IAEA Urges Access to Iran’s Nuclear Sites Amid Proliferation Concerns

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for urgent access to Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning that the lack of information about Iran’s nuclear materials and restricted access to key sites pose a proliferation concern.

In its latest quarterly report, the UN nuclear watchdog said it was particularly concerned about the inability to verify nuclear material at facilities including the Isfahan site, which has been targeted by US and Israeli military strikes.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the longstanding disputes surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme should be resolved through a durable and verifiable diplomatic agreement.

Iran, however, has maintained that inspections of nuclear facilities damaged by military attacks must be conducted under special arrangements. Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said inspectors should first establish specific procedures for visiting sites that have been attacked.

Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA following US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities in 2025, although Tehran later announced that inspectors would be allowed to return.

Despite claims by US President Donald Trump that the strikes had severely damaged Iran’s nuclear programme, the whereabouts of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remain unclear.

Tehran continues to deny seeking nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful and civilian purposes. The IAEA has previously reported that Iran’s uranium enrichment levels exceed what is normally required for civilian use, though they remain below weapons-grade levels.

The latest IAEA report is expected to be discussed by the agency’s Board of Governors during its September 21–25 meeting.

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