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Iran to speed up underground uranium enrichment plant
Iran plans to install hundreds more advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges at an underground plant in breach of its deal with major powers, a UN nuclear watchdog report showed on Friday, a move that will raise pressure on US President-elect Joe Biden, Reuters reported.
The confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report obtained by Reuters said Iran plans to install three more cascades, or clusters, of advanced IR-2m centrifuges in the underground plant at Natanz, which was apparently built to withstand aerial bombardment.
Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers says Tehran can only use first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, which are less efficient, at the underground plant and that those are the only machines with which Iran may accumulate enriched uranium, Reuters reported.
Iran recently moved one cascade of 174 IR-2m machines underground at Natanz and is enriching with it. It already planned to install two more cascades of other advanced models there, in addition to the 5,060 IR-1 machines that have been enriching for years in the plant built for more than 50,000.
“In a letter dated 2 December 2020, Iran informed the Agency that the operator of the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz ‘intends to start installation of three cascades of IR-2m centrifuge machines’ at FEP,” the IAEA’s report to its member states said.
Iran has breached many of the deal’s core restrictions on its nuclear activities in response to US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement and his reimposition of crippling economic sanctions. Tehran says its breaches can quickly be reversed if Washington’s moves are undone, Reuters reported.
Biden, who takes office on January 20, has said he will bring the United States back into the deal if Iran resumes full compliance with its nuclear restrictions. That raises the prospect of a standoff over who should move first.
The IAEA’s last quarterly report on Iran last month showed Tehran had stockpiled 12 times the 202.8 kg of enriched uranium it is allowed to have under the deal, more than 2.4 tonnes.
Reuters reported that US intelligence agencies and the IAEA believe Iran had a coordinated, clandestine nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003, the year its secret construction of Natanz was revealed by an opposition group in exile.
The deal is aimed at keeping Iran at arm’s length from being able to produce a nuclear bomb but Iran says it has never tried to.
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India sends 3 tons of humanitarian aid to flood-affected families in Afghanistan
India has delivered three tons of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to support families impacted by recent flooding, the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said on Thursday.
Officials confirmed the aid shipment was received the same day and includes essential relief items such as 300 medical kits, 50 kitchen sets, 495 blankets, and 165 tarpaulins.
ANDMA expressed appreciation for India’s continued humanitarian support, noting that the assistance will help address urgent needs in flood-affected areas.
The authority added that a formal assessment is underway and that the aid will be distributed in a transparent and equitable manner to the most affected and vulnerable families.
Flooding has repeatedly affected several regions of Afghanistan, leaving communities in need of immediate relief and longer-term recovery support.
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Afghans will never accept Durand Line fencing, says Borders Minister
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders, Ethnic Affairs and Tribes, says the barbed-wire fencing along the disputed Durand Line is viewed by Afghans as a wire placed on the chest of the nation, stressing that Afghans will never accept a foreign barrier imposed on their land.
Noori made the remarks during a meeting with a number of political analysts, tribal elders and university professors at his office, where he emphasized that Afghanistan does not recognize an official border with Pakistan and that this position has been clearly communicated on multiple occasions.
Speaking at the gathering, the minister said the current governing system has emerged from among the people and that public cooperation and support have played a key role in reaching this stage.
He added that the system belongs to all Afghans and that all citizens of the country are treated equally. According to him, since the Islamic Emirate came to power, thousands of tribal and local disputes across the country have been resolved, and serious measures have been taken to safeguard the country’s borders.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Jan Ahmad, Deputy Minister for Jirgas and Tribal Coordination at the ministry, said one of the most important factors behind the success of any society and political system is intellectual and ideological unity among the people.
He noted that such unity exists among the Afghan nation.
During the meeting, political analysts and tribal elders also emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity with the current system, stating that the people of Afghanistan will stand alongside the country’s security and defense forces to protect the nation and its territorial integrity.
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CSTO claims security risks from Afghanistan remain high
The alert was issued at the 43rd meeting of the Afghanistan working group under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has warned that security threats originating from Afghanistan remain high, following a review of the situation by officials and regional representatives in Moscow.
The alert was issued at the 43rd meeting of the Afghanistan working group under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, held Wednesday at the organization’s secretariat.
Delegations from CSTO member states joined representatives from the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, CIS anti-terror bodies, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Participants exchanged assessments of Afghanistan’s military, political, and humanitarian situation and discussed its implications for regional stability.
In a statement, the CSTO emphasized the importance of continuing humanitarian and economic support for the Afghan population.
Officials also called for sustained monitoring of developments in the country and efforts to promote peaceful processes, aiming to reduce the risk of regional spillover.
The Moscow meeting highlights continuing concern among Central Asian and Russian-led security institutions over potential threats from Afghanistan. The CSTO has repeatedly cautioned that extremist groups could exploit various issues including porous borders, and regional tensions.
Neighboring countries remain wary of cross-border militancy, trafficking, and armed group movements. Regional security organizations have increasingly coordinated assessments, as Afghanistan—while outside formal security frameworks—continues to influence the region.
International organizations also highlight Afghanistan’s fragile humanitarian and economic situation. Millions remain reliant on aid, and reduced funding alongside the return of large numbers of Afghans from neighboring countries has intensified existing pressures.
Afghanistan has long been considered a primary external security concern for CSTO members, particularly Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The latest warning underscores that, while no immediate crisis has emerged, Afghanistan remains central to overlapping security and humanitarian challenges.
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