Iran agrees to resume IAEA inspections
On Tuesday, 9/9, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi agreed to a cooperation framework at a meeting in Cairo, Egypt. However, Mr. Araghchi warned that if the U.N.-backed “snapback” sanctions are implemented, Iran would suspend its cooperation once again. The agreement is a lifeline for a diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue after U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
The dangerous Washington consensus for more nuclear weapons
In the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, nuclear policy veteran and former Ploughshares Fund president Joe Cirincione warns of a growing consensus for building more nuclear weapons among policymakers and national security experts. Cirincione highlights the arguments made by former senior Biden administration officials Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi in their recent essay for Foreign Affairs as examples of such a consensus.
Holy See warns of new nuclear weapons
The Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, highlighted the Vatican’s concern about significant increases in military spending and nuclear arms development worldwide on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests.
Urenco USA completes second phase of U.S. enrichment expansion
Urenco USA has started up a new cascade of gas centrifuges at its enrichment plant in New Mexico ahead of schedule. Urenco is currently the only commercial producer of enriched uranium in the United States and has capacity to meet around a third of the enrichment needs of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. The expansion supports the Administration’s goal of reinvigorating its nuclear industrial base and strengthening the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, the company said.
Ethiopia embraces nuclear power
Ethiopia is doubling down on its energy security goals with the planned construction of a mega nuclear power plant. The project is part of a $30 billion infrastructure initiative announced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.