Fear of Israel-Hamas War Spreading Said to Restrain West from Iran Nuclear Crackdown
Times of Israel
Western powers have been reluctant to get tough on Tehran for fear of aggravating Middle East tensions as Iran grows its nuclear program and reduces cooperation with the UN watchdog, diplomats say. Worries of a wider regional conflict have sharpened since Hamas’s devastating October 7 onslaught and Israel’s subsequent air and ground offensive aimed at eliminating the terror group in Gaza.
IAEA Head Says the Barring of Several Nuclear Inspectors by Iran is a ‘Serious Blow’ to Monitoring
STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN | Associated Press
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that Iran’s decision in September to bar several experienced U.N. inspectors from monitoring the country’s nuclear program constituted “a very serious blow” to the agency’s ability to do its job “to the best possible level.” IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that while the U.N. nuclear watchdog continued to perform its monitoring work, Iran had targeted inspectors “who have a lot of experience, particularly in enrichment and other capacities.”
IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine
IAEA
The main power line supplying electricity to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been restored after a sudden cut in the connection during the weekend, the latest reminder of the fragile nuclear safety and security situation at the site during the ongoing military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.
North Korea: Kim Jong Un celebrates 'space power' After Spy Satellite Launch
Ece Goksedef | BBC
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has congratulated his team of scientists for launching a spy
satellite, calling it a "new era of space power". He described the mission as a "full-fledged exercise in self defence". North Korea fired a rocket believed to contain the spy satellite on Tuesday.It claimed it was a success but South Korea said it was too soon to tell if the satellite is functioning, after two previous launches failed.
Indo-Pacific to See Huge Missile Buildup by 2030s, Carnegie Analyst Says
KEN MORIYASU | Nikkei Asia
By the 2030s, the Indo-Pacific region will be filled with thousands of new missiles as the U.S., China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Taiwan race to expand their arsenals, Ankit Panda, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow, said Monday. The danger, Panda told Nikkei Asia, is the "intersection between advanced conventional missile systems and the risk of nuclear war." The greatest fear is that countries such as China and North Korea may be more likely to resort to nuclear use if these conventional missiles are perceived to target their national leadership, he said.
South Korea Does Not Need Nuclear Subs
DOV S. ZAKHEIM | The Hill
In theory, South Korea could avoid America’s restrictions by turning to France to help it develop or acquire a nuclear-powered submarine. France could help South Korea develop its own nuclear-powered sub, much as Paris has assisted Brazil with its own nuclear-powered submarine program. However, there are many reasons why Seoul should not imitate the Brazilians and forge ahead with its own program.