UN Atomic Agency: Iran possibly closer to building nuclear warhead

Iran may have moved significantly closer to actually building a nuclear weapon, the Wall Street Journal reports. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a confidential report Wednesday that Tehran has started work on an assembly line for producing a central component of nuclear warheads.

EU Concerned About Iran’s Ambitions

The European Union has warned Iran that its decision to increase uranium enrichment could undermine efforts to keep a nuclear deal alive. The warning comes amid diplomatic efforts to bring the United States back on board under a new administration.

Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan hold talks on reopening regional transportation routes

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Kremlin Monday, to discuss the reopening of transportation routes that were shut down amid the decades-long regional conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Associated Press reports. The meeting follows the November 10, 2020 peace deal brokered by Russia which ended 44 days of renewed hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Pompeo, in Tuesday speech, to accuse Iran of al Qaeda links

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to use newly declassified U.S. intelligence on Tuesday to publicly accuse Iran of ties to al Qaeda, two people familiar with the matter said, as part of his last-minute offensive against Tehran before handing over to the incoming Biden administration.

Cuba re-added to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism

The outgoing Trump administration, in one of its last foreign policy acts, is putting Cuba back on the official list of state sponsors of terrorism, reversing an Obama-era decision that aimed to normalize diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the communist island.

Thousands of Refugees Stuck in Bitter Balkan Winter

The United Nations says thousands of migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty urgently need proper shelter and care in Bosnia-Herzegovina after weeks outdoors in the freezing cold. With authorities declining to open more adequate facilities, many are now sleeping in unheated tents or rough near the northern town of Bihac.

Syria claims “enemy” Israel conducted airstrikes near Damascus

Syrian media outlets have said Israel carried out a number of targeted airstrikes around Damascus late Wednesday night, the Times of Israel reports. Following standard policy about commenting on operations in Syria, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

Iran says it is rolling out 1,000 additional centrifuges

Having just announced it plans to enrich uranium at a level far above that allowed by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Iranian regime said Tuesday that it is installing 1,000 additional centrifuges and increasing its supply of yellowcake, a uranium concentrate powder used for enrichment.

Iran launches massive ‘drone combat wargames’

The Iranian military on Tuesday launched a massive series of “drone combat wargames” and boasted that its new generation of aircraft — including ominous “suicide drones” — will give Tehran a battlefield edge over its enemies.

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