IAEA Report Warns Iran Blocking Access to Nuclear Sites After Bombing, Raising Fears of Undetected Uranium Stockpiles

BY ROSEMARY

A confidential report circulated to member states by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday confirms that Iran has denied inspectors access to nuclear facilities targeted during a 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States last June. The findings, seen by international observers, highlight critical gaps in monitoring Iran’s nuclear program, raising concerns about the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium and the potential for weapons development.

The report emphasizes that, due to the lack of access, the IAEA “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities” at the affected sites. Nor can it confirm the current size, composition, or location of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles. Iran operates four declared enrichment facilities, but without consistent inspections, the agency warned that “the loss of continuity of knowledge … needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency” to prevent proliferation risks.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes. However, Western intelligence and the IAEA note that Tehran ran a structured weapons program up until 2003. The United States and its allies continue to push for an enforceable agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities and ensure that enrichment does not reach weapons-grade levels.

In correspondence dated February 2, Iran told the IAEA that standard safeguards were “legally untenable and materially impracticable” due to threats and “acts of aggression” following the June attacks. While the IAEA confirmed that inspectors have been granted access to unaffected nuclear facilities at least once since the conflict, access remains denied to sites directly targeted, including the Karun power plant, which is still under construction.

According to the IAEA, Iran currently maintains 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, just a short technical step from weapons-grade uranium at 90% enrichment. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that this quantity could potentially support the production of up to 10 nuclear weapons, though he clarified that this does not indicate that Iran has assembled such weapons. Under normal IAEA verification guidelines, highly enriched uranium should be monitored on a monthly basis.

Without direct access, the IAEA has turned to satellite imagery and other remote sensing methods to monitor activity at Iran’s nuclear sites. At the Isfahan facility, located approximately 350 kilometers southeast of Tehran and struck in the June conflict, satellite images show “regular vehicular activity” around a tunnel complex used for storing enriched material. Observations at Natanz and Fordow enrichment facilities also revealed ongoing activity, but the agency stated that it cannot confirm the purpose or nature of operations at these sites without onsite inspections.

The IAEA is playing a critical role in ongoing diplomatic efforts to address Iran’s nuclear program. Grossi participated in talks in Geneva on February 17 and 26 between U.S. and Iranian officials, providing guidance on verification measures. These discussions, facilitated by Oman, concluded without an agreement, leaving the region vulnerable to further escalation. Additional technical-level negotiations are scheduled next week in Vienna, home to the IAEA, which will likely be instrumental in shaping any potential deal.

The conflict and subsequent inspection gaps have raised the stakes for global security. The U.S. has deployed a substantial fleet of aircraft and naval forces to the Middle East as a contingency against potential Iranian actions, while Iran continues to insist that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and refuses to halt uranium enrichment or relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Past negotiations between Washington and Tehran have repeatedly faltered following acts of aggression and geopolitical escalations. Prior to the June conflict, Iran had enriched uranium to 60% purity, a level dangerously close to weapons-grade, underscoring the urgency of establishing robust verification mechanisms before tensions escalate further.

The IAEA report underscores a precarious moment in nuclear diplomacy, highlighting both the technical and political challenges in monitoring Iran’s program, ensuring compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and preventing a potential proliferation crisis in an already volatile region.