UN Nuclear Watchdog Still Can't Confirm Iran Stopped Uranium Enrichment

JAKARTA - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the United Nations Nuclear Supervisory Agency stated that it was still unable to verify whether Iran had stopped all activities related to uranium enrichment.

This is based on an IAEA report stating that Iran did not allow the UN nuclear watchdog to access the nuclear facilities that were hit by Israel in the 12-day war in June 2025.

The confidential IAEA report was circulated on Friday, February 27, to IAEA member states and seen by AP.

Further, the report warns that due to the lack of sustained access to any of Iran's four enrichment facilities, the UN nuclear watchdog admits "it is unable to provide any information on the size, composition, or current whereabouts of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile."

The report stressed that "the loss of continuity of knowledge of all nuclear materials previously declared at the affected facilities in Iran needs to be addressed with great urgency."

Iran has long insisted that its uranium enrichment program is peaceful and not intended for nuclear weapons purposes.

However, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the United States, Israel and Western countries say Iran had an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003.

Enriched Uranium Must Be Verifiable Periodically

According to the UN nuclear watchdog, Iran has stockpiled 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity - a technical step short of the 90 percent purity level for nuclear weapons.

The stockpile could allow Iran to build up to 10 nuclear bombs, it said, if Tehran decided to weaponize its program.

According to the guidelines of the UN nuclear watchdog, highly enriched nuclear material must usually be verified every month.

The IAEA also reported that they had observed, through the analysis of commercially available satellite imagery, "regular vehicle activity around the entrance of the tunnel complex in Isfahan."

The facility at Isfahan, about 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, is known for producing uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.

Israel has attacked buildings at the Isfahan nuclear site, including a uranium conversion facility. The US also attacked Isfahan with missiles during the June 2025 war.

The IAEA also reported that through the analysis of commercially available satellite imagery, they had observed "activities carried out at several affected nuclear facilities, including enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow," but added that "without access to these facilities, the Agency cannot confirm the nature and purpose of these activities."

The confidential report of the UN nuclear watchdog also states that Iran has indeed provided IAEA inspectors "access to every nuclear facility that has not been affected at least once since the June 2025 military attack, except for the Karun Nuclear Power Plant, which is still in the early stages of construction and does not contain nuclear material."