Nuclear Inspections

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has found no evidence that Iran has attempted to repair or reconstruct nuclear facilities damaged in US and Israeli military strikes, but serious questions remain over the country’s nuclear material and the international community’s ability to verify its status.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), delivered the assessment during a briefing to the UN Security Council on Tuesday. He said the agency had detected no repair or reconstruction activity at the affected facilities since June 2025, when attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure disrupted international inspection work.

The assessment provides an important update on Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the absence of detected rebuilding activity does not mean inspectors have verified the complete condition of the damaged sites or established the current location and status of all Iran’s declared nuclear material.

Inspectors Still Lack Access to Key Nuclear Facilities

The IAEA has been unable to carry out its normal verification activities at several Iranian nuclear facilities damaged during the military attacks. Grossi told the Security Council that remote monitoring had revealed no signs of reconstruction, but he stressed that satellite-based observation cannot replace physical inspections.

The affected locations include Iran’s Fordow fuel-enrichment plant, enrichment facilities at Natanz, parts of the Isfahan nuclear complex and the Khondab heavy-water research reactor.

Without direct access, inspectors cannot independently establish the full extent of the damage, determine whether equipment has been moved or confirm the current condition of the facilities. The agency has repeatedly called on Tehran to allow inspectors to resume their work.

The situation leaves an important gap in international oversight: information gathered remotely can help identify visible changes, but it cannot answer every question about activities inside damaged or restricted facilities.

Concern Over 440.9 Kilograms of Enriched Uranium

One of the central concerns is Iran’s previously declared stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity.

The IAEA has estimated that the stockpile stood at approximately 440.9 kilograms, or 972 pounds. Uranium enriched to this level is well above the concentration generally required for civilian nuclear power generation, although it is below the roughly 90% enrichment level commonly associated with weapons-grade uranium.

Grossi said the agency has not been able to verify the status of this material since its inspectors lost access following the June 2025 attacks. The agency therefore cannot confirm that all nuclear material subject to its safeguards remains accounted for.

This distinction is crucial. The lack of evidence that damaged facilities are being rebuilt does not establish what has happened to the uranium stockpile or resolve questions about Iran’s wider nuclear activities.

The IAEA is seeking the information and access required to determine the status of the material and fulfil its international safeguards responsibilities.

Iran and the United States Remain at Odds

The dispute over nuclear inspections is unfolding amid a wider confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel.

US President Donald Trump has defended military action as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He has also previously described the damage caused by earlier US strikes as having effectively destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran, meanwhile, maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful and has criticised military attacks and international scrutiny of its nuclear activities.

The latest IAEA assessment introduces an important qualification into the debate. The agency has not identified efforts to rebuild the damaged facilities, but because inspectors lack access to most of the affected sites, it cannot provide a comprehensive, on-the-ground verification of their current condition or the status of all relevant nuclear material.

The findings therefore do not, by themselves, establish whether Iran has abandoned its nuclear ambitions or whether all potential proliferation concerns have been resolved.

Diplomatic Efforts Could Offer a Way Forward

Grossi has urged Iran to consider gradual technical steps that could make it possible for inspectors to return. He has also pointed to diplomatic engagement and regional mediation as potential ways to address Tehran’s security concerns while restoring international verification.

The IAEA has said that technical groundwork for an arrangement to facilitate the return of inspectors has advanced. However, a workable agreement would still need to establish how inspectors could access facilities, verify nuclear material and resolve outstanding safeguards questions.

Restoring inspections would not automatically settle the wider political dispute between Tehran and Washington. It could, however, give international governments and the agency a more reliable basis for assessing developments inside Iran.

For Iran, renewed cooperation could help address concerns about its nuclear programme. For the United States and other countries, independent verification would provide stronger evidence for evaluating whether Iran is meeting its safeguards obligations.

What the Latest Assessment Means

The latest findings point to two issues that should not be confused: the absence of detected reconstruction at damaged nuclear sites and the unresolved status of Iran’s nuclear material.

The first suggests that the IAEA has not observed a visible effort to rebuild the affected facilities. The second highlights the limits of what the agency can currently confirm without access to those sites and the information it has requested.

If inspections resume, the agency could improve its understanding of the damage, verify relevant nuclear material and provide a clearer assessment of Iran’s activities. If access remains restricted, uncertainty is likely to persist, making diplomatic efforts and independent monitoring increasingly important.

For now, the IAEA’s position is measured: it has detected no repair or reconstruction activity at the damaged facilities, but it cannot fully verify the situation without access. The next significant development will depend on whether Iran and the international community can agree on practical steps to restore inspections.