IAEA issues dramatic warning: “The picture of Iran’s enriched uranium stocks has been lost”

The International Atomic Energy Agency no longer has a clear picture of Iran’s enriched uranium stocks, its director general warned, saying Tehran has provided neither the necessary information nor access for on-site inspections.

Rafael Grossi told the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday that the agency could not confirm the status of Iran’s declared nuclear materials and facilities. Without access to the sites and the required data from Iran, he said, the IAEA cannot fulfill its verification duties or assess the implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“More than a year has passed since the IAEA lost continuity of knowledge about the stocks of low-enriched uranium and uranium enriched up to 60% in U-235” at Iran’s declared nuclear facilities affected by military attacks in June 2025, Grossi said. He described the development as a serious nuclear-proliferation concern.

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The picture of the enriched uranium stocks has been lost.

“The situation must be urgently corrected,” Grossi said, stressing the need to restore the agency’s ability to conduct inspections and maintain a clear picture of Iran’s nuclear facilities and materials.

Iran has refused IAEA inspectors access since the Israeli and U.S. attacks in June 2025. Tehran says inspectors could pass classified information to the countries that attacked its nuclear program. Grossi has repeatedly argued that military force is less effective than diplomacy for resolving the nuclear dispute and has urged both sides to return to negotiations.

The access dispute predates the 2025 war. Iran had already begun significantly restricting inspections in 2021. In November of that year, Grossi accused Tehran of failing to honor an agreement to restore access to the important Karaj laboratory.

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The situation must be urgently corrected.