IAEA says Iran's enriched uranium stockpile remains unverifiable amid US conflict

More than a year after losing access to Iran's declared nuclear inventories, the International Atomic Energy Agency still cannot establish where key uranium stocks are or what condition they are in. Its latest restricted report described the information gap as a proliferation concern and called for urgent action.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran must allow inspectors to return to its nuclear facilities "with the utmost urgency." He repeated that demand after visiting Washington and called for a negotiated settlement to the conflict between the United States and Iran. The report appeared as Washington launched a new wave of strikes on targets in Iran, while tensions also rose over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

“

The agency's lack of information about this nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of proliferation concern.

Before the United States and Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, the IAEA estimated that Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to as much as 60% purity. That level remains below the roughly 90% associated with weapons-grade uranium, but the agency's yardstick says the material could provide enough feedstock for 10 nuclear weapons if enriched further. Iran also held lower-enriched uranium, including about 8,599.6 kilograms, according to figures cited by Bloomberg.

The IAEA says it has lost continuity of knowledge over the declared low-enriched and 60%-enriched uranium inventories at facilities affected by the attacks. Inspections fell by more than half last year after Iran imposed new restrictions following a 12-day conflict involving Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear sites. Inspectors are expected to visit the Bushehr nuclear power plant in mid-September, but they have not returned to the facilities damaged in the June 2025 strikes.

“

with the utmost urgency