SEOUL, South Korea — The leader of the United Nations nuclear regulatory body asserted on Wednesday that any prospective agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at resolving their ongoing conflict in the Middle East must incorporate stringent verification protocols for Iran’s nuclear activities.
Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive verification framework for Iran’s nuclear program. His remarks came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that a second round of discussions with Iran could take place in the coming days.
The Trump administration has identified the prevention of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons as a primary objective in the conflict. Although Iran has consistently claimed that it is not pursuing the development of such weapons, it has also dismissed proposals for restrictions on its nuclear program.
During initial discussions held last weekend in Pakistan, no agreement was reached between the two nations. The White House noted that Iran’s nuclear aspirations were a significant point of contention in the talks. However, an anonymous Iranian diplomatic source disputed this characterization, suggesting that the negotiations did not collapse over the issue of nuclear ambitions.
Grossi remarked to journalists in Seoul, “Iran operates a highly ambitious and extensive nuclear program, necessitating the presence of IAEA inspectors. Without this oversight, any agreement would merely be an illusion.” He further stated that effective agreements concerning nuclear technology must include “very detailed verification mechanisms.”
A confidential IAEA report, shared with member countries and reviewed by The Associated Press in February, revealed that Iran has not permitted the IAEA access to its nuclear facilities that were targeted in airstrikes by Israel and the United States during a 12-day conflict in June. The report highlighted the agency’s inability to confirm whether Iran has halted all enrichment-related activities or to assess the extent of Iran’s uranium reserves at the affected sites.
While Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, the IAEA and Western nations have asserted that Tehran operated a structured nuclear weapons program until 2003.
According to the IAEA, Iran currently possesses a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, which is only a short technical step away from the weapons-grade level of 90%. Grossi previously indicated that this quantity of highly enriched uranium could potentially enable Iran to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons should it choose to pursue that path.
Typically, the IAEA’s guidelines stipulate that such highly enriched nuclear materials should undergo verification on a monthly basis.
