https://www.scmp.com/rss/522572/feed The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): A prominent Vienna, Austria-based intergovernmental organisation within the United Nations system, the IAEA is dedicated to promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and preventing its diversion for military purposes. Its main areas of focus include implementing safeguards, fostering nuclear safety and security standards, and providing technical cooperation for peaceful applications in areas like medicine, agriculture, and energy. Recognised for... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting on Monday at the United Nations in New York as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers again at loggerheads over safeguards. In 2022, during the last review of the treaty considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned humanity was “one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation”. On Monday he warned “the drivers” of nuclear weapons... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:41:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territory and Russia over the past day killed at least 16 people, authorities said on Sunday as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster prompted new warnings about risks posed by attacks near the plant during Russia’s more than four-year invasion of its neighbour. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the anniversary with a warning that Russian attacks risk repeating history. “Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351499/16-dead-strikes-chernobyl-anniversary-highlights-nuclear-risks-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351499/16-dead-strikes-chernobyl-anniversary-highlights-nuclear-risks-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:57:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press People streamed into the central square of Slavutych in the early hours of Sunday, placing candles on a large radiation hazard symbol laid out on the ground as a midnight commemoration began for those killed in the Chernobyl disaster 40 years ago and the thousands who risked deadly radiation exposure to contain its aftermath. Residents show up for the vigil each year despite wartime curfews and official warnings against large gatherings during Russia’s war on Ukraine. The April 26, 1986 disaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351480/ukrainians-gather-remember-chernobyl-disaster-despite-russias-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351480/ukrainians-gather-remember-chernobyl-disaster-despite-russias-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:44:14 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong War on Iran has changed many things, not least of which is the tenor of nuclear debate in two of America’s closest Asian allies: countries that have long defined themselves by the weapons they do not possess. For decades, the question of whether South Korea and Japan might one day build their own nuclear arsenal was treated as fringe speculation – the preserve of hawks and provocateurs. No longer. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has sounded the alarm.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Sunday, its neighbours said, days after the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned that North Korea was making “very serious” advances in efforts to build nuclear weapons. The missiles fired from the North’s Sinpo area flew about 140 kilometres (87 miles) each towards the country’s eastern waters, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350644/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missiles-un-warns-nuclear-advances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350644/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missiles-un-warns-nuclear-advances?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:54:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea has made “very serious” advances in its abilities to turn out nuclear weapons, with the probable addition of a new uranium enrichment facility, as it steps up activity at a key complex, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said. Enriching uranium can provide an alternative, and experts say, a more effective, path to acquiring weapons-grade material in addition to ‌reprocessing spent plutonium extracted from a nuclear reactor. Speaking in Seoul on Wednesday, the head of the International... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350206/un-watchdog-warns-north-korea-boosting-nuclear-weapons-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350206/un-watchdog-warns-north-korea-boosting-nuclear-weapons-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen The People’s Liberation Army division responsible for the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait carried out a decontamination exercise amid targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States and Israel. A recent training exercise at an Eastern Theatre Command naval base included an emergency response to a simulated nuclear attack, according to a report on Tuesday by state broadcaster CCTV, which did not specify the time or location of the drill. The exercise focused on rapid detection... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349361/pla-troops-facing-taiwan-strait-and-japan-simulate-response-nuclear-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349361/pla-troops-facing-taiwan-strait-and-japan-simulate-response-nuclear-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠International ⁠Atomic Energy Agency ⁠on Saturday said that it has been informed by Iran ‌about a projectile striking close to the premises of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The IAEA said in ⁠an X post that one ‌of the site’s physical protection staff members was ‌killed by a projectile ⁠fragment ⁠and that a building on site ‌was affected by shock waves and fragments. “No increase ‌in ‌radiation levels was ‌reported,” the IAEA said. Rafael Grossi, head of the agency, voiced “deep concern”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349039/strike-near-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant-kills-1-says-iaea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349039/strike-near-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant-kills-1-says-iaea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:00:11 +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 Associated Press Associated Press The US and Israel are striking a much wider array of targets in Iran than they did during 12 days of war last summer, when their focus was on the country’s nuclear enrichment sites. Now, the aim appears to be destroying Iran’s military and weakening the grip of its theocratic rulers, experts say. US Central Command alone says it has hit more than 2,000 targets in less than a week, a far heavier barrage than any American bombing campaign in the Middle East in more than a decade, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345640/iran-damage-report-who-and-what-has-been-targeted-us-israel-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345640/iran-damage-report-who-and-what-has-been-targeted-us-israel-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:25:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump voiced frustration on Friday with Iran’s stance in nuclear negotiations but said he had not yet decided whether to carry out a threatened attack, as US staff were authorised to leave Israel due to heightened risks. Trump has ordered the biggest military build-up in decades in the Middle East, with the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, approaching the coast of Israel, as he demands Iran agree to sweeping concessions on concerns starting with its... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344925/us-tells-some-embassy-staff-leave-israel-iran-war-clouds-gather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344925/us-tells-some-embassy-staff-leave-israel-iran-war-clouds-gather?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:31:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran and the United States held hours of indirect negotiations on Thursday over Tehran’s nuclear programme but walked away 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 the talks in Geneva, said there had been “significant progress in the negotiation” without elaborating. But just before the talks ended, Iranian state television reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344787/us-and-iran-wrap-indirect-nuclear-talks-american-forces-mass-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344787/us-and-iran-wrap-indirect-nuclear-talks-american-forces-mass-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:49:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran’s top diplomat has arrived in Geneva ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States, Iranian state television said on Monday, as Washington keeps up pressure on the Islamic republic. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation are in the Swiss city after the first round of indirect talks took place in Oman last week. Oman would mediate Tuesday’s talks in Geneva, the IRNA state-run news agency reported on its Telegram channel on Sunday. Similar talks last year broke... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343656/irans-top-diplomat-attend-indirect-talks-us-geneva-state-news-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343656/irans-top-diplomat-attend-indirect-talks-us-geneva-state-news-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:20:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country’s theocracy remains under pressure, both from US President Donald Trump who suggested sending another aircraft carrier group to the Middle East and a public angrily denouncing Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. The commemoration represented a split-screen view of life in Iran, with state television showing hundreds of thousands of people across the country attending pro-government rallies,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343207/irans-revolution-anniversary-marred-protests-nuclear-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343207/irans-revolution-anniversary-marred-protests-nuclear-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:30:04 +0000 Ian Storey Ian Storey Vietnam has ambitious plans to build a series of nuclear power plants to power its fast-developing economy, with several countries lined up to facilitate the transition. Still, the country’s nuclear power ambitions face immense challenges. At the recently concluded congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, General Secretary To Lam made a bold pledge to grow the economy by at least 10 per cent annually until 2030. To achieve that lofty goal, Vietnam will have to at least double its current... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3342714/vietnams-renewed-nuclear-power-push-faces-formidable-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3342714/vietnams-renewed-nuclear-power-push-faces-formidable-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 03:30:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald ‌Trump said on Thursday that the United States has an “armada” heading towards Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as ‍he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers would arrive in the Middle East in the coming days. One official said additional air-defence systems were also being eyed for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340922/trump-says-us-armada-heading-towards-iran-tensions-remain-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340922/trump-says-us-armada-heading-towards-iran-tensions-remain-high?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 02:06:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Inside an abandoned control room at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a worker in an orange hard hat gazed at a grey wall of seemingly endless dials, screens and gauges that were supposed to prevent disaster. The 1986 meltdown at the site was the world’s worst ever nuclear incident. Since Russia invaded in 2022, Kyiv fears another disaster could be just a matter of time. In February, a Russian drone hit and left a large hole in the New Safe Confinement (NSC), the outer of two radiation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337774/inside-chernobyl-ukraine-races-repair-radiation-shield-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337774/inside-chernobyl-ukraine-races-repair-radiation-shield-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:50:42 +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 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China and France vowed to expand cooperation on nuclear issues and global challenges as French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up his three-day visit on Friday. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to “promoting the safe development of nuclear energy and strengthening collaboration across the nuclear energy industry chain”, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The two nuclear powers also expressed their support for non-proliferation and underscored the key role of the International Atomic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335377/china-and-france-agree-work-together-nuclear-issues-macron-wraps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335377/china-and-france-agree-work-together-nuclear-issues-macron-wraps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:36:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukraine was scrambling on Sunday to turn lights and heating back on after Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure reduced the country’s power generating capacity to “zero”. Moscow, which has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure in recent months, launched hundreds of drones at energy facilities across the country overnight into Saturday. The attacks interrupted electricity, heat and water supplies in several cities, with state power firm Centrenergo warning generating capacity... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3332082/ukraine-faces-blackout-crisis-after-russian-missile-barrage-power-grids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3332082/ukraine-faces-blackout-crisis-after-russian-missile-barrage-power-grids?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 04:11:24 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Thursday that he would allow South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has been met with both caution and scepticism. Analysts said the announcement, while politically dramatic, left unresolved questions about feasibility, cost and the potential for nuclear proliferation. “I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now,” Trump wrote... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330853/doubts-surface-over-trumps-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330853/doubts-surface-over-trumps-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:10:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran on Saturday said it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear programme as a landmark 10-year deal between it and world powers expired, though Tehran reiterated its “commitment to diplomacy”. The 2015 deal – signed in Vienna by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States – saw the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic republic in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear programme. But the pact had already been in tatters after Washington... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3329514/iran-says-no-longer-bound-restrictions-its-nuclear-programme-10-year-deal-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3329514/iran-says-no-longer-bound-restrictions-its-nuclear-programme-10-year-deal-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 09:15:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran does not plan to immediately resume nuclear talks with European nations after they reimposed sanctions, the foreign ministry said on Monday. Britain, France and Germany, signatories to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, reimposed sanctions on September 28, triggering the return of UN sanctions under the so-called snapback mechanism. “We have no plans for negotiations at this stage,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, adding that Iran was examining the “consequences and implications” of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3328031/iran-halts-nuclear-talks-after-uk-france-and-germany-reimpose-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3328031/iran-halts-nuclear-talks-after-uk-france-and-germany-reimpose-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:43:45 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Indonesia is racing to contain the fallout from a radioactive contamination scare after traces of caesium-137 were detected in shipments of cloves and frozen shrimp to the United States, prompting import blocks on two major exporters and urgent clean-up efforts in an industrial zone west of Jakarta. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first detected the radioactive isotope in frozen shrimp in August, followed by a second detection in cloves in late September. While both samples were below... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3327649/indonesia-races-contain-fallout-radiation-scare-tied-us-bound-food-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3327649/indonesia-races-contain-fallout-radiation-scare-tied-us-bound-food-shipments?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:20:43 +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 Associated Press Associated Press As Iran’s ailing economy braced itself on Saturday for the reimposition of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme, it is ordinary people who increasingly find themselves priced out of the food they need to survive and worried about their futures. Iran’s rial currency already sits at a record low, increasing pressure on food prices and making daily life that much more challenging. That includes meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table. Meanwhile, people worry about a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327104/hungrier-and-more-anxious-iran-awaits-un-snapback-sanctions-over-nuclear-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327104/hungrier-and-more-anxious-iran-awaits-un-snapback-sanctions-over-nuclear-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 11:35:40 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The UN Security Council on Friday rejected another last-ditch effort to delay the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme a day before the deadline and after Western countries claimed that weeks of meetings failed to result in a “concrete” agreement. The resolution put forth by Russia and China – Iran’s most powerful and closest allies on the 15-member council – failed to garner support from the nine countries required to halt the series of UN sanctions from taking effect on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327060/un-security-council-rejects-china-and-russias-last-ditch-bid-delay-iran-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327060/un-security-council-rejects-china-and-russias-last-ditch-bid-delay-iran-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 20:55:10 +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 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain With UN sanctions set to be reactivated against Iran on Sunday, Tehran finds itself facing a tough choice between capitulation to US President Donald Trump’s demands for “unconditional surrender” over its nuclear programme and further Israeli attacks. With an equally unpalatable option of mediation by distrustful Gulf Arab neighbours that it has intimidated for decades, Tehran is playing for time in the hope that Washington can be persuaded to resume bilateral negotiations that were scuttled by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326591/iran-faces-no-win-situation-un-sanctions-threat-israeli-strikes-loom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326591/iran-faces-no-win-situation-un-sanctions-threat-israeli-strikes-loom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:36:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran decided at the last minute on Thursday to withdraw a resolution prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities that it had put forward along with China, Russia and other countries for a vote before an annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations. Western diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the US has been heavily lobbying behind the scenes to prevent the resolution from being adopted. The US has raised the possibility of reducing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326059/iran-withdraws-resolution-banning-attacks-nuclear-sites-amid-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326059/iran-withdraws-resolution-banning-attacks-nuclear-sites-amid-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:00:19 +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 Construction work has intensified on a major new structure at a facility key to Israel’s long-suspected atomic weapons programme, according to satellite images analysed by experts. They say it could be a new reactor or a facility to assemble nuclear arms - but secrecy shrouding the programme makes it difficult to know for sure. The work at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre near the city of Dimona will renew questions about Israel’s widely believed status as the Middle East’s only... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324148/satellite-photos-raise-questions-about-israels-secretive-nuclear-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324148/satellite-photos-raise-questions-about-israels-secretive-nuclear-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 05:39:10 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Japan has once again urged Hong Kong to immediately lift the restriction on aquatic imports from 10 prefectures, which has been in place for more than two years, saying the ban lacks scientific evidence and highlighting the safety of its food products. In response, Hong Kong’s environmental authorities said on Saturday that they had been in constant communication with the Japanese government, and any adjustment to the current restrictions would be announced in due course. The Japanese consulate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323754/japan-once-again-urges-hong-kong-macau-lift-10-prefecture-seafood-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323754/japan-once-again-urges-hong-kong-macau-lift-10-prefecture-seafood-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 07:00:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain, France and Germany on Thursday launched a 30-day process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, a step likely to stoke tensions two months after Israel and the United States bombed Iran. A senior Iranian official quickly accused the three European powers of harming diplomacy and vowed that Tehran would not bow to pressure over the move by the E3 to launch the so-called “snapback mechanism”. The three powers feared they would otherwise lose the prerogative... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323548/britain-france-germany-trigger-30-day-iran-sanctions-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3323548/britain-france-germany-trigger-30-day-iran-sanctions-process?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:34:27 +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 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Dozens of bags of mildly radioactive soil collected from near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant were delivered on Saturday to the Japanese prime minister’s office, in an effort to show it is safe for reuse. Soon after the March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster, authorities scraped a layer of contaminated soil from swathes of land in Fukushima to reduce radiation levels. A vast quantity of soil – 14 million cubic metres – has since been stored at facilities near the Fukushima Daiichi plant,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3318855/radioactive-fukushima-soil-sent-japanese-pms-office-bid-ease-radiation-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3318855/radioactive-fukushima-soil-sent-japanese-pms-office-bid-ease-radiation-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 10:18:07 +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 Lo Hoi-ying,Lam Ka-sing Lo Hoi-ying,Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong may soon relax its ban on Japanese seafood imports from 10 prefectures, according to a catering industry leader, but a restaurateur has said the move will not offset the damage from the growing trend of residents spending abroad. The industry insiders spoke on Monday after the government underscored the need for prudence in allowing Japanese seafood imports without shedding any light on a potential lifting of the ban. On Sunday, Beijing partially lifted its own ban on such products,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3316334/after-beijing-review-hong-kong-maintains-ban-seafood-10-japanese-prefectures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3316334/after-beijing-review-hong-kong-maintains-ban-seafood-10-japanese-prefectures?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 05:11:59 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Friday he had saved Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from assassination and lashed out at the supreme leader for ingratitude, declaring he would order more bombing if the country tried to pursue nuclear weapons. In an extraordinary outburst on social media, Trump blasted Tehran for claiming to have won its war with Israel and said he was halting work on possible sanctions relief. Trump said the United States would bomb Iran again “without question” if the country... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316182/trump-says-hell-bomb-iran-again-if-nuclear-activities-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3316182/trump-says-hell-bomb-iran-again-if-nuclear-activities-start?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:05:44 +0000 Hayley Wong Hayley Wong Instead of crushing Tehran’s nuclear programme, Israeli and US strikes on Iranian facilities in the past week might have dealt a blow to international nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Analysts warned that the attacks might not only encourage Iran to accelerate its nuclear weapon programme, but also prompt countries such as China and North Korea to expand their deterrence efforts. The pre-emptive strikes also risked setting a precedent for US adversaries to justify similar action against any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316141/will-us-strikes-iran-push-china-and-north-korea-ramp-their-nuclear-arms-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3316141/will-us-strikes-iran-push-china-and-north-korea-ramp-their-nuclear-arms-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:00:07 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou There is more risk of a global military conflict breaking out under Donald Trump’s leadership, with the US more likely to be drawn into wars involving smaller nations or allies, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came after the United States joined Israel’s war against Iran last weekend, carrying out military strikes on three nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. US officials have signalled that the operation was a one-off intervention and – hours after Iran launched a missile attack... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316042/china-should-be-alert-risk-us-being-drawn-war-allies-analyst-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316042/china-should-be-alert-risk-us-being-drawn-war-allies-analyst-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:08 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar The United States’ attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites on June 22 have been described as a “spectacular military success” by US President Donald Trump. Some have concluded that Israel has emerged as the definitive winner in a long-festering regional rivalry. The political objective of this dramatic American intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict was a simple Trump goal: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” With a fragile ceasefire in place between Israel and Iran, an objective assessment of US and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3315742/us-bombing-iran-risks-breakdown-nuclear-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3315742/us-bombing-iran-risks-breakdown-nuclear-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Amber Wang,Enoch Wong Amber Wang,Enoch Wong Chinese defence experts expressed scepticism about US President Donald Trump’s claim that air strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s biggest nuclear facilities, following reports that core components of Tehran’s nuclear assets remained intact. The mainland is believed to have the world’s most extensive underground bunker systems and has developed its own bunker-­busting weapons, with ambitions to target facilities including those deep within the mountains of Taiwan. CNN reported on Tuesday that an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315830/did-us-strikes-wipe-out-irans-nuclear-facilities-chinese-military-experts-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3315830/did-us-strikes-wipe-out-irans-nuclear-facilities-chinese-military-experts-sceptical?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:25:32 +0000