Axios

Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it is withdrawing the designation of several senior UN inspectors who were working in the country, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Saturday.

Why it matters: The decision is a significant escalation by Iran that could hamper the UN nuclear watchdog's ability to monitor Tehran's nuclear program.

The Biden administration at the moment does not plan to announce its decision on whether to ship longer-range missiles that Kyiv is seeking during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington next week, according to a source familiar with the issue.

Why it matters: Ukrainian officials had hoped President Biden would approve the delivery of the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, a surface-to-surface guided missile system with a range of up to about 190 miles, next week, according to a Ukrainian source.

U.S. ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy met with detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow Friday, per the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

Driving the news: Gershkovich, who the U.S. has declared "wrongfully detained," remains "strong and is keeping up with the news," the embassy said.

Three Senate Democrats are asking for answers from the Department of Defense over Elon Musk's role in reportedly thwarting a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian military ships, according to a letter obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: Musk was heavily criticized for denying a request last year to activate SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications network over part of the Crimean coast to allow Ukraine to strike Russian ships at the Sevastopol Naval Base on the Black Sea.

The U.S. said on Friday it was issuing a new round of sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and entities that played a role in the "violent suppression" of protests that rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody a year ago.

Driving the news: The death of Amini, who died on Sept. 16, 2022, after being detained by the country's morality police for allegedly violating a religious law requiring women to wear headscarves, prompted mass calls for greater rights and freedoms for women in Iran.

The Biden administration notified Congress this week of plans to deny Egypt $85 million in military aid and redirect much of it to Taiwan due to concerns about political prisoners and other human rights abuses in Cairo.

The big picture: The administration was criticized by lawmakers for both not going far enough to hold Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government to account for abuses including detaining political prisoners and for not assisting Taiwan enough in the face of threats from China.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Washington next week to meet President Biden at the White House and hold meetings on Capitol Hill during his trip to the U.S. for the UN General Assembly, according to two sources.

Why it matters: Congress is currently weighing President Biden's request to approve more than $20 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.