Iran rules out nuclear inspections amid US military threats, IAEA raises proliferation concerns

Iran has told the United Nations nuclear watchdog that discussions on resuming inspections of its nuclear facilities cannot proceed while the country remains under threat of military attacks, according to a confidential report circulated to member states on Friday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, seen by The Associated Press, said Tehran had insisted that negotiations over nuclear monitoring could not resume amid what it described as persistent threats from US President Donald Trump.

Iran cited "a series of persistent, explicit, and public threats by the President of the United States of America … to commit further acts of armed aggression" against the country, particularly targeting its nuclear facilities.

Tehran maintained that the situation could not be resolved "until the root causes of the present situation are addressed and the essential requirements for normal safeguards implementation are restored."

The latest position has further complicated efforts to restore international monitoring of Iran's nuclear programme following repeated military strikes against its facilities.

𝗡𝘂𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱

Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to access nuclear facilities damaged during the 12-day war involving Israel and the United States in June 2025.

The agency has also been unable to independently verify the status of Iran's stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium since the bombing campaign.

Despite the restrictions, Tehran reaffirmed its "firm commitment to resume full implementation of its safeguards obligations as soon as the relevant legal and actual conditions permit it."

The IAEA warned that the lack of information about Iran's nuclear facilities and material was "a matter of proliferation concern" that "needs to be rectified with the utmost urgency."

The watchdog said it remained "fully prepared to resume its safeguards activities in Iran at short notice."

It also encouraged Tehran to consider "technical and gradual measures" that could facilitate the return of international inspectors.

𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀

Iran also expressed concern over a recent US offer of a reward of up to $20 million for information about its nuclear programme.

In a letter to the IAEA, Tehran emphasised the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of the agency's activities and preventing sensitive information about its nuclear facilities from being disclosed or exploited.

Iran said information collected through international monitoring must not be "disclosed, misused or exploited."

The concerns have emerged amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington over the future of Iran's nuclear programme and the conditions under which inspections could resume.

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗵𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱

According to the report, the Bushehr nuclear power plant is the only Iranian nuclear facility inspected by the IAEA since June 2025.

Inspectors visited the plant between September 12 and 15.

The operating reactor at Bushehr uses Russian-supplied uranium enriched to 4.5 per cent, a relatively low concentration suitable for civilian nuclear power generation.

However, the agency remains unable to assess conditions at several other nuclear facilities, including those affected by military strikes.

The IAEA expressed "increasing concern" about the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, a facility Iran first disclosed to the watchdog in June 2025, shortly before the US-Israeli bombing campaign.

Inspectors had been scheduled to visit the facility on the day the strikes began, but the inspection was cancelled.

The agency said it "does not know" the plant's exact location or whether nuclear material is stored there.

𝗨𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱

According to the IAEA, Iran had accumulated 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a level approaching the 90 per cent generally associated with weapons-grade material.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned in an interview with the AP last year that the stockpile could theoretically provide enough material for as many as 10 nuclear weapons if Iran decided to weaponise its programme.

However, Grossi stressed that this did not mean Iran possessed nuclear weapons.

The watchdog's guidelines call for highly enriched nuclear material to be verified approximately every month, making the prolonged absence of inspections a significant concern.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes.

However, the IAEA and Western governments have said Tehran operated an organised nuclear weapons programme until 2003.

𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲

Israel and the United States launched a 12-day military campaign against Iran in June 2025, carrying out extensive airstrikes on nuclear installations.

The attacks damaged significant portions of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, although the full extent of the destruction remains uncertain.

Further US-Israeli strikes began on February 28, targeting Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defence systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

The attacks also killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials.

The continuing military confrontation has further complicated international efforts to establish the condition of Iran's nuclear facilities and determine the status of its enriched uranium stockpile.

The IAEA has maintained that restoring inspections is essential to addressing concerns about nuclear proliferation and ensuring transparency over Tehran's atomic activities.