Robust and comprehensive verification measures are essential in Iran in the aftermath of the Middle East conflict to ensure it does not pursue nuclear weapons, the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog said on Friday.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the remarks as the United States and Iran work toward a broader agreement to end the conflict, with Tehran’s nuclear activities remaining a central point of contention.
“The aim of this recent preliminary agreement between the US and Iran is to guarantee that no nuclear weapons are developed in Iran. The Iranian government has stated very clearly that this is not its intention,” Grossi told reporters in Japan.
“But declarations alone are insufficient. We need a very strong verification system in place as soon as possible,” he added.
Grossi said the agency had only “barely begun” discussions with Iran following the preliminary US-Iran agreement on how to handle Tehran’s uranium stockpile.
“We have held initial talks… We expect this work to accelerate soon,” he said.
Before the conflict, the IAEA estimated that Iran possessed 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — close to the 90 percent required for a nuclear weapon and far beyond the 3.67 percent cap set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran halted cooperation with the IAEA after Israel and the United States launched a series of attacks in June 2025, and inspectors have not had access to the material since then.
Under the preliminary arrangement between Washington and Tehran, the uranium stockpile is to be “downblended” under IAEA oversight.
Grossi said the “general understanding” is that the material remains where it was before June 2025, near the Isfahan nuclear facility.
However, that site was bombed, and Iran has stated it will not permit the IAEA to inspect locations that were targeted.
Grossi also noted on Friday that another option, aside from dilution, would be for Iran to ship the enriched uranium out of the country.
“The memorandum of understanding includes downblending as one option,” he said. “It could also be exported directly. That might be more complex, but several technical options exist to manage the material.”
