Iran tells IAEA nuclear inspection talks cannot proceed while attack threats persist

Mixed · 2Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that discussions on restoring nuclear inspections cannot move forward while the country faces threats of military attack, particularly against its nuclear facilities. 1 2 Mixed · 2The position was made known in a confidential IAEA report circulated to member states on Friday 13 November and obtained by the Associated Press; Iran's communication was sent earlier this month. 2 1 Mixed · 2Tehran said the situation would remain unresolved "until the root causes of the present situation are addressed and the essential requirements for normal safeguards implementation are restored", citing "a series of persistent, explicit, and public threats by the President of the United States of America" to commit further armed aggression against Iran, especially its nuclear infrastructure. 1 2

Centre · 1Iran also reiterated its "firm commitment to resume full implementation of its safeguards obligations as soon as the relevant legal and actual conditions permit it", and objected to a recent US offer of a reward of up to $20 million for information about its nuclear programme, stressing the need to protect the confidentiality of the IAEA's work. 1 Mixed · 2The IAEA has been unable to inspect several Iranian nuclear facilities damaged in the Israeli and US strikes of the 12-day war in June 2025, and has not been able to verify the condition of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile since then. 1 2 Centre · 1The agency called the absence of information "a matter of proliferation concern" that "needs to be rectified with the utmost urgency", said it was "fully prepared to resume its safeguards activities in Iran at short notice", and urged Tehran to consider "technical and gradual measures" to facilitate inspectors' return. 1

Mixed · 2The only inspection since the war was at the Bushehr nuclear power plant on 12-15 September; its reactor uses Russian-supplied uranium enriched to 4.5%. 2 1 Mixed · 2The report also voiced "increasing concern" about the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, which Iran told the IAEA about shortly before the June 2025 strikes; the agency says it "does not know" its exact location or whether it contains nuclear material. 2 1 Centre · 1According to the IAEA, Iran holds 440.9 kg (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60%, which is technically close to the roughly 90% associated with weapons-grade material; IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said this could be enough for as many as 10 bombs if Iran chose to weaponise, without saying Iran has such weapons. 1

Mixed · 2Further US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February, which the Times of India says killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; JNS describes a 40-day confrontation, and quotes Trump saying the war is "militarily … effectively over". 1 2 Right · 1US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday there is "no [more] need for military action" against Iran because of the economic pain being inflicted, while stressing that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. 2 Centre · 1Tehran maintains its programme is peaceful, while the IAEA and Western countries have said Iran ran an organised nuclear weapons programme until 2003. 1