CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2026--
Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has awarded a $406 million (£300 million) contract to a joint venture between Amentum (NYSE: AMTM) and Cavendish Nuclear to serve as the owner’s engineer for the UK’s groundbreaking small modular reactor (SMR) program.
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This long-term agreement, with a maximum duration of 14 years, will support the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMR’s innovative reactor technology at the Wylfa site in North Wales. The contract represents a significant milestone in advancing the UK’s clean energy ambitions and the rollout of its first SMRs.
The Amentum-led joint venture, known as Litmus Nuclear, will play a pivotal role in the SMR program by delivering independent assurance and expert technical guidance across critical areas, including design, safety, engineering, construction, and commissioning. This support is designed to help GBE-N achieve its goal of securing a final investment decision for the deployment of SMRs at the Wylfa site.
"This award recognizes Amentum’s expertise to accelerate the global expansion and revitalization of nuclear energy. It also underscores our central role in advancing the UK’s nuclear ambitions, complementing our ongoing work at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C,” said Loren Jones, senior vice president and head of Amentum’s Energy & Environment-International business. “Amentum will draw upon our expertise in nuclear science and engineering to provide independent technical and delivery assurance, helping GBE-N advance the SMR program and bolster the UK’s energy security and industrial base.”
The joint venture will also ensure the SMR program meets regulatory requirements and is poised to deliver reliable, low-carbon power for decades to come.
In November 2025, the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced Wylfa, on the island of Anglesey/Ynys Môn, as the site for the country’s first SMR’s. These 470MWe reactors are smaller and designed to be built more quickly than some traditional nuclear power stations.
About Amentum
Amentum is a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions, trusted by the United States and its allies to address their most significant and complex challenges in science, security and sustainability.
About Amentum in the United Kingdom
With more than 6,000 people in the UK, Amentum is the delivery partner for project and construction management services at Hinkley Point C; sole program and project management delivery partner at Sizewell C; and also supports the UK’s existing nuclear power stations under a Lifetime Enterprise Agreement with EDF. It is a major supplier of engineering design, safety case and project management at Sellafield and other UK nuclear decommissioning sites and operates the country’s largest private sector complex of nuclear laboratories and engineering test facilities in Warrington.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains or incorporates by reference statements by Amentum Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) that relate to future events and expectations and, as such, constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements may be characterized by terminology such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “target,” “endeavor,” “seek,” “predict,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements, other than historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated work and revenue under the awarded contract, and the Company’s objectives, expectations and intentions, applicable legal, economic and regulatory conditions, and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, are forward-looking statements.
A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by these forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, among others: the occurrence of an accident or safety incident; the ability of the Company to control costs, meet performance requirements or contractual schedules; and other factors set forth under Item 1A, Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2024, which can be found at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or the Investor Relations portion of our website at www.amentum.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Contract signing - left to right: Mick Gornall, Managing Director, Cavendish Nuclear; Loren Jones, Senior Vice President, Amentum; Simon Roddy, Chief Executive Officer, Great British Energy-Nuclear; Kenny Douglas, DevCo Director, Great British Energy-Nuclear
U.S. President Donald Trump said the military could end its Iran offensive in two to three weeks and will shift responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz to countries that rely on it for oil and shipping as the White House announced a prime-time presidential address Wednesday evening on the war.
Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil.” Trump recently has vacillated between insisting there is progress in diplomatic talks with Iran and threatening to widen the war.
In an interview with pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. He insisted, however, that there were no direct negotiations and said Iran has no faith that talks with the U.S. could yield any results, saying “the trust level is at zero.”
Trump said the U.S. “will not have anything to do with” what happens next in the vital waterway that has been closed by the Islamic Republic. Instead, he told reporters, the responsibility for keeping the strait open will rest with countries that rely on it. Gulf states rely on the waterway for both exports and imports, including food, and 20 percent of the world's oil supply flows through it.
U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war continues to push fuel prices higher worldwide. Analysts say those high fuel costs will trickle into groceries as businesses’ transportation and packaging costs pile up.
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Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used a rare national address to urge Australians to use public transport due to fuel supply uncertainties created by the Iran war.
Albanese said in a statement broadcast Wednesday by major television and radio networks that “the months ahead may not be easy.”
“You should go about your business and your life as normal. Enjoy your Easter,” Albanese said.
“And over the coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so,” he added.
Australia slashed fuel taxes from Wednesday in a bid to curb price rises at the pump.
The government maintains that Australia has all the fuel it needs, but panic buying and distribution problems have created regional shortages.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting no matter what Trump may threaten.
Trump’s April 6 deadline for the Strait of Hormuz to open still stands, otherwise he threatened to hit power plants.
“You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” Araghchi said.
Asked if the United States would launch a ground war in Iran, Araghchi dismissed the idea.
“I do not think they would dare to do such a thing,” he said. “Very heavy casualties would await them.”
Asked about attacks across the Gulf Arab states, Araghchi again insisted Iran isn’t targeting those states, despite repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure like airports, power plants and desalination facilities.
“In reality, they are using the people of the Persian Gulf as human shields,” Araghchi said.
Oil fell below $100 per barrel and Asian shares jumped Wednesday over renewed optimism about a de-escalation of the Iran war.
Brent crude, the international standard, was down 4.7% to $99.05 per barrel.
Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 4% to $97.33 a barrel.
South Korea’s Kospi recovered its losses from earlier this week, surging 8.4% to 5,478.70, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 5.2% to 53,739.68.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 2.3% to 25,346.42, while the Shanghai Composite index was trading 1.5% higher at 3,948.55.
An airstrike in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Wednesday morning appears to have struck inside of the former U.S. Embassy compound there.
The embassy has been controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since the 1979 hostage crisis.
Its all-volunteer Basij force operates the compound, running an anti-American museum inside the embassy and having different operations on its grounds in newer buildings.
Witnesses saw blown-out windows surrounding the massive compound on Tehran’s Taleghani Street. However, there was no missile strike visible around the compound, with witnesses saying they believe the strike happened inside the compound.
The 444-day hostage crisis saw American diplomats held until President Ronald Reagan took office from President Jimmy Carter in 1981.
An oil tanker contracted to Qatar was struck by an Iranian cruise missile on Wednesday while two others were intercepted, authorities said.
The missile slammed into the tanker off Qatar's coast that is contracted by state-owned QatarEnergy. The ministry said the tanker’s 21-member crew was evacuated, and no casualties were reported.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said two other missiles were intercepted.
QatarEnergy said there was no environmental impact from the tanker attack.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said earlier that a projectile slammed into the side of the ship.
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen said Wednesday they fired a barrage of ballistic missiles toward Israel.
Air raid sirens went off in southern Israel in the early morning, from Beersheba to the Mediterranean coast following the launch. There were no immediate reports of impacts.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a prerecorded statement that they fired at “sensitive targets” in southern Israel.
The attack is the third since the Houthis joined the war on Friday when they fired their first missile towards Israel since the U.S. and Israel launched massive airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
Their entry has raised concerns that they could resume attacks on vessels in the Red Sea further disrupting the global shipping industry and sending oil prices much higher
A drone attack has killed a citizen of Bangladesh in Fujairah, one of the UAE’s seven emirates, authorities said.
He was killed Wednesday when Emirati air defense systems intercepted a drone, and shrapnel landed in a farm, the Fujairah media office said.
The fatality has brought the death toll in the UAE to nine civilians and two soldiers. A Moroccan contractor with the UAE army was also killed in Bahrain.
Earlier Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed two Iranian drones.
Emergency personnel said an 11-year-old girl was severely wounded in central Israel in the latest missile attack from Iran.
Two more people suffered moderate injuries including a 13-year-old boy and a 36-year-old woman, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services.
Iran’s foreign minister has acknowledged receiving direct messages from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
The comments by Abbas Araghchi came in an interview with pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera aired late Tuesday. He insisted that the messages didn’t constitute negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described Iran and America has having talks over the war, while Pakistan has been a key intermediary along with Egypt and Turkey during the conflict.
“I receive messages from Witkoff directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations,” he said.
He added: “We do not have any faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield any results. The trust level is at zero.”
Asked about a possible ground offensive by the U.S., Araghchi said “we are waiting for them.”
“We know very well how to defend ourselves,” Araghchi reportedly told the Qatar-based broadcaster. “In a ground war, we can do it even better. We are completely ready to confront any sort of ground attack. We hope they do not make such a mistake.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in a preliminary count early Wednesday 21 people were also wounded in the strike in Jnah.
The strike came without warning, and Israel did not declare the target. When it does, it often says it is targeting operatives from the Hezbollah militant group.
Emergency workers rushed to the scene to search for victims.
Israel’s military warned the public Wednesday a missile was incoming from Yemen, yet another attack from the country’s Houthi rebels who have just entered the war on Iran’s side.
Air raid sirens went off in southern Israel, from Beersheba to the Mediterranean coast.
The warning, just around dawn, broke a long lull, more than 19 hours since the last time Israel’s military warned of an incoming missile launch from Iran, and more than six hours from the last alarms in the northern part of Israel, which in past days received near-constant fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A drone attack by Iran and its allies hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire, authorities said.
The state-run KUNA news agency said the attack early Wednesday sparked a “large fire” at the airport.
It said there were no immediate injuries from the attack and firefighters were working to control the blaze.
Kuwait International Airport has been attacked before by Iran during the war. The KUNA report suggested the attack may have been launched by Iranian-supported militias in Iraq with Tehran’s support.
In another strike, Bahrain said early on Wednesday morning that it was working to extinguish a fire at a business facility that resulted from an Iranian attack.
Israel said early Wednesday it struck a plant supplying Iran’s theocracy with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, to allegedly use in a chemical weapons program. Iran acknowledged the strike on Tofigh Daru factory, but insisted it only supplied “hospital drugs” used in medical operations.
The strike happened Tuesday, both the Israelis and the Iranians said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted a picture of the factory in Tehran, writing on X: “The war criminals in Israel are now openly and unashamedly bombing pharmaceutical companies.”
Hospitals extensively use fentanyl to treat severe pain. But a small amount of the drug can be fatal.
Both Israel and the United States have warned in recent years Iran was experimenting with fentanyl in munitions. The U.S. previously pointed to Iranian academic research studying how Russia likely used a fentanyl derivative during the 2002 Moscow theater hostage seizure by Chechen militants.
Israel alleged Tofigh Daru supplied fentanyl to an advanced research institute in Tehran, known by its acronym SPND. The U.S alleges SPND has conducted research and testing that could be applicable to the development of nuclear explosive devices and other weapons.
The United Arab Emirates has barred Iranians from entering or transiting the country as the war rages, three major airlines said Wednesday.
Long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, as well as the lower-cost airline FlyDubai, made the announcements on their websites.
Entry rules can sometimes be opaque in the autocratic United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, the three airlines agreed on the order. It said holders of 10-year Golden Visa residency permits could still enter the country.
Authorities have offered no official comment. But Dubai has already shut down the city-state’s Iranian Hospital and Iranian Club, institutions that date back to the time of the shah.
Members of civic groups hold signs against the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Israel's rescue teams and residents take shelter as sirens sounds next to a site struck by an Iranian missile in Bnei Brak, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
People stand near a damaged van beside scattered debris following an Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A firefighter extinguishes a car at the site of Israeli airstrikes, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Residents and Israeli security forces inspect a site struck by an Iranian missile in Petah Tikva, Israel, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
A man inspect the wreckage of an Iranian missile that landed near the West Bank village of Marda, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hits a building near the airport road in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A family who fled Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon warm themselves by a bonfire next to tents used as shelters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
