Nearly six months after the latest round of US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, the United Nations nuclear watchdog says major questions remain unanswered about Tehran’s nuclear programme. A new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shows little change in the agency’s assessment and raises concerns about nuclear material that inspectors have not been able to verify for almost a year, reported Reuters.
The confidential report, sent to member states ahead of next week’s meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, repeats the agency’s demand that Iran account for its stockpiles of enriched uranium. The watchdog said it still does not know the fate of significant quantities of nuclear material following attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The findings are significant because the United States and Israel cited the destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme as a key objective when they launched military strikes earlier this year.
IAEA’s concerns
The IAEA said Iran has not informed inspectors about the status of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) and highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpiles. These materials were previously declared by Tehran but have not been independently verified since military strikes affected key nuclear facilities.
Particular attention remains focused on uranium enriched up to 60% purity. While that level is below weapons-grade material, it is considered technically close to the roughly 90% enrichment generally associated with nuclear weapons.
In the report, the agency stated the urgency of restoring transparency. “The Agency’s lack of access to verify the previously declared HEU and LEU, for nearly a year – which is long overdue according to standard safeguards practice – is a matter of proliferation concern and of compliance with the NPT Safeguards Agreement,” the report said.
The watchdog also renewed its call for Iran to fully comply with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “The Director General has emphasized to Iran that it is indispensable and urgent to implement effectively the NPT Safeguards Agreement … and that its implementation cannot be suspended by Iran under any circumstances,” the report said.
The agency’s concerns stem not only from the unknown location of the uranium stockpiles but also from the long period during which inspectors have lacked access to affected facilities. Nuclear safeguards rely on continuous monitoring and verification. When inspectors cannot track material for an extended period, confidence in the accuracy of nuclear inventories declines.
What does ‘loss of continuity of knowledge’ mean?
One of the most serious issues raised in the report is what the IAEA calls a “loss of continuity of knowledge.” This term refers to situations where inspectors can no longer verify the movement, storage or condition of nuclear material because monitoring activities have been interrupted for too long.
The agency said its inability to access facilities damaged or affected by military strikes has prevented it from maintaining a complete record of Iran’s nuclear material.
“The Agency’s loss of continuity of knowledge over all previously declared nuclear material at affected facilities in Iran needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency,” the report said.
According to the IAEA, restoring oversight is critical for rebuilding confidence in the monitoring system. Without access to sites and without information from Iran about the status of nuclear stockpiles, inspectors cannot independently confirm where the material is located or whether it remains accounted for under international safeguards.