Nuclear

Nuclear site inspections possible only after final US-Iran deal: Iran

An Iranian diplomat rejected comments on Wednesday by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying nuclear site inspections would only be possible after a final US-Iran deal. Kazem Gharibabadi, a deputy foreign minister, made the comment on X. He was reacting to remarks earlier in the day by Rafael Mariano Grossi in Japan. "No meeting was held with Grossi in Switzerland, despite his request. Nor is there any plan for access to the facilities that were attacked or to nuclear material," Gharibabadi wrote. "These issues will be reviewed and decided only within the framework of a final agreement and as a result of practical action by the other side to end all sanctions and other measures." He added: "You cannot advance the stir up and take over' policy with media hype.

US, Iran offer conflicting accounts of nuke talks as deal efforts continue

Trump says Iran agreed to inspections; Tehran refutes claims

Trump asked us to turn over 'a new leaf' in ties with Iranian people: Vance

Trump wants to 'turn over a new leaf' with Iran as US and Iranian officials begin technical talks in Switzerland, says Vice President JD Vance

Kudankulam nuclear project gets its 'heart', moves closer to 6,000 MWe

NPCIL has installed the reactor pressure vessel at Unit-5 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, marking a key step towards expanding clean-energy capacity

US and Iran close to signing deal to end their war, say officials

The United States and Iran are close to signing an agreement aimed at ending their war, three regional officials told The Associated Press on Friday. A senior US official said the tentative deal includes terms for removing and destroying nuclear material from Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Friday on X that an agreement "has never been closer". He gave no details, saying a final deal was still pending. US President Donald Trump shared Araghchi's post on his own social media. The apparent breakthrough in negotiations comes after Iran exchanged fire with the US and Israel over three days this week, threatening to return the Middle East to full-scale war. Trump has said multiple times in recent weeks that the countries were on the cusp of a deal. The war launched by the US and Israel on Feb 28 has rattled the Middle East and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7. The regional .

India modernises nuclear programme, deploys warheads for first time: Sipri

India slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2025 and is increasingly focusing on long-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China, according to Sipri

India among top 5 military spenders; has 190 nuclear warheads: Sipri

India was the fifth largest military spender in the world, with an expenditure of USD 92.1 billion in 2025, according to a report by an international think-tank, which also mentioned the "unusually severe military crisis" that erupted between India and Pakistan last year. In its annual assessment report launched on Monday, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also said that India has approximately 190 nuclear warheads as of January 2026, compared to Pakistan's estimated stockpile of 170. "Key findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2026 are that states are increasingly relying on nuclear weapons as instruments of national power -- reversing decades of efforts to reduce the numbers and role of nuclear weapons -- even as the risks of miscalculation and escalation are rising," SIPRI said in a statement. The Stockholm-based think-tank said India is believed to have once again "slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal" in 2025 and continued development of new types of nuclear ...

Ukraine says drone hit nuclear fuel storage facility near Chernobyl

Ukraine says a Russian drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Chernobyl, prompting concern from the IAEA over nuclear safety risks

US sees nuclear renaissance with new micro-reactor, eyes global markets

A small nuclear reactor developed by a private US company has achieved first criticality, a stepping stone in the development of small modular reactors which Washington plans to sell to countries including India. The Mark-0 demonstration reactor, built by Antares Nuclear, achieved first criticality the start of a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction on June 4, a month ahead of schedule as US President Donald Trump encouraged the private sector to develop newer nuclear reactors. Experts describe the crucial milestone as the heralding of a second nuclear renaissance in the country that had not tested new technologies in the sector for over four decades. Maria Korsnick, the President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, said that the US is keen to sell small reactors to India besides the conventional large reactors such as the AP-1000s. "Yes, there's going to be an appetite for small modular reactors and even potentially microreactors. It just sort of depends on what exactly i

Khamenei says Iran's nuclear fuel stockpile must remain in country

Iran has refused US demands to transfer enriched uranium abroad, deepening tensions in fragile nuclear and ceasefire negotiations

NTPC chief cautions against dependence on single supplier for nuclear tech

The country must remain watchful of becoming over-dependent on any single supplier or country for nuclear technology as it moves ahead with the ambitious 100 GW nuclear power plan, an industry executive has cautioned. Gurdeep Singh, the Chairman of India's largest power generation company NTPC, has asserted that the country should prioritise control over technology and resources, even if domestic options are 5-10 per cent costlier at the initial stage, to avoid the supply chain vulnerabilities currently seen globally. Singh, at a workshop organised by Central Electricity Authority on India's nuclear power roadmap, urged stakeholders to move beyond legislative intent and focus on the immediate formulation of rules and guidelines, arguing that clarity in implementation is the only way to convert policy into actual investment, accoding to the minutes of the workshop released by the CEA at the weekend. The workshop on "Shanti Act, 2025: Enabling India's 100 GW Nuclear Power Roadmap ...

PM Modi cites Pokhran, says no power in the world can make India bow down

On National Technology Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remembered the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests and said India is emerging as a global leader in different aspects of technology. National Technology Day commemorates the momentous events of May 11, 1998, when India conducted successful nuclear tests under Operation Shakti and saw the maiden flight of the indigenously-developed Hansa-3 aircraft. In recognition of these achievements, then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had declared May 11 as National Technology Day. "Best wishes on National Technology Day! This is a day to express pride and gratitude to our scientists and remember the 1998 Pokhran tests. They were a landmark event in our nation's growth trajectory, especially in our quest towards self-reliance," Modi said in a post on X. "Powered by our people, India is emerging as a global leader in different aspects of technology, be it space, AI, digital innovation, green technology and more," he said. Modi reaffi

NTPC to seek AEC approval for first 1,400 MW nuclear project soon

State-run NTPC plans to set up two 700 MW PHWR units and may invest around Rs 28,000 crore in the project targeted for commissioning by 2032

Iran presses for end to war within 30 days; Trump expresses doubts

Iran's latest proposal to the United States calls for issues between the two countries to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, according to Iran's state-linked media. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war, but also expressed doubt it would lead to a deal. Iran's 14-point proposal calls for an end to the war, rather than just an extension of the truce. The proposal, a rebuttal to the US nine-point plan, also calls for the US to lift sanctions on Iran, ending the naval blockade, withdrawing forces from the region, and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel's operations in Lebanon, according to the semi-official Nour News agency, which has close ties to the country's security organisations. Iran sent its reply via a Pakistani intermediary, the news agency reported. Pakistan has hosted previous negotiations between Iran and the United States. Trump rejected a previous Irania

PM Modi hails Kalpakkam reactor criticality during Mann Ki Baat broadcast

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed as a "historic milestone" the Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor achieving criticality, and said Indian nuclear scientists have brought glory to the country. In his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', he said Indian scientists are advancing the civil nuclear programme and their efforts are making a significant contribution to nation-building. "Our nuclear scientists have brought glory to India through a major achievement. The fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu has achieved criticality," he said. Modi said this is a "historic milestone" in India's nuclear energy journey, and the remarkable thing is that the atomic reactor has been entirely built using indigenous technology. The prime minister said he had the privilege of witnessing the core loading of the reactor in Kalpakkam in March 2024. "I congratulate all those who have made invaluable contributions to India's nuclear program," he said. Modi said the efforts of the ...

China hints fourth aircraft carrier may be nuclear-powered in new video

A latest video released by the Chinese navy highlighting China's blue-water naval ambitions has sparked speculation that its fourth aircraft carrier currently being built will be a nuclear-powered one. The video film 'Into The Deep' was released on Wednesday to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy showcased Chinese navy's transition from maritime ambitions and coastal defences. The video also highlighted China's "blue-water" navy capable of deep-sea operations, including footage from real-life drills in the western Pacific far from home and the use of advanced equipment. It also showed a compass being handed down through generations of naval officers named after the three aircraft carriers Liao Ning, Shan Dong, and Fu Jian currently in operation. But a fourth character was named He Jian, hinting that it could be a nuclear-powered ship because "He" sounds like the Chinese word for "nuclear" and "Jian" is the word for a "ship", the Hong ...

Why this suspected nuclear site in Iran is central to talks with US

Little is known about Pickaxe Mountain, but some experts say it illustrates the impossibility of relying on force alone to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb

Four decades on, Chernobyl stands as testament to nature's resilience

On contaminated land that is too dangerous for human life, the world's wildest horses roam free. Across the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Przewalski's horses - stocky, sand-colored and almost toy-like in appearance - graze in a radioactive landscape larger than Luxembourg. On April 26, 1986, an explosion at the nuclear power plant in Ukraine sent radiation across Europe and forced the evacuation of entire towns, displacing tens of thousands. It was the worst nuclear disaster in history. Four decades on, Chernobyl - which is transliterated as "Chornobyl" in Ukraine - remains too dangerous for humans. But the wildlife has moved back in. Wolves now prowl the vast no-man's-land spanning Ukraine and Belarus, and brown bears have returned after more than a century. Populations of lynx, moose, red deer and even free-roaming packs of dogs have rebounded. Przewalski's horses, native to Mongolia and once on the brink of extinction, were introduced here in 1998 as an experiment. Known as "takhi

Trump again suggests Iran has agreed to hand over enriched uranium

US President Donald Trump on Friday again claimed that Iran has agreed to hand over enriched uranium "The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear Dust,' created by our great B2 Bombers - No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form," Trump said in a social media post. "Nuclear dust" is shorthand that Trump frequently uses to refer to the highly-enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites that the US bombed during last year's 12-day war between Israel and Iran. If true, it would be a major concession from Iran and would lock in a key US demand to end the conflict. But neither Iran nor countries acting as intermediaries in the conflict have said that Tehran has made such an agreement. Trump on Thursday also asserted that Iran has "agreed to give us back the nuclear dust".

Atomic Energy Commission clears FDI policy for nuclear power sector

Proposed policy approved by Atomic Energy Commission moves to consultations stage as India looks to open nuclear power sector to private participation