“We agreed with Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, about the importance of maintaining interaction with each other,” Grossi wrote on his X account.
“I will soon travel to Tehran for important political and technical meetings,” he added.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 68th General Conference of the Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
The latest increase comes after a similar decree in December 2023, when the president boosted the number of employees in the Russian military to just over 2.2 million, including 1.3 million troops.
In his order on Monday, Putin also instructed the Russian government to allocate the necessary funds for the Defense Ministry to carry out the increase, which formally takes the number of personnel in the armed forces to 2,389,130.
The last time the president expanded the number of Russian troops, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that the move was the result of the “proxy war” being waged against Moscow by the West. “The security of our country must be, of course, ensured”, Peskov stated at the time.
“This is connected with the war that the countries of the collective West are waging. A proxy war, which includes elements of indirect participation in military actions and elements of economic warfare, financial warfare, legal warfare, going beyond the legal framework, and so on.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry also stated at the time that the expansion of the army would be done through citizens who voluntarily wish to serve under contract.
It also explained that the decision to increase personnel numbers was due to the threat posed by NATO’s continued expansion. Members of the US-led bloc have significantly expanded their military presence along the Russian border, deploying additional air defense systems and strike weapons.
“An additional increase in the combat strength and numbers of the armed forces is an adequate response to the aggressive activities of the NATO bloc,” the ministry wrote.
In a post on X, the Iranian Embassy described the claim as “another attempt to manipulate the public opinion with baseless speculations.
It added, “First they spread unfounded claims that Iran has sent missiles to Russia without offering any evidence, then quickly follow up with reports that Russia has shared nuclear secrets with Iran in exchange for the missiles”.
The X post of the Iranian Embassy added that the combination of the “buzzwords” is meant to mislead and alarm the public opinion with false claims.
Iran has already rejected claims that it gave Russia missiles to be used in the Ukraine war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said on Monday that since he took office, Iran has not given any arms to Russia. Moscow itself has rejected the Western claims.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Sunni scholars on Monday, marking the beginning of the Islamic Unity Week which coincides with the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The Leader referred to attempts by ill-wishers to fuel religious discord in the Muslim world, especially in Iran.
The ill-wishers, he added, are using intellectual, propagandistic and economic means to separate the Shias and the Sunnis in Iran and elsewhere in the Islamic region and make them vilify each other.
Ayatollah Khamenei said relying on unity is the way to deal with the conspiracies, noting, “The issue of unity is not a tactic but a Qur’anic principle.”
“The issue of the Islamic Ummah’s identity is a fundamental issue beyond nationality, and geographical boundaries do not change the truth and identity of the Islamic Ummah”.
Pointing to the hostile efforts that are meant to make Muslims indifferent about their Islamic identity, he stated, “It is against Islamic teachings that a Muslim is indifferent to the suffering of another Muslim in Gaza or other parts of the world.”
The leader further expressed regret at some measures which are intentionally or unintentionally seeking to destroy the unity among the Shias and Sunnis.
Disagreements between Netanyahu and Gallant have surfaced over the government’s approach to the growing border escalation with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon as Gallant advocates exhausting diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, while Netanyahu is pushing for a large-scale military campaign.
“Negotiations between Netanyahu’s team and Sa’ar are ongoing to replace Gallant,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.
Sources in Netanyahu’s Likud Party, however, denied that any formal agreement has been reached.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement denying media reports about negotiations with Sa’ar to replace Gallant as defense minister.
Israeli Channel 12, citing unnamed sources close to Sa’ar, said, “There was nothing new in the matter.”
Sa’ar, a former Likud member, founded his own party after splitting from Netanyahu in 2020 and has reemerged as a key figure in Israeli politics.
Gallant has been under fire from Netanyahu’s right-wing allies, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“For many months, I have been calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu to fire Gallant, and the time has come to do so immediately. A decision must be made in the north and Gallant is not the right man to lead it,” Ben-Gvir posted on X.
The extremist minister argued that Gallant was not the right leader for military operations in Lebanon.
Sa’ar’s potential entry into the Israeli government could signal new strategic approaches to both the Lebanon and Gaza conflicts.
Tensions have spiked along Lebanon’s border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with an offensive against Gaza, which has killed over 41,200 people since last October following a Hamas attack.
Yahya Saree said in his latest prerecorded televised address that the aircraft, which costs more than $30m, was shot down over the Dhamar governorate. This marks the third such claimed downing in a week, and the 10th since the start of the war on Gaza.
“Our operations will not stop until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted,” the spokesperson added.
The advanced drones, which can fly at altitudes up to 15,240 metres (50,000 feet) and for up to 24 hours, have been flown by US military and intelligence forces over Yemen for years.
On Sunday, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile that started a fire in central Israel’s Tel Aviv, saying it was a new hypersonic projectile that travelled more than 2,040km (1,267 miles) in less than 12 minutes.
The Yemeni group has carried out dozens of attacks on ships with links to Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s 11-month-old war on the Gaza Strip.
The Yemeni group, which landed an explosive-laden drone in Tel Aviv in July killing one person, have stressed their attacks will only stop when Israel’s killings in Gaza cease.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its devastating war on October 7.
In his first press conference on Monday since assuming the presidency on July 30, President Pezeshkian responded to a question from an Al Jazeera reporter about Iran’s role in Yemen’s recent missile attack on Israel.
He said Ansarullah’s capability to carry out such attacks and acquire this technology was developed over time, which would have been impossible during Israel’s one-year war on Gaza.
Pezeshkian added that Iran and Yemen are coordinated in their stance against Israel’s genocide and the killing of women and children in Gaza, sharing the same perspective and protesting against it.
He pointed to Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, saying Israel is committing these crimes in front of the world, yet no one is stopping them, while the US and Europe provide Israel with missiles, bombs, and planes and defend them.
He emphasized that if Israel’s security is a concern for the West, why aren’t they worried about Gaza, Palestine, and the people being killed?
President Pezeshkian also mentioned Iran’s relations with China, noting that Iran has had very good relations with China so far.
He highlighted China’s mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia as a significant step toward regional coordination.
He stressed that the 25-year cooperation plan between Iran and China can be implemented, with the goal of accessing each other’s markets.
Elsewhere, Pezeshkian emphasized the need to lift anti-Iranian sanctions, stating that his government aims to first improve relations with neighboring countries and then with other nations.
He said his recent trip to Iraq and the Kurdistan region was based on this approach.
President Pezehskian also said that Iran has no choice but to resolve the issue of joining the FATF and that he will write to the relevant authorities to address this matter.
Ensieh Hajizadeh, the director of the Advanced Products Technology Development Center at the institute, shed light on the technological method for treatment, saying a small part of skin can be used after medical tests to produce stem cells for thousands of patients.
“The developed product is composed of three layers like living skin, and in fact, the product is a layer of cells,” she said.
The product, tested on five patients with deep burns, was successful in the first phase of the clinical trial, Hajizadeh said, adding, “It has now been proven that this method is safe and easy to use and heals burn wounds without side effects.”
The new product was unveiled in August but has not yet been commercialized, according to the research institute.
According to official figures, burns rank second in severe incidents in Iran.
Addressing the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna on Monday, Mohammad Eslami stated that Iran’s voluntary actions under the JCPOA were carried out in exchange for the lifting of unjust anti-Tehran sanctions.
He asserted that certain countries are now applying political and psychological pressure to force Iran into complying with the nuclear agreement, adding the JCPOA should not be enforced at the cost of only one party, that is Iran.
Eslami also highlighted Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, pointing out that while Iran’s nuclear facilities make up only 3% of the world’s total, more than one-fifth of the agency’s inspections in 2023 took place in Iran.
However, he expressed the readiness of Iran’s new government and President Masoud Pezeshkian to expand constructive engagement and develop international cooperation.
Elsewhere, Eslami referred to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and acts of sabotage and terrorism against Iran by the Zionist regime, saying that Israeli leaders have launched widespread negative propaganda against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program to distract global attention from their crimes.
Eslami noted that Israeli authorities, over the past year, have repeatedly threatened the people of Iran and Gaza with their nuclear weapons while continuing to refuse to join the NPT. Israel’s nuclear facilities remain outside of IAEA oversight.
He also said that Iran is determined to increase its nuclear energy share to 20,000 megawatts by 2040. So, the IAEA, according to its charter, is obligated to facilitate and support all member states’ access to the necessary technology and equipment without discrimination.
An investigation into the deaths of Nik Beizer, 19, Ron Sherman, 19, and Elia Toledano, 28, found there was a “high probability” that the hostages were killed “as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike” targeting Hamas Northern Brigade commander Ahmed Ghandour, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.
The three hostages were being held in a tunnel where Ghandour was operating when the military struck on Nov. 10, according to the IDF.
Their bodies were found in a Hamas tunnel complex on Dec. 14, and the investigation into their deaths concluded in recent days.
“At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound,” the military added.
The IDF said that it was a “high probability” assessment but that it was “not possible to definitively determine” the cause of the three hostages’ deaths. Its assessment is based on a number of factors, including intelligence reports, the location of where their bodies were found, an analysis of the strike and conclusions from the Forensic Medicine Institute.
“The IDF shares in the grief of the families over the devastating loss and will continue to accompany them,” the IDF added.
Both Beizer and Sherman were members of the Israeli military.
Sherman was serving in his first year in the IDF, assigned to a base near a Gaza border crossing, when Hamas bombed and then attacked the soldiers inside.
The investigative findings deliver another blow to Israel’s government, which faces intense domestic protests calling for a cease-fire deal.
The IDF announced this month it found the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas and returned them to Israel.
Their deaths sparked tens of thousands of Israelis to take to the streets, directing their anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some relatives of hostages who remain captive in Gaza were also outspoken against Netanyahu and accused him of prioritizing his own political agenda over the lives of their loved ones.
An estimated 250 people were abducted and were hostage in the Gaza Strip. More than 100 were released during a short-lived cease-fire agreement at the end of November before the agreement to pause hostilities fell apart.
Since then, some hostages were either rescued or found dead by the military. The IDF estimated that 101 hostages in Gaza.
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