https://www.scmp.com/rss/521465/feed Rafael Grossi is an Argentine diplomat and the current Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a position he has held since December 2019 and to which he was unanimously re-elected. With nearly 40 years in diplomacy, he is a leading expert in non-proliferation and disarmament. His extensive career includes serving as Argentina’s Ambassador to Austria and holding senior roles at the IAEA and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Grossi notably... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait on Sunday, a day after US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”. Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran. The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:03:40 +0000 Agencies Agencies The UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that Iranian authorities had reported projectile impact on the grounds of the country’s only operational nuclear power plant that caused no damage. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “has been informed by Iran that a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening”, the Vienna-based agency posted on social media using an acronym for nuclear power plant. “No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported”. Agency head... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347033/mystery-projectile-hits-iran-nuclear-power-complex-highlighting-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347033/mystery-projectile-hits-iran-nuclear-power-complex-highlighting-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:34:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure on the Islamic republic. Trump’s comments were his most overt call yet for the toppling of Iran’s clerical establishment, and came as he pushes on Washington’s arch-foe Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme. At the same time, the exiled son of the Iranian shah toppled in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343549/trump-says-change-power-iran-would-be-best-thing-he-sends-second-carrier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:44:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters A protective shield at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in war-torn Ukraine, built to contain radioactive material from the 1986 disaster, can no longer perform its main safety function due to drone damage, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday, a strike Ukraine has attributed to Russia. The International Atomic Energy Agency said an inspection last week of the steel confinement structure completed in 2019 found the drone impact in February, three years into Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, had... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335436/chernobyl-safety-shield-damaged-un-confirms-ukraine-blames-russian-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335436/chernobyl-safety-shield-damaged-un-confirms-ukraine-blames-russian-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 02:45:15 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Land-scarce Singapore officially remains non-committal about building a nuclear reactor, but experts say all signs point to the city state turning to atomic energy to meet its net-zero goals by 2050. The discourse around civilian nuclear energy has picked up in recent years, with Singapore studying its deployment, developing expertise and partnering with established companies and nuclear nations such as the United States and France to prepare for a possible shift. The government, however,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3331109/atomic-ambitions-singapore-eyes-nuclear-option-net-zero-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3331109/atomic-ambitions-singapore-eyes-nuclear-option-net-zero-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 04:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station had become critical, with Russian shelling preventing the restoration of a power line needed to cool the reactors and prevent a meltdown. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, said it was working with both sides to restore the external power line. Rafael Grossi said there was no immediate danger as long as diesel generators... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3327450/ukraine-warns-critical-situation-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3327450/ukraine-warns-critical-situation-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 23:54:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters In its 80-year history, the United Nations has never had a woman serve as secretary general – a fact that some world leaders now view as a glaring symbol of gender inequality at the highest level of global diplomacy. With Secretary General Antonio Guterres due to complete his second five-year term at the end of 2026, some at this week’s annual UN General Assembly were vocal in their call for a woman to assume the role. “It is high time for a woman to be chosen as UN Secretary General,” Estonia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3327058/calls-grow-first-female-un-chief-80-years-lets-make-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3327058/calls-grow-first-female-un-chief-80-years-lets-make-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 18:40:36 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed an agreement on Tuesday in Cairo to pave the way for resuming cooperation, including on ways of relaunching inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The announcement followed a meeting among Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi. The meeting came at a sensitive time as France, Germany and the United Kingdom on August 28 began the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324955/iran-and-un-nuclear-watchdog-pave-way-resuming-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324955/iran-and-un-nuclear-watchdog-pave-way-resuming-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:49:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned on Wednesday that the agency was not yet satisfied with Iran’s cooperation with international inspectors, just as European leaders appeared poised to reimpose sanctions on Tehran after a series of last-minute meetings failed to reach a diplomatic resolution on its nuclear programme. Despite Iran allowing inspectors back in for the first time since the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, regaining access to crucial nuclear facilities was still “a work in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323451/snapback-sanctions-iran-loom-un-nuclear-watchdog-chiefs-concerns-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323451/snapback-sanctions-iran-loom-un-nuclear-watchdog-chiefs-concerns-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 05:41:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters UN nuclear inspectors have returned to Iran for the first time since it suspended cooperation with them in the wake of Israel’s attacks on its nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told lawmakers Tehran had still not reached an agreement on how it would resume full work with the UN’s IAEA watchdog, the parliament news agency ICANA reported. But he said the inspectors would supervise the changing of fuel at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323389/un-inspectors-return-iran-after-israels-nuclear-site-attacks-no-deal-inspections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323389/un-inspectors-return-iran-after-israels-nuclear-site-attacks-no-deal-inspections?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:28:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran’s foreign minister said on Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear programme, but, “assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war”. Referring to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3318008/iran-demands-assurance-against-further-attacks-resume-us-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3318008/iran-demands-assurance-against-further-attacks-resume-us-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 15:35:29 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Two weeks after the United States launched air strikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear sites, mounting evidence is puncturing President Donald Trump’s boasts that the facilities were “obliterated”. From the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog to leading American non-proliferation experts, scepticism is growing over Washington’s assertions that the strikes set back Tehran’s nuclear weapons ambitions “by years”. Trump “appears to have already lost interest”, according to Barbara Slavin, a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317017/think-trump-obliterated-irans-nuclear-programme-dont-be-so-sure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317017/think-trump-obliterated-irans-nuclear-programme-dont-be-so-sure?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 08:30:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran on Wednesday suspended its cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, days after a ceasefire in a war that saw Israeli and US strikes on nuclear sites in the Islamic republic. The unprecedented war, which broke out on June 13 and lasted for 12 days, has intensified tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill to suspend cooperation with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316649/iran-suspends-cooperation-un-nuclear-watchdog-iaea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316649/iran-suspends-cooperation-un-nuclear-watchdog-iaea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:46:18 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Iran’s crushing defeat in its brief but devastating war with Israel has sent shock waves far beyond the Middle East, casting fresh doubts on the viability of nuclear non-proliferation and raising fears of a renewed global push to acquire nuclear weapons. Without a credible nuclear deterrent, Tehran proved unable to effectively defend or retaliate against Israel’s pre-emptive strikes on key personnel and nuclear facilities, despite its much-touted strategic alignment with China and Russia. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3316540/why-us-could-be-chinas-biggest-ally-holding-back-asias-nuclear-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3316540/why-us-could-be-chinas-biggest-ally-holding-back-asias-nuclear-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:47:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was not offering Iran anything nor talking to it “since we totally obliterated” the country’s nuclear facilities. “I am not offering Iran ANYTHING, unlike Obama,” Trump wrote on social media. “Nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.” The statement comes as Iran’s deputy foreign minister told the BBC that talks between Washington and Tehran cannot resume unless the US rules out further strikes on Iran. Majid... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316410/trump-not-offering-iran-anything-after-nuclear-site-strikes-nor-speaking-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316410/trump-not-offering-iran-anything-after-nuclear-site-strikes-nor-speaking-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000 Riaz Khokhar Riaz Khokhar On June 22, the US military launched an attack on Iran, striking nuclear sites like the deeply buried Fordow enrichment plant with massive bunker-busting bombs. In tandem with an Israeli air campaign, this was the biggest Western military action against Tehran since 1979. US President Donald Trump immediately hailed the raid as a “spectacular military success”, boasting on national television that Iran’s key enrichment installations had been “completely and totally obliterated”. Some quickly... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316043/us-attack-iran-shakes-east-asias-faith-non-proliferation-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316043/us-attack-iran-shakes-east-asias-faith-non-proliferation-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Dozens of staff members, two inmates and a bystander were among the casualties of Israel’s attack last week on Tehran’s Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held. The death toll from the strike was released on Sunday by Iran’s judiciary and confirmed by human rights groups as the one-week mark of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran approaches, despite suspicions on both sides about whether the truce will hold. Judiciary spokesman Asghar... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316302/iran-says-71-killed-israeli-attack-evin-prison-officials-suspicious-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316302/iran-says-71-killed-israeli-attack-evin-prison-officials-suspicious-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 21:30:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged progress in ceasefire talks in the 20-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, though some weary Palestinians were sceptical about the chances. Israel issued a new mass evacuation order for parts of northern Gaza. Ron Dermer, a top adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was set to travel to Washington this week for talks on a ceasefire, an Israeli official said, and plans were being made for Netanyahu to travel there in the coming weeks, a sign... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316299/trump-calls-ceasefire-deal-war-gaza-signs-progress-emerge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316299/trump-calls-ceasefire-deal-war-gaza-signs-progress-emerge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 18:22:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Revolutionary Guard commander-in-chief General Hossein Salami, who was also the head of the Guard’s ballistic missile programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital’s Azadi Street as people in the crowds chanted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316244/hundreds-thousands-mourn-top-iranian-commanders-and-scientists-killed-israeli-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316244/hundreds-thousands-mourn-top-iranian-commanders-and-scientists-killed-israeli-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 17:49:03 +0000