 August 2026. (EPA)
People watch a news broadcast on a television screen showing a report on a missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, 12 August 2026. (EPA)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday toward the sea off the Korean peninsula's east coast, South Korean and Japanese authorities said, days ahead of major joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington long denounced by Pyongyang.

The missile was launched from the North's Wonsan area at about 6 a.m. (2100 GMT Tuesday), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, six days after North Korea fired another ballistic missile from the same area.

The launch came ahead of South Korean and US military drills, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield, set to run from August 17 to August 27, aimed at countering Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and weapons capabilities.

Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said the launch ‌was likely part of ‌North Korea's existing weapons development schedule, but the timing could also have been ‌selected ⁠to send a ⁠message ahead of the exercises.

"Even if it was a test of a weapon under development, choosing when to conduct it requires a political decision," Hong said.

There was no immediate statement from North Korea on the Wonsan launch, but Pyongyang on Wednesday afternoon criticized the nuclear ambitions of South Korea and Japan.

South Korea said North Korea also fired a ballistic missile from Wonsan on August 6, but Pyongyang did not report that launch in state media. Hong said that test may have failed to achieve its intended objective.

North Korea's series of tests this year has featured short-range ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and other tactical weapons.

Wednesday's ⁠launch was its 11th suspected ballistic missile test in 2026, according to South Korean ‌assessments.

South Korean and Japanese defense authorities said the missile flew about 700 ‌km (435 miles).

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff did not identify it as a short-range ballistic missile, saying authorities would conduct a detailed ‌analysis.

The omission leaves open the question of what type of missile it was, analysts said. Ballistic missiles with ‌ranges of 300 km to 1,000 km (186 miles to 620 miles) are generally classified as short-range.

Hong said the range, trajectory and launch site suggested it may have been a type of hypersonic missile, though a submarine-launched missile was also possible.

CONDEMNATION AND HEIGHTENED TENSIONS

South Korea and Japan both condemned the launch.

"Japan lodged a strong protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels at the Japanese Embassy ‌in Beijing and strongly condemned the action," Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters.

South Korea's Office of National Security convened an emergency meeting and expressed concern over North Korea's continued ⁠ballistic-missile launches following the ⁠August 6 firing. It urged Pyongyang to halt provocations that violate UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korea's military said it was maintaining readiness to respond "overwhelmingly" to any provocation under its combined defense posture with the United States.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said it was consulting closely with allies and partners, adding that its initial assessment was that the launch posed no immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to its allies.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow used North Korean ballistic missiles during a Russian attack that killed seven workers at a steel plant in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

In a statement, a North Korean Foreign Ministry official responsible for South Korean affairs said Seoul's plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines would heighten instability in the region, for a "serious challenge" to the North's security.

Pyongyang needed the capability to counter its adversaries' military moves with retaliatory strikes that would make their "survival and recovery impossible", the statement added.

In a separate commentary state news agency KCNA accused Japan of seeking nuclear weapons under the guise of peaceful use of atomic energy, citing its nuclear power program and debate among Japanese politicians over nuclear armament.