IAEA Says Strikes Have Left It Unable to Verify Iran's Nuclear Stockpile, Calls for Immediate Access

A confidential IAEA report seen by AFP on Thursday states that a lack of access to Iran's nuclear material poses a proliferation concern and calls on Tehran to act constructively. The International Atomic Energy Agency has not seen any activity at key nuclear sites based on satellite images since the start of the Middle East war, a diplomatic source said.

The agency has not had access to some key nuclear facilities in Iran since Israel and the United States launched a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that included strikes on nuclear sites.

Nuclear facilities have also been hit in the war that erupted on February 28. The IAEA conducted an inspection this week at the Bushehr nuclear power plant but not at other sites. The Bushehr plant was built and operated with Russian assistance for civilian purposes and was targeted in the war.

"While the agency acknowledged that the military attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and sites have created an unprecedented situation, it is critical for the agency to conduct verification activities in Iran without delay," the IAEA said in the report. The report is to be discussed at an IAEA board of governors' meeting next week.

U.S. Strikes in June 2025, the IAEA calculated that Iran possessed approximately 440 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 percent. 67-percent limit set by the 2015 now-defunct agreement with Iran. Since June 2025, the fate of this stockpile has remained uncertain.

"The agency's lack of access to verify the previously declared highly enriched uranium and low enriched uranium for nearly a year -- which is long overdue according to standard safeguard practices -- is a matter of proliferation concern," the report added. " A diplomatic source said the IAEA had detected "no more movement" at key sites such as Isfahan and Natanz since the start of the war.