WANA (Feb 12) – Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has stated that Iran, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), has the right to enrich uranium, provided that such activities are carried out under comprehensive monitoring and full access for IAEA inspectors.

 

Speaking to the Financial Times, Grossi referred to Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 and said he could not rule out the possibility that enriched uranium remains at the underground sites that were bombed. “The Agency has a strong belief that the material is still there,” he said, while noting that absolute certainty is not possible.

 

The IAEA chief explained that inspectors have been waiting for months to gain access to three key Iranian enrichment sites targeted during the recent military attacks. According to Grossi, the restrictions imposed by Iran on inspector access have gone beyond technical and safety considerations and have largely reflected political decisions.

 

His remarks come after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iranian authorities do not have precise information on how much 60-percent enriched uranium may have survived the June strikes and remained buried under rubble. Grossi noted, however, that assessments based on multiple sources align with the Agency’s view and are broadly shared by Iranian officials, even if not publicly acknowledged.

 

Grossi warned that the mere existence of such stockpiles—even if inaccessible or buried—poses serious proliferation risks. “This amount of material could be sufficient to produce several, possibly dozens of nuclear devices,” he said, emphasizing that the issue remains a significant non-proliferation concern regardless of visibility or access.

 

He also pointed out that the military attacks disrupted planned inspections, including a visit to a newly declared underground facility near Isfahan. Iran had announced the site shortly before the conflict, and IAEA inspectors were scheduled to visit it on June 13, the same day Israel began its military operation. Since then, inspectors have been unable to access the facility.

 

Concluding his remarks, Grossi stressed the legal framework of the NPT: “Iran can enrich uranium, but the fundamental requirement under the NPT regime is full access for the Agency — so we can verify every gram of material and ensure it has not been diverted to non-peaceful purposes.”

 

These developments come amid heightened military and political tensions in the region, once again placing Iran’s nuclear program and the role of international oversight at the center of global attention.