Iran says it will establish a new enrichment facility after a vote at the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran isn’t complying with its nuclear obligations. The announcement said the facility will be “in a secure location.” Earlier this morning, the UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors formally found that Iran isn’t complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore UN sanctions on Tehran. As tensions in the Middle East appear to escalate, US broadcaster CBS reported last night that US officials have been informed that Israel is “fully ready” to launch an attack on Iran and that Washington “anticipates Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighbouring Iraq”. Last night the US state department said that it had ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad. The department is also authorising the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran’s defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh told reporters yesteday that if nuclear talks fail and “a conflict is imposed on us,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “will target all US bases in the host countries.” The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors has formally found that Iran isn’t complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, AP reports. It’s a decision that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore UN sanctions on Tehran later this year. Nineteen countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board, which represents the agency’s member nations, voted for the resolution, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. Russia, China and Burkina Faso opposed it, 11 abstained and two did not vote. “Iran’s many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the Agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran ... constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement,” the draft resolution says. Iran will not abandon its right to uranium enrichment because of mounting frictions in the region, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that a “friendly” regional country had alerted Tehran over a potential military strike. The official said the tensions were intended to “influence Tehran to change its position about its nuclear rights” during talks with the US scheduled for Sunday in Oman. Yesterday it was reported that the US is drawing down its presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East due to the potential for regional unrest. Hamas said it has killed 12 Israeli militia members in Gaza, AP reports. A unit of the Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early today. An Israel-supported aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, said that Hamas had attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least five of them. The Israeli militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants, but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed. Israel has accused Hamas of weaponising suffering after reports that at least five aid workers in Gaza were killed by the Islamist group. In a post on X, Israel’s foreign ministry said: After threats, lies, and disruption, they turned to cold-blooded murder: Last night Hamas brutally killed at least 5 Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid workers, en route to a distribution center to deliver today’s essential aid. They showed no mercy. Hamas is weaponizing suffering in Gaza - denying food, targeting lifesavers, and forsaking its own people. Separately, Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at people at aid distribution sites in Gaza. Health officials said 14 people were killed overnight while on their way to collect aid near the southern city of Rafah. In central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital said that seven additional people were killed while on their way to an aid distribution site. Oman’s foreign minister said there will be a sixth round of negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program this weekend. Badr al-Busaidi made the announcement this morning in a post on X. Iran for days has been saying there would be talks, but Oman, serving as the mediator, has not confirmed them until now. There was no immediate comment from the US. Some more detail on the UN vote, expected later today, from AP. The UN General Assembly is expected to vote later today on a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and the opening of all Israeli border crossings for deliveries of desperately needed food and other aid. The resolution, drafted by Spain and seen yesterday by AP, “strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.” The draft resolution references a 28 March legally binding order by the top United Nations court for Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza for food, water, fuel and other supplies. The International Court of Justice issued the order in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its war in Gaza, charges Israel strongly denies. Health officials in Gaza said 14 people were killed while on their way to collect aid near the southern city of Rafah, AP reports. In central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital said that seven additional people were killed while on their way to an aid distribution site. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots before daylight toward people it identified as suspects “who were advancing while posing a threat” in central Gaza. The military had no immediate comment on the reports of casualties in southern Gaza. Safaa Farmawi said her daughter, Ghazal Eyad, 16, was killed while on her way to collect food in Rafah. “My daughter and I went to get aid, she came before me, I looked for my daughter but couldn’t find her. People told me your daughter was martyred,” Farmawi. Near-daily shootings have erupted as crowds make their way to aid sites run by the new US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israel’s parliament rejected early this morning a preliminary vote to dissolve itself, the Knesset said in a statement, after an agreement was reached regarding a dispute over conscription, Reuters reports. The vote, which could have been a first step leading to an early election that polls show prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose, was rejected with 61 opposing it to 53 supporting it. The Knesset consists of 120 seats, and the majority needed to pass the vote was 61. This gives Netanyahu’s ruling coalition further time to resolve its worst political crisis yet and avoid a ballot, which would be Israel’s first since the eruption of the war with Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu has been pushing hard to resolve a deadlock in his coalition over a new military conscription bill, which has led to the present crisis. “I am pleased to announce that after long discussions we have reached agreements on the principles on which the draft law will be based,” Knesset member Yuli Edelstein said in a statement Some religious parties in Netanyahu’s coalition are seeking exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students from military service that is mandatory in Israel, while other politicians want to scrap any such exemptions altogether. Israel recovered the remains of two more hostages in Gaza yesterday, AP reports. Israeli authorities identified one of the hostages recovered as Yair Yaakov who was killed during the 7 October 2023 attack and whose body was taken into Gaza. His partner and two children were also taken captive and released in a ceasefire deal early in the war. The second hostage’s identity was not disclosed. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the bodies were retrieved in a “complex” operation without disclosing details. The Israeli military said they were recovered from Khan Younis. The United Nations general assembly will vote later today on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the US vetoed a similar effort in the security council last week, Reuters reports. The 193-member general assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a “politically motivated, counter-productive charade”. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the UN security council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly. Thursday’s vote also comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The US has urged countries not to attend. The US is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest. The state department said yesterday that it’s ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the US embassy in Baghdad. The department also is authorising the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, giving them the option to leave those countries. In addition, US Central Command said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth “has authorised the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations” across the Middle East. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government survived an opposition bid to dissolve parliament this morning, as lawmakers rejected a bill that could have paved the way for snap elections. Out of the Knesset’s 120 members, 61 voted against the proposal, with 53 in favour. The opposition had introduced the bill hoping to force elections with the help of ultra-Orthodox parties in the governing coalition angry at Netanyahu over the contentious issue of exemptions from military service for their community. Hospitals said 21 people in Gaza were killed on their way to collect aid from food distribution sites on Wednesday. The Israeli army said it fired warning shots in central Gaza toward “suspects that posed a threat to troops. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of attacking aid workers en route to a distribution centre on Wednesday, saying at least five people were killed. “We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage,” GHF said in a statement. Israel’s government is issuing “clearly illegal” orders that must not be obeyed, a group of Israeli military intelligence officers have said, announcing they will no longer participate in combat operations in Gaza. In a letter addressed to Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister, Israel Katz, and the head of the military, the group of 41 officers and reservists said the government was waging an “unnecessary, eternal war” in Gaza.
Author: Hayden Vernon