IAEA resumes inspections at undamaged Iranian nuclear sites

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has resumed inspections in Iran, but only at nuclear sites that were not targeted in US strikes, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

He noted that progress in restarting inspections following the June attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities is the most important issue currently facing the agency in Iran, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

According to Grossi, the IAEA has access only to sites that were not hit by US strikes.

“This is positive in the sense that these sites are on the agreed list for inspection. That is important for us. But, of course, the three other sites (in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow) are even more significant, as they still contain substantial nuclear materials and equipment, and we need to return there,” he noted.

In June 2025, the United States and Israel conducted coordinated strikes on Iran’s key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan during a broader Middle East conflict, significantly damaging infrastructure and disrupting Iran’s nuclear programme, complicating later verification work by international inspectors. 

Because of those strikes and political tensions, Iran suspended regular cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), causing the watchdog to lose continuity of nuclear material monitoring at the affected sites. 

In early September 2025, Tehran and the IAEA reached an agreement in principle to resume inspections, including of the previously bombed facilities, as part of efforts to avoid renewed sanctions and rebuild transparency. 

However, that agreement remains fragile and without a clear implementation timeline, as distrust between Iran and the agency persists, and detailed access arrangements have not been fully finalised. 

By Jeyhun Aghazada