Tehran: Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said on Tuesday that the United States dealt a “fatal blow” to the rule of law at the international level by its “unlawful” withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal five years ago.
Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks in a post on his Twitter page one day after the fifth anniversary of the US unilateral pullout from the nuclear deal in 2018, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ever since its withdrawal, the US has failed to reverse its “wrongful” deeds, said the Iranian official, stressing that Iran will continue its “legitimate” remedial measures under the nuclear pact.
The full implementation of the nuclear deal, the main precondition for which is the “effective and lasting” removal of the sanctions, could be resumed should “the reneging party”, the European Union, and E3 group of France, Britain and Germany demonstrate “credible” political will to that effect, he said.
Kani said the opportunity to resume the full implementation of the nuclear deal would not be available forever.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country.
The US, however, pulled out of the deal on May 8, 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. However, no breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.
Hundreds of civilians on Sunday fled Ukrainian territories under Russian control as part of an “evacuation” ahead of what’s feared to be intense fighting around an area home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
A Ukrainian mayor slammed Moscow’s move as a cover-up operation to move troops, while the U.N. nuclear watchdog raised concerns over heavy fighting during a potential spring counteroffensive when Ukrainian forces are expected to seek to regain control of territories lost to Russian control.
Russian forces announced the evacuation for 18 settlements on Friday, and over the weekend, civilians have been rushing to leave those areas. The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, called it a “mad panic” as thousands of cars were stuck on the roads with five-hour waits, BBC reported.
Meanwhile, Russian paramilitary group Wagner’s boss on Sunday signaled that his men would continue to fight in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, a U-turn from an earlier threat — made in a video filmed alongside dead bodies — to withdraw from there as he criticized Moscow for failing to supply his group with the ammunition it needed.
Russian defense officials reportedly had reservations about over-assisting Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner mercenaries have played a key role in securing control over Ukraine’s eastern territories.
In Bakhmut, Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking the besieged city with phosphorus munitions.
Russia’s Federal Security Services claimed on Sunday they had foiled an attempt by Ukrainian intelligence to attack a military airfield in central Russia with drones stuffed with explosives. Kyiv has not responded to the accusation but previously attributed such actions to “false flag” operations or Russians opposed to President Vladimir Putin.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said his country and Oman held consultations on restoring a 2015 nuclear deal and removing the sanctions on Tehran.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in an address to reporters following his meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad al-Busaidi in Muscat, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Iranian top diplomat said that Oman has always played a “constructive” role in the nuclear talks.
Over the past years, Oman has sought to mediate between Iran and the US to help bring the nuclear talks to fruition.
Amir-Abdollahian noted that in the meeting with his Omani counterpart, the two sides agreed to soon hold the meeting of the joint economic commission.
He added that, based on the official invitation extended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the two ministers discussed the date for the trip.
Heading a political delegation, Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Muscat on Tuesday for talks on bilateral, regional and international issues with Omani officials.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country.
The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria.
No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi: India will get 9 percent of its electricity from nuclear sources by 2047, the centenary year of the country’s independence, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.
The Science and Technology minister made these remarks after reviewing the functioning of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai.
Singh said the rising share of nuclear power in India’s energy basket would help it get closer to the commitment of achieving the net zero target by 2070.
He said the Department of Atomic Energy has been given the target of achieving 20 gigawatts (GW) capacity of nuclear power generation by 2030, which will make India the third-largest producer of atomic energy in the world after the US and France.
Singh said the credit for this rapid stride goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took the decision of approving 10 reactors in a fleet mode in a single order and also allowed nuclear installations to be developed under joint ventures with PSUs.
India has the sixth-highest number of functional nuclear reactors in the world and the second-highest number of reactors, including those under construction.
During 2021-22, nuclear power reactors generated 47,112 million units of electricity, about 3.15 per cent of the total electricity generated in the country, Singh had told Lok Sabha last week.
The present installed nuclear power capacity is set to increase from 6,780 megawatts (MW) to 22,480 MW by 2031 on progressive completion of projects under construction and accorded sanction, Singh had said.
The officials said they have not seen any indication — such as satellite imagery or other intelligence — that shows Russia is moving forward with an immediate plan to deploy nuclear weapons. The officials represent both U.S. and European governments and were granted anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive national security issue.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby made similar comments to reporters on Monday.
“We haven’t seen any movement of any tactical nuclear weapons or anything of that kind since this announcement, and we certainly haven’t seen any indication that Mr. Putin has made some sort of decision to use weapons of mass destruction, let alone nuclear weapons inside Ukraine,” he said.
The assessment and comments by U.S. and European officials underscore the degree to which Western governments are batting down Putin’s messaging despite previously warning about the Russian president’s potential use of nuclear weapons earlier on in the conflict.
John Bolton, a national security adviser during the Trump administration, said on Monday that even if Putin made good on moving the weapons, “it really wouldn’t make that much difference in my view.”
During an appearance on CNN, Bolton noted that Russia has already staged nuclear missiles and other weaponry in the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea.
“That’s a place which has long been basically a Russian military facility,” he said. “So the capabilities Russia already has in the Kaliningrad enclave are the ones that could be most threatening. I don’t think the idea of moving some tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus changes that balance.”
Belarus is among Russia’s closest allies and is a supporter of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Leaders from the two countries have previously spoken about staging advanced weaponry, including nuclear weapons, in Belarus. Putin’s comments follow previous statements he made during a December press briefing in Minsk in which he said that Russia was training pilots from Belarus to fly aircraft capable of carrying a “special warhead.”
The Russian president’s most recent comments come as the Russians and Ukrainians are locked in an intense battle in the city of Bakhmut. Both sides have lost a significant number of troops and ammunition in recent weeks.
One of the Western officials described the fighting as a battle of yards and one that is likely to continue for weeks if not months. Putin’s threats about sending nuclear weapons to Belarus are “meant to distract from Russia’s failures on the battlefield,” that official said.
An adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said the country’s intelligence services are monitoring Moscow’s activities closely, but said Ukrainian troops would continue to focus their efforts on countering the Russian forces in the eastern part of the country.
Western officials have not completely ruled out the possibility that Putin could resort to not only sending nuclear weapons to Belarus but also using those weapons if his forces continue to lose ground.
Over the past year, Putin has threatened the use of nuclear weapons on several occasions.
In a September speech, he claimed NATO and the West were engaging in “nuclear blackmail.” “To those who allow themselves to make such statements about Russia, I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction,” he said. “And if the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. This is not a bluff. ”In the weeks that followed, Western officials scrambled behind the scenes to respond to the threat. U.S. officials discussed with allies the validity of Putin’s remarks, warned about Russia’s increasing threats and pushed back against Moscow’s messaging. Since then, warnings about Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons have quieted, and concerns among Western officials about Moscow’s threats have also dissipated.
One of the European officials described the reaction among their country’s national security officials as “calm.” “It’s being seen as another scare tactic by Putin,” the official said.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, officials are focused on continuing to push its Western allies for additional funding and weapons to fund its operations in Bakhmut and elsewhere in the country. A delegation of Ukrainian parliamentarians is in the United Kingdom lobbying officials there for additional resources, including jets, according to a person with direct knowledge of those conversations.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
“Tensions are rising,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “I think this is saber-rattling on the part of Putin.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) described Putin as “a dangerous man,” and said the threat demonstrates the need for U.S. leaders — and those vying for leadership — to see that threat as vital to U.S. interests.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Warner said that if American support for Ukraine wavers, Putin could move on to threaten Poland or President Xi Jinping could take U.S. weakness as “more of a green light to potentially take action against Taiwan.”
“Anyone who doesn’t understand that is remarkably naïve, or not understanding the kind of geopolitical challenging times that we live in,” he said.
On Sunday, NATO criticized Russia for what it described as “dangerous and irresponsible” nuclear rhetoric, though a NATO spokesperson said the organization had not seen any changes in Russia’s nuclear posture.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Officials in Kyiv and Berlin condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
The Kremlin “took Belarus as a nuclear hostage,” Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, tweeted on Sunday.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, added that the move was a violation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, something that Putin denied in his announcement on Saturday. Podolyak tweeted that Putin “is afraid of losing & all he can do is scare [us] with tactics.”
Putin said on Saturday that Russia would construct a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by July. He likened the plans to the U.S. stationing its nuclear weapons in Europe, and said Russia would retain control of the nuclear arms stationed in Belarus.
“The United States has been doing this for decades,” Putin was quoted as saying. “They deployed their tactical nuclear weapons long ago on the territories of their allies, NATO countries, in Europe,” he said.
Saturday evening, the German Federal Foreign Office told national media that the decision was akin to a “further attempt at nuclear intimidation.”
“The comparison made by President Putin on the nuclear participation of NATO is misleading and cannot serve to justify the step announced by Russia,” the Foreign Office was quoted as saying.
The Biden administration in the U.S. said it would “monitor the implications” of Putin’s announcement but would not adjust its nuclear weapons strategy.
“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. “We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance.”
Russia used Belarus as a staging ground to send troops into Ukraine for Putin’s invasion. And Moscow and Minsk have maintained close military ties as the Kremlin continues its war on Ukraine.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Moscow would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russian state media reported.
Russia will “complete construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus on July 1,” Putin said, according to a report by Ria Novosti.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has agreed to the deployment, which won’t violate obligations under nuclear nonproliferation agreements, Putin was quoted as saying. Moscow would not transfer control of the nuclear arms to Minsk, according to the reports.
“We agreed with Lukashenko that we would place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus without violating the nonproliferation regime,” Putin said, according to Tass.
“The United States has been doing this for decades,” Putin was quoted as saying. “They deployed their tactical nuclear weapons long ago on the territories of their allies, NATO countries, in Europe,” he said.
“We have agreed [with Belarus] that we will do the same. I stress that this will not violate our international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation,” Putin said.
Russia has already stationed 10 aircraft in Belarus capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, he said.
The U.S. said it would “monitor the implications” of Putin’s plan but would not adjust its nuclear weapons strategy.
“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. “We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance.”
The development came as intense fighting continued around the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, which Russia has been trying to capture for months. The Russian forces’ assault on the town has “largely stalled,” the British Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Saturday evening that Moscow “must lose” in its war of aggression against Ukraine. “We are doing everything possible and everywhere so that Russian revanchism loses in every element of its aggression against Ukraine and the freedom of nations in general,” he said.
“Russia must lose on the battlefield, in the economy, in international relations, and in its attempts to replace the historical truth with some imperial myths,” Zelenskyy said. “It is the full-scale defeat of Russia that will be a reliable guarantee against new aggressions and crises.”
The U.K. Defense Ministry said there was “extreme attrition” on the Russian side around Bakhmut, but that “Ukraine has also suffered heavy casualties” in its defense of the area, which has become a focal point of the war.
Moscow may be shifting its operational focus following “inconclusive results from its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January 2023,” the ministry said.
Gabriel Gavin contributed reporting.
This story has been updated.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Washington: About 400,000 gallons of radioactive water has leaked from a nuclear power plant in Monticello, the midwestern US state of Minnesota, regulators revealed recently.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said this week that state agencies are monitoring Xcel Energy’s efforts to clean up “a release of water contaminated with tritium” detected at the company’s Monticello nuclear-generating plant, Xinhua news agency reported.
Xcel Energy reported the leak to the Minnesota Duty Officer and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in late November 2022 after finding unusual results during routine groundwater monitoring.
The four-month delay in making public the leak of radioactive water has sparked concerns about public safety and transparency.
The MPCA said in a news release that the leak has been stopped and has not reached the Mississippi River or contaminated drinking water sources.
There is no evidence at this time to indicate a risk to any drinking water wells in the vicinity of the plant, the release also read.
Tritium is a naturally occurring radioactive form of hydrogen that is produced in the atmosphere. It is a byproduct of the production of electricity by nuclear power plants.
Xcel Energy said the leak came from a water pipe running between two buildings at its Monticello facility and was stopped.
The company also said it is monitoring the groundwater plume through two dozen wells while pumping contaminated groundwater through extraction wells.
“We are working to ensure this cleanup is concluded as thoroughly as possible with minimal or no risk to drinking water supplies,” said Kirk Koudelka, MPCA assistant commissioner for land and strategic initiatives.
Xcel Energy is said to be exploring building aboveground storage tanks or installing a retention pond to store water containing tritium that has been collected during ongoing recovery activities.
SRINAGAR: The American intelligence community has raised concerns about the rising tensions between India and its neighbouring countries, Pakistan and China, and the possibility of conflict between them.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in a Bilateral Meeting with the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, at the White House, in Washington DC, USA on September 24, 2021.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence submitted its annual threat assessment report to the US Congress during a Congressional hearing last Wednesday, warning of the elevated risk of armed confrontation between the nuclear-armed powers.
The report highlighted the expanded military postures of both India and China along the “disputed border”, which could escalate into a direct threat to US persons and interests, calling for US intervention. Persistent low-level friction on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has the potential to escalate swiftly, as demonstrated by previous standoffs, the report said.
Even though India and China have engaged in bilateral border talks and resolved border points, their relations remain strained due to the countries’ lethal clash in 2020, which was the most serious in decades. The report stated that this clash has contributed to the strained Sino-Indian relationship and elevated the risk of conflict.
The crises between India and Pakistan are also of particular concern due to the risk of an escalator cycle between the two nuclear-armed states. The report noted that Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India militant groups, while India is more likely under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to respond with military force to “perceived or real Pakistani provocations”. Each side’s perception of heightened tensions raises the risk of conflict, with potential flashpoints being violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India.
Foreign ministers of India and China, S Jaishankar and Wang Yi
The report cautioned that the possibility of conflict between India and China or India and Pakistan could have significant implications for the US, as it could impact regional stability and disrupt global supply chains. The US has been closely monitoring the situation and has called for a peaceful resolution of the border disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.
Responding to a query by The Indian Express, the spokesperson for the US State Department, Ned Price, stated that the US-Pakistan counter-terrorism dialogue provides an opening for the two nations to work together to address terrorist threats and counter violent extremism in the region, which has the potential to impact global stability. The spokesperson added that both nations share a mutual interest in maintaining regional security and stability, and the dialogue is a demonstration of their commitment to a strong and resilient security partnership.
Pertinent to mention, the Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, recently affirmed that Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) is an integral part of India and the commitment made in the Parliament will soon be fulfilled. Sinha said this at a function where he inaugurated a special governance camp for displaced persons of PoJK at Bhour Camp, stating that the development of new Jammu and Kashmir would be incomplete without complete integration of PoJK displaced persons into the mainstream.
The increasing tension between India, Pakistan, and China has caught the attention of not only the US but also other nations around the world. The potential of conflict between these nuclear-armed countries could have dire consequences not just for the region but also for the global community.
The United Kingdom, for instance, has said it is closely monitoring the situation and expressed its concerns regarding the potential conflict. The UK’s High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, recently stated that the UK is watching developments in the region with concern and hopes for a peaceful resolution of the disputes. He added that the UK recognizes India’s legitimate interests in the region but also encourages all parties to engage in dialogue and resolve issues peacefully.
The rising tensions between India and Pakistan have also led to the re-ignition of debates surrounding Kashmir.
Besides, the ongoing border tensions between India and China in Ladakh have also created an atmosphere of uncertainty in the region. China has been aggressively pursuing its territorial claims in the South China Sea and other areas, which has led to tensions with several countries in the region, including India. The US has also expressed concerns about China’s growing military influence in the region and has been actively seeking to counter its assertiveness.
Chinese premier handing over a handmade portrait to host Prime Minister Narenndra Modi in 2019 during his India visit.USA
The US has been working to strengthen its partnerships with countries in the region, including India, to promote regional stability and counter China’s aggressive actions. In 2020, the US and India signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), which aims to enhance military cooperation and interoperability between the two countries. The US has also been providing military and intelligence support to India to counter China’s growing influence.
Despite the efforts of the US and other countries to promote peace and stability in the region, the potential for conflict remains a concern. The situation is further complicated by the fact that all three countries possess nuclear weapons, which raises the stakes and makes any conflict even more dangerous.
