The United Nations nuclear watchdog is “increasingly concerned” about a uranium-enrichment plant at Isfahan, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report on Friday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency urged Tehran to restore access for its inspectors. The move is essential to monitor the Iranian nuclear programme. Since American and Israeli strikes hit Iranian atomic sites in June 2025, Tehran has granted the agency access on a restricted basis.
The report expressed concern about an underground uranium-enrichment plant near Isfahan in central Iran. Tehran declared the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant in 2025 but has not permitted access to inspect the facility.
International experts are uncertain about the exact whereabouts of the plant and its inventory of nuclear material. The report did not establish that uranium enrichment is taking place there.
The targets of the military campaign included a tunnel network at Isfahan where diplomats believe the facility is located. The agency had planned an inspection for June 13, 2025, but the bombing campaign began that same day. The complex at Isfahan suffered extensive damage during the strikes.
“The Agency’s lack of information about [Iran’s] nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of serious proliferation concern… and needs to be rectified with the utmost urgency,” the IAEA said.
Before the June 2025 strikes, Iran had accumulated 441kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, which is close to weapons grade. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Tehran had agreed to limit its stockpile to 300kg and enrichment to 3.67 percent.
The watchdog said that it is “fully prepared to resume its safeguards activities in Iran at short notice”. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called upon Tehran to weigh specific technical measures. Grossi said in March that his agency believed much of Iran's most highly enriched uranium was stored inside the tunnel complex at Isfahan.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said during a Monday press briefing in Tehran that his country stays dedicated to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But he blamed US and Israeli attacks for limiting cooperation with the agency. Following the bombing of the nuclear sites, the watchdog withdrew its inspectors, and Iran subsequently passed a law suspending cooperation with the agency.
Tehran told the IAEA this month that discussion on resuming inspections cannot resume amid “persistent, explicit, and public threats by the President of the United States of America … to commit further acts of armed aggression”.
“until the root causes of the present situation are addressed and the essential requirements for normal safeguards implementation are restored,” Iran said.