China hosts largest ever SCO summit as South Caucasus draws attention
The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit began in Tianjin on 31 August, marking the largest gathering in the bloc’s history, with China dee...
Iran could resume uranium enrichment within months despite U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has said.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS News that Iran retains the capacity to enrich uranium quickly, casting doubt on the effectiveness of recent U.S. attacks on its nuclear programme.
"The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that," Grossi said in an interview with "Face the Nation" due to air on Sunday.
U.S. officials claim their strikes destroyed key nuclear sites in Iran, including facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, after Israel launched attacks earlier this month aiming to eliminate Tehran's nuclear capabilities. The strikes sparked a 12-day air conflict, which the U.S. eventually joined.
President Donald Trump warned on Friday that he would consider bombing Iran again if it resumes uranium enrichment to threatening levels.
Grossi cautioned that while the attacks had significantly set back Iran’s nuclear operations, they had not erased its knowledge or capability.
"Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there," he said. "Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology. You cannot disinvent this. You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have."
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Western powers have long argued that Iran’s technical advances provide it with irreversible knowledge gains, meaning the loss of facilities or personnel can slow but not eliminate its nuclear potential.
Grossi also addressed reports suggesting Iran moved its stock of highly enriched uranium before the U.S. strikes.
"It was not clear where that material was. Some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved," he said.
The IAEA continues to monitor Iran's nuclear activities amid heightened regional tensions and uncertainty over whether Tehran will seek to rebuild its enrichment facilities swiftly or wait for diplomatic opportunities.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Malaysia marked its 68th National Day on Sunday with a vibrant parade in Putrajaya attended by over 14,000 participants and the country’s top leadership.
Norway will purchase a fleet of British-built frigates to reinforce its naval strength, the government confirmed on Sunday. The move marks a decisive step in what is expected to be the country’s largest-ever military procurement and a significant boost to NATO’s northern maritime defences.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday cancelled a planned visit to China as nationwide protests spread beyond Jakarta, with several regional parliament buildings set on fire.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 31th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin on Sunday for a regional security summit, Chinese and Russian state media reported.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment