by & nbspgavin Blackburn & nbspwith & nbspAP
It’s published
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday that Israeli air attacks at Iran’s Arak heavy water reactors also damaged major buildings “including distillation units.”
In a post on X, the IAEA said there was information that the hit reactor was under construction and unoperated, and therefore did not contain nuclear material.
The agency said there is currently no information to confirm exactly where the complex was attacked.
IAEA Chihulafaergrossi is scheduled to attend the UN Security Council later on Friday and will update them on the situation regarding Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iran’s nuclear program is currently at the heart of the current conflict with Israel on its eighth day, with Israeli officials pledging to destroy what they consider an existential threat to their country.
Iran was previously subject to an international nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the country received sanctions relief in exchange for strict restrictions on nuclear activity.
During his first term in office, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018, accusing him of “the worst deal ever,” and slamming new sanctions against Iran.
Since then, other signatories of the deal have been scrified to comply with Iran, but Tehran has voided the deal and continues to enrich uranium, which is located at 60% at its current level.
It is still technically below the 90% weapon grade level, but well above the 3.67% allowed by the JCPOA.
Iran claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and purely for private purposes, and that ARAK’s reactors will only be used for research and development, medical and industrial isotopes production.
Meanwhile, Israel says Tehran is working towards building nuclear weapons that can be used against Israel.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said European diplomats will make “comprehensive, diplomatic and technical negotiations offer” to Iran, Geneva on Friday in an important response to the “threat” represented by Iran’s nuclear programme.
“We can’t seriously believe that this threat can be met with (Israel’s) current operations alone,” Macron said.
“Why? There are some highly protected plants and we don’t know exactly where uranium is enriched at 60% today, so we need to regain control of the (Iranian nuclear) program through technical expertise and negotiation,” he added.
French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barott coordinates with his British and German counterparts in Geneva before meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut.
“It is absolutely essential to prioritize a return to substantial negotiations, including nuclear negotiations to move to zero (uranium) enrichment, ballistic negotiations to limit Iran’s activities and capabilities, ballistic negotiations to limit regional destabilization that Iran has been holding for several years, and ballistic negotiations.”
Macron has also repeatedly stopped his calls for Israel’s strikes against Iran’s energy and private infrastructure, as well as Iran’s civilian people.
“There’s no justification,” he said.
