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.

 



Magnitude 5.0 Quake Hits Southeastern Türkiye

Scenes from the devastating earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in 2023 (Reuters file photo)
Scenes from the devastating earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in 2023 (Reuters file photo)
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Magnitude 5.0 Quake Hits Southeastern Türkiye

Scenes from the devastating earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in 2023 (Reuters file photo)
Scenes from the devastating earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in 2023 (Reuters file photo)

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck several southeastern provinces in Türkiye on Saturday morning without causing casualties or damage, the country's disaster management agency said.

"No adverse situation has been reported following the magnitude 5 earthquake that occurred at 6:20 am (0320 GMT) in the Battalgazi district, in Malatya province, and was felt in the provinces of Malatya, Elazig, Adiyaman, Tunceli and Sanliurfa. Our teams continue to work in the field," AFP quoted the disaster agency AFAD as saying

Türkiye is crisscrossed by several geological fault lines that have previously caused catastrophes in the country.


Netanyahu Pushes Off Washington Visit After US ‘Anger’ Over PM’s Behavior

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) arrive for a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on 29 September 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) arrive for a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on 29 September 2025. (AFP)
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Netanyahu Pushes Off Washington Visit After US ‘Anger’ Over PM’s Behavior

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) arrive for a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on 29 September 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) arrive for a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on 29 September 2025. (AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has canceled his planned trip to the United States next week as both the US and Israeli sides do not want US President Donald Trump to meet with the PM in the White House.

On Friday, Netanyahu’s Office said the postponement was due to changes surrounding the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. However, sources in Tel Aviv affirmed that the scheduling issue was only part of the reason behind the decision.

The sources said efforts to schedule a meeting between Netanyahu and Trump during the visit have failed.

According to the same sources, the Israeli PM knows the US administration is rigged against him. He also knows why.

“The Americans are closely monitoring Netanyahu and his cabinet members, tracking their public and private statements,” they said.

In return, intelligence assessments detail an escalation of Israeli surveillance targeting US decision-makers.

Several reports in Israel said Netanyahu fears such a trip could end in humiliation in front of the cameras, similar to what Trump did with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early 2025.

Meanwhile, US officials believe that Netanyahu is obstructing Trump's policies and plans to reach a ceasefire in the Middle East.

The US-Israeli tension was highlighted by US Vice President JD Vance who accused some members of the Israeli government of trying to influence Americans' opinions to prolong the Iran war.

In an interview, Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan that while he trusts some people within the Israeli government, there are others “who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely.”

Vance said that people within the Israeli government have been trying to shift the US away from its efforts to negotiate with Iran.

“I definitely think you have seen this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal,” he said, adding there is “exact evidence” that some Israeli leaders “hate the deal.”

The Vice President also referenced a Time magazine article suggesting Israel had used funds to pay online influencers, some of whom Vance said had attacked him.

Political sources confirm that Trump has been delaying meeting with Netanyahu since the US-Iranian agreement on June 16. The President has expressed frustration over Israeli criticisms of the deal, which paves the way for a window to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

Israeli officials have strongly criticized the peace agreement, describing it as “terrible” and a disaster for Israel.

Their statements have reflected on Israeli public opinion toward the US.

Polling in Israel shows a remarkable drop in Trump's popularity, falling from 74% support to roughly 32% following his administration's negotiations and ceasefire agreements regarding Iran while 62% of Israelis believe Trump does not care about Israeli interests.

Many in Washington view these numbers as “ingratitude” and a “stab in the back.” US officials suspect Israel is escalating conflicts to evade specific promises previously made to Trump.

In several telephone conversations, Trump advised Netanyahu to “drive people behind him” as a “strong leader,” to pull Israeli troops from south Syria, Lebanon and to implement the peace deal in Gaza.

But sources noted that Netanyahu was said to have pushed back, citing Israel’s security needs. Washington came to the conclusion that Netanyahu was not willing to meet the necessary terms, including pulling troops out of Syria.

Currently, Netanyahu is relying on Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to soothe rising tensions with the US President, striving to realign Trump's support ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections.

The Israeli PM fears the US administration may pivot to support his rivals, following a five-day trip by Naftali Bennett to the US last week and reports of indirect US contacts with Gadi Eisenkot.


Report: US Sending Dozens of Refueling Planes to Israel

A US A-10 aircraft prepares for in-flight refueling during operations (US Central Command)
A US A-10 aircraft prepares for in-flight refueling during operations (US Central Command)
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Report: US Sending Dozens of Refueling Planes to Israel

A US A-10 aircraft prepares for in-flight refueling during operations (US Central Command)
A US A-10 aircraft prepares for in-flight refueling during operations (US Central Command)

The Trump administration notified Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to the country ahead of a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, three US and Israeli officials told Axios on Friday.

The officials said US President Donald Trump could order an escalation in the coming days.
Trump was presented with several new military plans in a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday.

Among the options being considered are bombing Iranian infrastructure facilities like power plants, conducting more attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities in order to bury Iran's enriched uranium even deeper, and bombing the Pickaxe Mountain underground site that is suspected to be a facility in the making, according to Axios.

On Thursday, the US military conducted strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz and the southern coast of Iran for the fifth day in a row.

A US official said the military bombed at least seven bridges around the city of Bandar Abbas, which is considered a hub for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ammunition, supplies and reinforcements go through Bandar Abbas to other parts of the strait, he said.

Iran also escalated attacks targeting US bases in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait. The IRGC also claimed it attacked an American base in Syria, although US troops withdrew from the base several months ago.

The US currently has about 30 military refueling planes at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and around the same number in Ramon Airport in southern Israel.

Israeli officials say the US military prefers operating the refueling planes from Ben Gurion Airport, because other air bases in the region are more exposed to Iranian attacks and less safe for US planes.