IAEA races to restore access as Iran blocks nuclear inspections

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is dispatching officials to Washington next week for critical discussions with U.S. counterparts.

The meeting comes amid growing concerns about the agency’s inability to verify Iran’s stockpile of near–bomb-grade uranium — a vital gap in international nuclear oversight.

Diplomats familiar with the matter reveal that this trip follows a failed attempt by the IAEA’s top inspector—sent by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi—to resume monitoring in Iran after the 12-day war involving Israel and Iran in June. Although candidly briefed, officials highlighted the sensitive nature of this development by speaking on condition of anonymity.

The UN nuclear watchdog is growing increasingly alarmed about the loss of on-the-ground verification, a situation that unfolded when Iran expelled inspectors during the June conflict, effectively terminating its compliance with existing oversight mechanisms.

Iran maintains that chemical and radiological risks, resulting from U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, render some locations too hazardous for inspections to resume. On August 11, Tehran indicated to IAEA Safeguards Chief Massimo Aparo that it may allow access to undamaged facilities, such as the Russian-built nuclear power plant near the Persian Gulf — though inspectors remain barred from Iran’s primary nuclear fuel site.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media: “We have not reached the point of cutting off cooperation with the agency, but future cooperation will certainly not resemble the past.

Since the onset of hostilities on June 13, the location of Iran’s 409 kilograms (approximately 900 pounds) of highly enriched uranium has remained undisclosed. Iran informed IAEA inspectors of its intent to relocate this stockpile to unspecified sites, deepening international uncertainty about the program’s integrity.

While U.S. President Donald Trump claims that Iran’s enrichment facilities were "obliterated" during the conflict, experts warn that regardless of physical damage, Iran still retains both the material and institutional knowledge required to pivot back toward weapons development — especially if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorises it.

Iran continues to assert that its nuclear program is non-military, a stance supported by both IAEA assessments and U.S. intelligence, which confirm the absence of a weapons program since the early 2000s.

The IAEA is now compiling documentation on prior inspection missions in high-risk environments, from post-Fukushima Japan to conflict zones in Ukraine, to help justify future reengagement.

Next week’s discussions coincide with a looming deadline: European powers have warned Iran that unless it resumes inspections by the end of August, UN sanctions could snap back into effect under Security Council provisions.

Yet Tehran has dismissed threats of reimposed sanctions as illegal, warning they could prompt its withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Without a diplomatic resolution, Iran’s nuclear opacity is likely to deepen, warned diplomats. The IAEA, which previously deployed 274 personnel to conduct nearly 500 inspections a year, is now forced to consider reassigning staff. Its budget deficit grows, and donor fatigue is setting in—raising doubts about the sustainability of any future monitoring efforts.

One diplomat questioned where the $23 million Grossi proposes for Iran oversight might go if inspections remain suspended.

By Tamilla Hasanova