IAEA cannot verify Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles
The International Atomic Energy Agency cannot determine the location and condition of Iran’s uranium stockpiles enriched to nearly weapons-grade levels. Inspectors still have not gained access to the country’s nuclear facilities, Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing a confidential 11-page IAEA report circulated to the agency’s member states.
Loss of access to facilities
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated in the report that the lack of information about this nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it raises nuclear proliferation concerns. He called on Iran to allow inspectors to resume their work as soon as possible.
IAEA inspectors have not yet returned to the nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel in June 2025. The agency said it has lacked continuous information for more than a year on previously declared stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and uranium enriched to 60% in uranium-235 at facilities hit during the attacks.
Assessment of previous stockpiles
Before the strikes, the IAEA estimated Iran’s stockpile at 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%. This level is close to approximately 90% — the level of weapons-grade uranium. According to the agency’s criteria, if further enriched, this material could be sufficient to produce ten nuclear weapons.
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According to Bloomberg, before the attacks Iran also had approximately 8,599.6 kilograms of low-enriched uranium. It is currently unknown what portion of these stockpiles has survived. The number of IAEA inspections in Iran more than halved last year after the country introduced new restrictions following the 12-day conflict during which the United States and Israel attacked nuclear facilities.
Planned visit to Bushehr
The IAEA said inspectors will be allowed to visit the Bushehr nuclear power plant in mid-September. The report was released ahead of a meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors in Vienna, where they are expected to consider a new resolution condemning Iran.
Tehran consistently denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons. At the same time, as the publication notes, Iran has not provided the agency with a satisfactory explanation for enriching uranium to 60%.
