Belarus Frees Opposition Leaders Maria Kalesnikava and Viktar Babaryka in U.S.-Brokered Deal 
Air Force One Delivery Delayed to 2028 as Boeing Faces Rising Costs 
International Stabilization Force for Gaza Nears Deployment as U.S.-Led Planning Advances 
U.S. Special Forces Intercept Ship Carrying Military Components Bound for Iran 
Hong Kong Democratic Party Disbands After Member Vote Amid Security Crackdown 
U.S. Soldiers Killed in ISIS Attack in Palmyra, Syria During Counterterrorism Mission 
Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Peace Talks Signal Mandatory Prison Sentences for Top Leaders 
U.S. Intelligence Briefly Curtailed Information Sharing With Israel Amid Gaza War Concerns 
New Epstein Photos Surface Showing Trump as Lawmakers Near Document Release Deadline 
Trump Signals Two Final Candidates for Fed Chair, Calls for Presidential Input on Interest Rates 
Preservation Group Sues Trump Administration to Halt $300 Million White House Ballroom Project 
Special Prosecutor Alleges Yoon Suk Yeol Sought North Korea Provocation to Justify Martial Law 
Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Targets Senior Hamas Commander Amid Ceasefire Tensions 
Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership 
Zelenskiy Signals Willingness to Drop NATO Bid as Ukraine, U.S. Hold Crucial Peace Talks in Berlin 
California, 18 States Sue to Block Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee 
Global Leaders Condemn Deadly Antisemitic Shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach During Hanukkah 
Iran has made a sweeping pledge of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog as the agency probes into the uranium particles found in its facilities after efforts were stalled. Tehran has also pledged to reinstall the IAEA monitoring equipment in its facility.
The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran issued a joint statement on Saturday, saying that Tehran has pledged full cooperation with the IAEA following the return by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi from a visit to Iran. The statement comes ahead of the two-day meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors. While the statement did not go into specifics but suggested an improvement in relations between the IAEA and Iran which would likely curb a push by the West to demand Tehran’s cooperation.
Iran has also made similar pledges in the past that showed little results.
“Iran expressed its readiness to…provide further information and access to address the outstanding safeguards issues,” said the statement. A confidential IAEA report to the agency’s member countries seen by Reuters said Grossi “looks forward to…prompt and full implementation of the Joint Statement.”
Grossi told a news conference in Vienna that Iran is expected to provide access to information, locations, and individuals. The IAEA chief’s comments suggested progress on the issue after years of obstruction by Tehran. Iran is also expected to allow the reinstallation of extra monitoring equipment that was in place under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The equipment was removed in 2022 as the deal fell through after the United States, under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and imposed sanctions instead.
Despite the joint statement, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said it has not agreed to give access to people.
Talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have hit a pause following scrutiny of Iran for the ongoing protests and allegations that Tehran was supplying Russia with drones to use in Ukraine. On the same day, parents took to the streets in Tehran and other cities in Iran to protest against a surge of poisoning of school girls in dozens of schools, according to Iranian media.
Tehran has since blamed the country’s foreign enemies for the wave of suspected poison attacks.
