International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on June 23 urged Iran to “re-engage in dialogue” to allow the agency to resume monitoring of Tehran’s nuclear program. Grossi stressed that re-establishing connections is “very important” amid uncertainty over the status of Iran’s infrastructure and enriched uranium stockpile following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
At the regular IAEA Board of Governors meeting, Grossi said the “communication channel has been severed” with Iran’s leadership. Meanwhile, the United States, along with Britain, France, and Germany, proposed a resolution demanding Tehran provide “accurate information on the inventory of nuclear material and safeguarded nuclear facilities” and grant the IAEA full access for inspections. The resolution is expected to pass, similar to a move in November 2024.
Iran’s mission to the IAEA warned that “coercion and confrontation do not lead to cooperation” but “undermine prospects for a diplomatic solution.” Tehran stressed that the Board of Governors should not be exploited to absolve parties that carried out attacks.
Since the “Midnight Hammer” campaign in June 2024, when the U.S. bombed facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the IAEA has not had access to these sites. Inspections have also been suspended in many places, continuing only at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The IAEA estimates Iran once held about 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, close to the 90% needed to produce a nuclear bomb. Tehran has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons.
