The International Atomic Energy Agency is running out of money and agency operations could come to a halt in a month. This has been revealed by the agency's chief himself he says that the UN nuclear Watchdog is facing a financial crisis as many member states including major donors have not paid the money.

Agency Chief: UN Nuclear watchdog running out of money

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Gravitas Global Headlines: UN Nuclear watchdog chief in Iran

Iran agreed to allow the UN nuclear watchdog to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites. The announcement was made by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) after a meeting with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran allows IAEA to service nuclear monitoring cameras after talks

The UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday urged Iran to explain the presence of uranium particles at an undeclared site, as a landmark deal aimed at curbing Tehran's atomic activities threatens to collapse.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report made public last week that its inspectors had "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uranium-particles-detected-at-undeclared-site-in-iran-iaea-report-261503">detected natural uranium particles</a> of anthropogenic origin at a location in Iran not declared to the agency".&nbsp;

The agency's acting head Cornel Feruta said IAEA and Iranian officials would meet in Tehran next week to discuss the matter, adding that the UN body had not received any additional information.&nbsp;

"The matter remains unresolved... It is essential that Iran works with the agency to resolve this matter promptly," he told IAEA member states at a meeting of the agency's board of governors.

A diplomatic source told AFP that the IAEA would send a high-ranking technical delegation to Iran next week.

The particles are understood to be the product of uranium which has been mined and undergone initial processing, but not enriched.

While the IAEA has not named the site in question, diplomatic sources have previously said the agency asked Iran about a site in the Turquzabad district of Tehran where Israel has alleged secret atomic activity in the past.

Sources say the IAEA took samples from the site in the spring and that Iran has been slow in providing answers to explain the test results.

The 2015 deal between Iran and world powers has been faltering since last year when the United States pulled out and started to reinstate punishing sanctions on Tehran, leaving the other signatories struggling to salvage the agreement.

Over the past few months, Iran has breached several parts of the deal it signed with the US as well as Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, in which it committed to scaling back its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

But Britain, France and Germany have said they are extremely <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-europeans-of-hypocrisy-over-nuclear-deal-261577">concerned by Iran's actions</a> in stepping up its uranium enrichment and other breaches.

Enrichment is the process that produces fuel for nuclear power plants but also, in highly extended form, the fissile core for a warhead.

On Monday, the IAEA confirmed Iran's stock of heavy water for reactors has surpassed the 130-tonne limit set under the agreement.

Heavy water is not itself radioactive but is used in nuclear reactors to absorb neutrons from nuclear fission.

Heavy water reactors can be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons as an alternative to enriched uranium.

The IAEA has also said one of its inspectors was briefly prevented from leaving Iran, calling her treatment "not acceptable".

Iran has cancelled the inspector's accreditation, saying she triggered a security check at the entrance gate to the Natanz enrichment plant last month.

The IAEA has disputed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-rejects-reports-of-iaea-finding-traces-of-uranium-at-unnamed-site-261172">Iranian account of the incident</a>, without going into details.

The UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday urged Iran to explain the presence of uranium particles at an undeclared site, as a landmark deal aimed at curbing Tehran's atomic activities threatens to collapse.

The UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday urged Iran to explain the presence of uranium particles at an undeclared site, as a landmark deal aimed at curbing Tehran's atomic activities threatens to collapse. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report made public last week that its inspectors had "detected natural uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at a location in Iran not declared to the agency". The agency's acting head Cornel Feruta said IAEA and Iranian officials would meet in Tehran next week to discuss the matter, adding that the UN body had not received any additional information. "The matter remains unresolved... It is essential that Iran works with the agency to resolve this matter promptly," he told IAEA member states at a meeting of the agency's board of governors. A diplomatic source told AFP that the IAEA would send a high-ranking technical delegation to Iran next week. The particles are understood to be the product of uranium which has been mined and undergone initial processing, but not enriched. While the IAEA has not named the site in question, diplomatic sources have previously said the agency asked Iran about a site in the Turquzabad district of Tehran where Israel has alleged secret atomic activity in the past. Sources say the IAEA took samples from the site in the spring and that Iran has been slow in providing answers to explain the test results. The 2015 deal between Iran and world powers has been faltering since last year when the United States pulled out and started to reinstate punishing sanctions on Tehran, leaving the other signatories struggling to salvage the agreement. Over the past few months, Iran has breached several parts of the deal it signed with the US as well as Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, in which it committed to scaling back its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But Britain, France and Germany have said they are extremely concerned by Iran's actions in stepping up its uranium enrichment and other breaches. Enrichment is the process that produces fuel for nuclear power plants but also, in highly extended form, the fissile core for a warhead. On Monday, the IAEA confirmed Iran's stock of heavy water for reactors has surpassed the 130-tonne limit set under the agreement. Heavy water is not itself radioactive but is used in nuclear reactors to absorb neutrons from nuclear fission. Heavy water reactors can be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons as an alternative to enriched uranium. The IAEA has also said one of its inspectors was briefly prevented from leaving Iran, calling her treatment "not acceptable". Iran has cancelled the inspector's accreditation, saying she triggered a security check at the entrance gate to the Natanz enrichment plant last month. The IAEA has disputed the Iranian account of the incident, without going into details.

IAEA urges Iran to explain uranium particles at undeclared site

A US-based international nuclear proliferation watchdog on Wednesday said Pakistan's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) should not be granted, mainly because of its ongoing illicit nuclear procurements abroad and its refusal to even minimally split its military and civil atomic programmes. 
 
A report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)— authored by David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Frank Pabian—said as it released latest satellite images of the Kahuta nuclear power plant site in Pakistan: “Pakistan's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group should not be granted at the present time”. 
 
“Although there are many reasons to refuse its membership, some more obvious reasons include its ongoing illicit nuclear procurements abroad and its refusal to even minimally split its military and civil nuclear programs,” it said. 
 
The report discusses the purpose and size of the likely enrichment plant at Kahuta and estimates the amount of enriched uranium it could produce. 
 
“We could not determine if Pakistan is building one or two enrichment plants. We are certainly interested in learning more,” it said. 
 
While much of the world's attention has been directed to the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, Pakistan has greatly expanded its nuclear complex dedicated to producing nuclear weapons, the report rued. 
 
One European official stated in an interview in late 2016 that in terms of instances of illicit nuclear-related procurements by the three countries, Pakistan has carried out the most, the report said. 
 
Over the last decade, Pakistan has renovated or expanded its uranium enrichment, plutonium production, and nuclear weaponisation capabilities, according to this official.&nbsp It has also been expanding the number of its nuclear power plants and the means to make fuel for these new reactors, it said.&nbsp 
 
In a detailed analysis of the latest satellite images it obtained, ISIS says Pakistan appears committed to building one or two large uranium enrichment plants.&nbsp Whether the plants will be exclusively for peaceful purposes is undetermined, it said. 
 
“Pakistan should be called upon by other states such as the United States, China, and major European powers to declare the purpose of its new enrichment plant(s),” ISIS said. “Based on assessing the construction project at Kahuta, which is likely an enrichment plant, it is difficult to know if this facility will lead to Pakistan expanding its supply of weapons-grade uranium or be limited to making only low enriched uranium for nuclear power reactors. Moreover, this enrichment facility could provide LEU to both military and civil nuclear programmes,” ISIS said. 
 
The report said, if the Kahuta site is indeed a centrifuge plant, it will require a great deal of equipment, much of which Pakistan does not make domestically. 
 
&nbsp“According to government sources, Pakistan has acquired many goods from abroad. As such, supplier governments should step up efforts to thwart Pakistan's purchases for this plant or any other centrifuge plant and consider applying sanctions on Pakistani entities and individuals involved in purchasing for its centrifuge programme,” ISIS said. 
 
&nbsp“Financial sanctions should also be applied on these entities and individuals. China should be told explicitly by other members of the NSG that the supply of goods to Pakistan's enrichment programme would violate China's NSG commitments,” said the report.&nbsp

The report discusses the purpose and size of the likely enrichment plant at Kahuta and estimates the amount of enriched uranium it could produce

A US-based international nuclear proliferation watchdog on Wednesday said Pakistan's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) should not be granted, mainly because of its ongoing illicit nuclear procurements abroad and its refusal to even minimally split its military and civil atomic programmes. A report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)— authored by David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and Frank Pabian—said as it released latest satellite images of the Kahuta nuclear power plant site in Pakistan: “Pakistan's application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group should not be granted at the present time”. “Although there are many reasons to refuse its membership, some more obvious reasons include its ongoing illicit nuclear procurements abroad and its refusal to even minimally split its military and civil nuclear programs,” it said. The report discusses the purpose and size of the likely enrichment plant at Kahuta and estimates the amount of enriched uranium it could produce. “We could not determine if Pakistan is building one or two enrichment plants. We are certainly interested in learning more,” it said. While much of the world's attention has been directed to the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, Pakistan has greatly expanded its nuclear complex dedicated to producing nuclear weapons, the report rued. One European official stated in an interview in late 2016 that in terms of instances of illicit nuclear-related procurements by the three countries, Pakistan has carried out the most, the report said. Over the last decade, Pakistan has renovated or expanded its uranium enrichment, plutonium production, and nuclear weaponisation capabilities, according to this official. It has also been expanding the number of its nuclear power plants and the means to make fuel for these new reactors, it said. In a detailed analysis of the latest satellite images it obtained, ISIS says Pakistan appears committed to building one or two large uranium enrichment plants. Whether the plants will be exclusively for peaceful purposes is undetermined, it said. “Pakistan should be called upon by other states such as the United States, China, and major European powers to declare the purpose of its new enrichment plant(s),” ISIS said. “Based on assessing the construction project at Kahuta, which is likely an enrichment plant, it is difficult to know if this facility will lead to Pakistan expanding its supply of weapons-grade uranium or be limited to making only low enriched uranium for nuclear power reactors. Moreover, this enrichment facility could provide LEU to both military and civil nuclear programmes,” ISIS said. The report said, if the Kahuta site is indeed a centrifuge plant, it will require a great deal of equipment, much of which Pakistan does not make domestically. “According to government sources, Pakistan has acquired many goods from abroad. As such, supplier governments should step up efforts to thwart Pakistan's purchases for this plant or any other centrifuge plant and consider applying sanctions on Pakistani entities and individuals involved in purchasing for its centrifuge programme,” ISIS said. “Financial sanctions should also be applied on these entities and individuals. China should be told explicitly by other members of the NSG that the supply of goods to Pakistan's enrichment programme would violate China's NSG commitments,” said the report.

Pakistan must not be admitted to  Nuclear Suppliers Group: US nuke watchdog

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