Almost 800 killed near aid hubs in Gaza
The UN claims the majority of killings happened near centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israel-backed organisation.
A UN rights office spokesperson says most of the people killed died from gunshot wounds while trying to access aid.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation denies that the IDF has fatally shot Palestinians near these hubs.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Iran would resume nuclear talks with US with guarantees
Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war". Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated". "The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said. Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. "The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said. Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. with AP Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war". Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated". "The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said. Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. "The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said. Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. with AP Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war". Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated". "The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said. Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. "The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said. Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. with AP Iran's foreign minister says his country will resume nuclear talks with the US, if it gets assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reports. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war". Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated". "The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations," he said. Following the strikes, Iran suspended co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for co-operation "case by case", based on Iran's interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors. "The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said. Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an organised nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent - a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. with AP
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Gaza truce talks falter, 17 die in latest aid shooting
Progress is stalling at talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, with the sides divided over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha said. The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began. US President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon based on a new US-backed ceasefire proposal. In Gaza, medics said 17 people trying to get food aid were killed on Saturday when Israeli troops opened fire, the latest mass shooting around a US-backed aid distribution system that the UN says has resulted in 800 people killed in six weeks. Witnesses who spoke to Reuters described people being shot in the head and torso. Reuters saw several bodies of victims wrapped in white shrouds as family members wept at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots, but that its review of the incident had found no evidence of anyone hurt by its soldiers' fire. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar pushing for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war. The Israeli official blamed the impasse on Hamas, which he said "remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement". Hamas has previously blamed Israeli demands for blocking a deal. A Palestinian source said that Hamas had rejected withdrawal maps which Israel had proposed that would leave around 40 per cent of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more US intervention, the source said. Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza. Saturday's reported mass shooting near an aid distribution point in Rafah was the latest in a series of such incidents that the United Nations rights office said on Friday had seen at least 798 people killed trying to get food in six weeks. "The shooting was targeted. It was not random. Some people were shot in the head, some in the torso, one guy next to me was shot directly in the heart," eyewitness Mahmoud Makram told Reuters. "There is no mercy there, no mercy. People go because they are hungry but they die and come back in body bags." After partially lifting a total blockade of all goods into Gaza in late May, Israel launched a new aid distribution system, relying on a group backed by the United States to distribute food under the protection of Israeli troops. The United Nations has rejected the system as inherently dangerous and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles. Israel says it is necessary to keep militants from diverting aid. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive. Israel's campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal that would release all remaining hostages being held by Hamas. Protester Boaz Levi told Reuters here was there to pressure the government, "to get to a hostage deal as soon as possible because our friends, brothers, are in Gaza and it's about the time to end this war. That is why we are here." Progress is stalling at talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, with the sides divided over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha said. The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began. US President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon based on a new US-backed ceasefire proposal. In Gaza, medics said 17 people trying to get food aid were killed on Saturday when Israeli troops opened fire, the latest mass shooting around a US-backed aid distribution system that the UN says has resulted in 800 people killed in six weeks. Witnesses who spoke to Reuters described people being shot in the head and torso. Reuters saw several bodies of victims wrapped in white shrouds as family members wept at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots, but that its review of the incident had found no evidence of anyone hurt by its soldiers' fire. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar pushing for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war. The Israeli official blamed the impasse on Hamas, which he said "remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement". Hamas has previously blamed Israeli demands for blocking a deal. A Palestinian source said that Hamas had rejected withdrawal maps which Israel had proposed that would leave around 40 per cent of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more US intervention, the source said. Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza. Saturday's reported mass shooting near an aid distribution point in Rafah was the latest in a series of such incidents that the United Nations rights office said on Friday had seen at least 798 people killed trying to get food in six weeks. "The shooting was targeted. It was not random. Some people were shot in the head, some in the torso, one guy next to me was shot directly in the heart," eyewitness Mahmoud Makram told Reuters. "There is no mercy there, no mercy. People go because they are hungry but they die and come back in body bags." After partially lifting a total blockade of all goods into Gaza in late May, Israel launched a new aid distribution system, relying on a group backed by the United States to distribute food under the protection of Israeli troops. The United Nations has rejected the system as inherently dangerous and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles. Israel says it is necessary to keep militants from diverting aid. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive. Israel's campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal that would release all remaining hostages being held by Hamas. Protester Boaz Levi told Reuters here was there to pressure the government, "to get to a hostage deal as soon as possible because our friends, brothers, are in Gaza and it's about the time to end this war. That is why we are here." Progress is stalling at talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, with the sides divided over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha said. The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began. US President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon based on a new US-backed ceasefire proposal. In Gaza, medics said 17 people trying to get food aid were killed on Saturday when Israeli troops opened fire, the latest mass shooting around a US-backed aid distribution system that the UN says has resulted in 800 people killed in six weeks. Witnesses who spoke to Reuters described people being shot in the head and torso. Reuters saw several bodies of victims wrapped in white shrouds as family members wept at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots, but that its review of the incident had found no evidence of anyone hurt by its soldiers' fire. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar pushing for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war. The Israeli official blamed the impasse on Hamas, which he said "remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement". Hamas has previously blamed Israeli demands for blocking a deal. A Palestinian source said that Hamas had rejected withdrawal maps which Israel had proposed that would leave around 40 per cent of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more US intervention, the source said. Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza. Saturday's reported mass shooting near an aid distribution point in Rafah was the latest in a series of such incidents that the United Nations rights office said on Friday had seen at least 798 people killed trying to get food in six weeks. "The shooting was targeted. It was not random. Some people were shot in the head, some in the torso, one guy next to me was shot directly in the heart," eyewitness Mahmoud Makram told Reuters. "There is no mercy there, no mercy. People go because they are hungry but they die and come back in body bags." After partially lifting a total blockade of all goods into Gaza in late May, Israel launched a new aid distribution system, relying on a group backed by the United States to distribute food under the protection of Israeli troops. The United Nations has rejected the system as inherently dangerous and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles. Israel says it is necessary to keep militants from diverting aid. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive. Israel's campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal that would release all remaining hostages being held by Hamas. Protester Boaz Levi told Reuters here was there to pressure the government, "to get to a hostage deal as soon as possible because our friends, brothers, are in Gaza and it's about the time to end this war. That is why we are here." Progress is stalling at talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, with the sides divided over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha said. The indirect talks over a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began. US President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon based on a new US-backed ceasefire proposal. In Gaza, medics said 17 people trying to get food aid were killed on Saturday when Israeli troops opened fire, the latest mass shooting around a US-backed aid distribution system that the UN says has resulted in 800 people killed in six weeks. Witnesses who spoke to Reuters described people being shot in the head and torso. Reuters saw several bodies of victims wrapped in white shrouds as family members wept at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots, but that its review of the incident had found no evidence of anyone hurt by its soldiers' fire. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have been in Qatar pushing for an agreement which envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war. The Israeli official blamed the impasse on Hamas, which he said "remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement". Hamas has previously blamed Israeli demands for blocking a deal. A Palestinian source said that Hamas had rejected withdrawal maps which Israel had proposed that would leave around 40 per cent of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to lines it held in a previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more US intervention, the source said. Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and administration in Gaza. Saturday's reported mass shooting near an aid distribution point in Rafah was the latest in a series of such incidents that the United Nations rights office said on Friday had seen at least 798 people killed trying to get food in six weeks. "The shooting was targeted. It was not random. Some people were shot in the head, some in the torso, one guy next to me was shot directly in the heart," eyewitness Mahmoud Makram told Reuters. "There is no mercy there, no mercy. People go because they are hungry but they die and come back in body bags." After partially lifting a total blockade of all goods into Gaza in late May, Israel launched a new aid distribution system, relying on a group backed by the United States to distribute food under the protection of Israeli troops. The United Nations has rejected the system as inherently dangerous and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles. Israel says it is necessary to keep militants from diverting aid. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive. Israel's campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of more than two million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins. Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal that would release all remaining hostages being held by Hamas. Protester Boaz Levi told Reuters here was there to pressure the government, "to get to a hostage deal as soon as possible because our friends, brothers, are in Gaza and it's about the time to end this war. That is why we are here."
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Iran to cooperate with IAEA, inspections may be risky
Iran plans to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, but stressed that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues. The new law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs approval by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body. "The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," state media cited Araqchi as saying on Saturday. "For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined." While Iran's cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped, it will take a new form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security Council, Araqchi told Tehran-based diplomats. "The IAEA's requests for continued monitoring in Iran will be ...decided on a case-by-case basis by the Council with consideration to safety and security issues," Araqchi said. Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium, Araqchi reiterated. Axios cited sources on Saturday as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had voiced support for the idea of an accord in which Tehran is unable to enrich uranium. But Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim quoted an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any such message to Iran. Speaking to the state news agency IRNA, Araqchi said Iran was carefully considering the details of any renewed nuclear talks with the US and seeking assurances that Washington would not again resort to military force. "We are in no hurry to enter into unconsidered negotiations," he added. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Israel's air strike on Iran's capital last month killed five inmates of Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others. The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media quoted a spokesman for Iran's judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June 23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn't name the victims or give any further details. The judiciary's own news website, Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that "small number" of inmates were killed. He added that an "insignificant number of inmates" had also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody. Iranian authorities last month put the death toll from the air strike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. It's unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on the day of the air strikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets "based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch." The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel. with AP Iran plans to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, but stressed that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues. The new law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs approval by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body. "The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," state media cited Araqchi as saying on Saturday. "For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined." While Iran's cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped, it will take a new form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security Council, Araqchi told Tehran-based diplomats. "The IAEA's requests for continued monitoring in Iran will be ...decided on a case-by-case basis by the Council with consideration to safety and security issues," Araqchi said. Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium, Araqchi reiterated. Axios cited sources on Saturday as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had voiced support for the idea of an accord in which Tehran is unable to enrich uranium. But Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim quoted an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any such message to Iran. Speaking to the state news agency IRNA, Araqchi said Iran was carefully considering the details of any renewed nuclear talks with the US and seeking assurances that Washington would not again resort to military force. "We are in no hurry to enter into unconsidered negotiations," he added. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Israel's air strike on Iran's capital last month killed five inmates of Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others. The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media quoted a spokesman for Iran's judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June 23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn't name the victims or give any further details. The judiciary's own news website, Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that "small number" of inmates were killed. He added that an "insignificant number of inmates" had also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody. Iranian authorities last month put the death toll from the air strike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. It's unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on the day of the air strikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets "based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch." The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel. with AP Iran plans to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, but stressed that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues. The new law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs approval by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body. "The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," state media cited Araqchi as saying on Saturday. "For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined." While Iran's cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped, it will take a new form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security Council, Araqchi told Tehran-based diplomats. "The IAEA's requests for continued monitoring in Iran will be ...decided on a case-by-case basis by the Council with consideration to safety and security issues," Araqchi said. Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium, Araqchi reiterated. Axios cited sources on Saturday as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had voiced support for the idea of an accord in which Tehran is unable to enrich uranium. But Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim quoted an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any such message to Iran. Speaking to the state news agency IRNA, Araqchi said Iran was carefully considering the details of any renewed nuclear talks with the US and seeking assurances that Washington would not again resort to military force. "We are in no hurry to enter into unconsidered negotiations," he added. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Israel's air strike on Iran's capital last month killed five inmates of Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others. The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media quoted a spokesman for Iran's judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June 23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn't name the victims or give any further details. The judiciary's own news website, Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that "small number" of inmates were killed. He added that an "insignificant number of inmates" had also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody. Iranian authorities last month put the death toll from the air strike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. It's unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on the day of the air strikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets "based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch." The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel. with AP Iran plans to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog despite restrictions imposed by its parliament, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, but stressed that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed security and safety issues. The new law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs approval by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body. "The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover munitions ... are serious," state media cited Araqchi as saying on Saturday. "For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined." While Iran's cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped, it will take a new form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security Council, Araqchi told Tehran-based diplomats. "The IAEA's requests for continued monitoring in Iran will be ...decided on a case-by-case basis by the Council with consideration to safety and security issues," Araqchi said. Iran will not agree to any nuclear deal that does not allow it to enrich uranium, Araqchi reiterated. Axios cited sources on Saturday as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had voiced support for the idea of an accord in which Tehran is unable to enrich uranium. But Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim quoted an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any such message to Iran. Speaking to the state news agency IRNA, Araqchi said Iran was carefully considering the details of any renewed nuclear talks with the US and seeking assurances that Washington would not again resort to military force. "We are in no hurry to enter into unconsidered negotiations," he added. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Israel's air strike on Iran's capital last month killed five inmates of Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others. The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media quoted a spokesman for Iran's judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June 23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn't name the victims or give any further details. The judiciary's own news website, Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that "small number" of inmates were killed. He added that an "insignificant number of inmates" had also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody. Iranian authorities last month put the death toll from the air strike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. It's unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on the day of the air strikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military targets "based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence Branch." The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel. with AP
