News Digest: Week of March 1

March 1

Shipping: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran for an explosion on an Israeli ship last week. An Israeli official told Reuters that limpet mines were used in the attack. 

Sports: Iran's suspension from international judo events was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court said that Iran had not committed "severe violations" of federation rules when it ordered an athlete not to compete against an Israeli competitor in 2019. 

Nuclear: Iran had failed to provide a "necessary, full and technically credible explanation" for the presence of uranium particles at undeclared sites, IAEA chief Raphael Grossi told the Board of Governors. "The Agency is deeply concerned that undeclared nuclear material may have been present at this undeclared location and that such nuclear material remains unreported by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement," he said. 

 

March 2

Diplomacy: France said that it would formally protest Iran's decision to limit IAEA access to its nuclear facilities. The nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors was expected to vote on the resolution by the end of the week. 

Terrorism: Ethnic Baluch militants attacked Revolutionary Guards in southeast Iran and injured one. The attack was carried out by Jaish al Adl, the deputy governor of Sistan-Baluchistan said. 

Sanctions:

 

March 3

Military: The United States warned of a potential military response for a rocket attack against the Ayn al Asad base in Iraq. "We’re identifying who’s responsible, and we’ll make judgments," President Joe Biden said. One U.S. contractor died of a heart attack while taking shelter during the attack. 

Nuclear: Deputy Secretary of State-nominee Wendy Sherman said that the "facts on the ground had changed" regarding the 2015 nuclear deal. “The geopolitics of the region have changed, and the way forward must similarly change,” she testified during her confirmation hearing. The Biden administration's approach would be “be decided on the merits of where we are today, not nostalgia for what might have been,” she added. 

Diplomacy: