IAEA Demands Iran Disclose Full Details of Near‑Weapons‑Grade Uranium Stockpile

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has demanded that Iran fully cooperate with inspectors, provide "precise information" about its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60%, and grant access to affected nuclear sites. The move follows strikes on Iranian facilities in June and comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

At the IAEA's Vienna board meeting, 19 of the agency's 35 governors voted in favor of a resolution sponsored by France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. Russia, China and Niger opposed the text; 12 countries abstained and one member did not vote.

Verification challenges after June strikes

A confidential IAEA report says inspectors have been unable to verify the status of Iran's near‑weapons‑grade uranium stockpile since the June attacks. The agency reports that Iran holds 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to roughly 60% purity — a technical step short of typical weapons‑grade levels of about 90%.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that, in theory, that quantity of material could be processed into enough fissile material for roughly 10 nuclear weapons if a program were weaponized, though he has emphasized that this is a technical assessment and not evidence that Iran possesses a nuclear weapon.

Iran's response

Outside the boardroom, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, sharply criticized the resolution, calling it an attempt to "exert undue pressure on Iran" and to promote a "false and misleading narrative." He argued that expecting routine cooperation while facilities have been attacked is unreasonable and said Tehran would announce its response in due course.

"We consider the current situation far from normal," Najafi said, referring to attacks on safeguarded facilities that contain "dangerous nuclear material." He added that Iran remains "fully prepared for meaningful and constructive engagement," but accused the resolution's authors of choosing pressure over dialogue.

Background: inspections, snapback and the Additional Protocol

Tehran suspended cooperation with the IAEA after the conflict with Israel. In early September, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi reached an agreement in Cairo to resume inspections, but later that month the U.N. reinstated a series of measures via the so‑called "snapback" mechanism tied to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran angrily halted implementation of the Cairo arrangement following the snapback.

The snapback restored six U.N. Security Council resolutions addressing Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, reinstated economic sanctions and imposed restrictions, including a halt to uranium enrichment. Thursday's resolution instructs the IAEA director general to report on the implementation of those reinstated measures and to include verification details of Iran's uranium inventories — including locations, quantities, chemical forms and enrichment levels — as well as inventories of centrifuges and related equipment.

The board also urged Iran to "act strictly in accordance" with the Additional Protocol, a 2003 agreement it signed but never ratified that would give the IAEA expanded access for short‑notice inspections at undeclared sites. Iran suspended implementation of the Additional Protocol in 2021 after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful. Western governments and the IAEA say Tehran previously had an organized nuclear weapons program prior to 2004; the new resolution and the verification questions highlight continuing international concern about transparency and access.