IAEA Head Emphasizes Need for Oversight in Iran Nuclear Deal
Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated on Wednesday that any potential agreement to curb Iran’s illicit nuclear program would necessitate substantial international oversight.
Grossi highlighted that without thorough verification of Iran’s compliance—particularly regarding restrictions against enriching uranium beyond civilian needs or engaging in other banned activities—”there will be no deal.”
The IAEA serves as the top nuclear oversight body under the United Nations. Grossi’s remarks hold weight, especially considering his previous criticisms of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement orchestrated by former President Barack Obama, aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He has frequently expressed concerns that Iran denies inspectors adequate access to its nuclear sites and mentioned that Iranian officials previously appeared to sanitize locations to hide evidence of nuclear activities. His earlier reports contributed to the first resolution condemning Iran in two decades.
Currently, Grossi is on a shortlist of candidates to succeed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, with backing from his native Argentina. Notably, before 9/11, Iran was involved in the deadliest terrorist attack in the Western Hemisphere, which occurred in Argentina.
While visiting South Korea on Friday, Grossi asserted that any resolution to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran must include stringent IAEA inspections.
“Iran has a very ambitious and extensive nuclear program, all of which will require the presence of IAEA inspectors,” he remarked. “Otherwise, you won’t get an agreement. You’ll have the illusion of an agreement.”
He stressed that any nuclear agreement “requires very detailed verification mechanisms.”
On February 28, President Donald Trump announced Operation Epic Fury, aiming to undermine Iran’s threat to its neighbors by targeting its missile and drone capabilities, as well as its leadership, which included the removal of long-time leader Ali Khamenei. This operation coincided with actions taken alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against numerous Iranian officials, particularly those linked to the U.S.-designated terrorist group, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Last week, representatives from the U.S. and Iran agreed to start a negotiation process to mitigate hostilities, with mediation from Pakistan. As part of these discussions, the U.S. declared a two-week ceasefire. However, after recent talks, President Trump indicated that no agreement was reached, adding that trade in the Strait of Hormuz would be obstructed while the ceasefire remained in effect. Reports suggest a second round of talks mediated by Pakistan may happen soon.
These negotiations largely revolve around convincing Iran to cease its illegal nuclear program and possibly replace the JCPOA—an agreement Iran has frequently breached—with a more robust and verifiable arrangement.
As the IAEA’s leader, Grossi has warned that, despite the supposed access to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities as per the Obama deal, the agreement has effectively failed since the U.S. withdrawal in 2018 due to Iran’s violations. Other signatories, like China and certain European nations, still support it.
Grossi commented, “No one applies it, no one follows it. There was also an attempt here in Vienna to revive it. But unfortunately, although it was relatively close to success, it failed for reasons unknown to me, because I was not involved in the process.”
In May 2025, prior to announcing U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi expressed frustration over Iran’s lack of compliance with IAEA requests for inspections.
“It’s a very frustrating situation. We will continue to work on the ground, but at the bare minimum,” he shared, indicating limitations in cooperation from Iran.
Grossi conveyed that a report to the IAEA board would be incomplete due to Iran’s obstinacy but still accused Iran of maintaining “undeclared nuclear facilities” that it attempted to hide from UN agencies.
He lamented, “Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly failed to answer authorities’ questions or provide technically reliable responses. It has also requested sanitization of its facilities, hindering verification efforts.”
The IAEA subsequently reported that Iran had “repeatedly failed to meet its obligations since 2019” regarding cooperation with the agency on undeclared nuclear materials and activities.
In an interview with CBS News, Grossi warned that Iran could quickly reconstruct its illegal enrichment facilities, even after the airstrikes and Operation Epic Fury. “They have the capabilities, they have the knowledge, they have the industrial capacity,” he emphasized, though he acknowledged it might be difficult to reclaim much of the enriched uranium potentially lost in strikes.
“There is no denying that this has set the program back significantly,” he explained. “But my impression is that even when the military effort ends, many of the important issues that were at the heart of all of this will still carry over.”
