On Monday, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), revealed that the agency has identified three “unreported nuclear sites” in Iran.
During a regular meeting in Vienna, Grossi presented a quarterly report on Iran to the IAEA’s Governor’s Committee. This report indicates significant concerns among leading UN bodies regarding Tehran’s illicit development of nuclear technology. Iranian officials contend that they are entitled to pursue peaceful nuclear activities and assert that they will never develop nuclear weapons. However, they also maintain that the levels of uranium enrichment they are engaging in are unnecessary for civilian purposes.
The IAEA Conference is set to negotiate a new agreement to replace the 2015 “JCPOA” following prolonged discussions between the Iranian government and the Trump administration. Grossi has consistently criticized the state of the deal post-Trump’s withdrawal in 2018, pointing to ongoing violations of its terms.
“No one applies it, no one follows it,” Grossi expressed about the JCPOA last year, further stating, “It exists only on paper and does not mean anything.”
In his remarks to the IAEA Committee on Monday, Grossi acknowledged that he hasn’t brokered a meaningful agreement between Washington and Tehran but remains supportive of the negotiation process.
“I will keep supporting and encouraging both the United States and Iran to not shy away from their efforts and to use wisdom and political courage to reach a successful conclusion,” Grossi stated, affirming the IAEA’s vital role in managing this sensitive issue and verifying new agreements.
Addressing the allegations against Iran, Grossi explained that IAEA inspectors had conducted complementary access visits in 2019 and 2020 to Balamin, Maliban, and Takzabad—identified as three unreported locations—and found artificial uranium particles.
He mentioned that the IAEA has not spent years searching for “explanations.”
“Unfortunately, Iran has not repeatedly responded or has failed to provide reliable technical answers to the agency’s inquiries and has even attempted to sanitize areas that obstruct agency verification efforts,” he noted.
This lack of transparency has led IAEA officials to suspect that these sites might be part of an undisclosed nuclear program that Iran had been implementing up until the early 2000s, possibly involving undeclared nuclear material.
“The organization concludes that Iran did not declare nuclear material and related activities at these three undeclared locations,” he added. “Consequently, the agency cannot ascertain whether the relevant nuclear material remains outside of protective measures.”
Grossi mentioned that Iran’s rapidly increasing stash of enriched uranium is not only concerning but raises “serious concerns” regarding “proliferation,” although he didn’t elaborate.
“When you’re the only country doing something like this at this level, it’s very close to where you would need to possess a nuclear detonation device. The IAEA can’t overlook that,” he insisted.
Iranian state media reported on Grossi’s comments, emphasizing that enriching uranium itself isn’t inherently illegal. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) argued that Grossi’s claims—that Iran’s current stockpile of enriched uranium isn’t sufficient for nuclear weapons—are not entirely accurate.
Last week, Iran reacted by referencing a leaked IAEA report suggesting that Iran had, indeed, enriched uranium to a substantial degree, asserting that if it were “more refined,” it could potentially make Iran capable of producing nuclear weapons.
Reportedly, Iran has been producing highly enriched uranium at a rate equivalent to the production of one nuclear weapon per month over the past three months.
The issue of uranium enrichment has been a major sticking point between the US and Iran throughout the five rounds of negotiations held from April until now. Iranian officials have steadfastly declined to impose any limits on uranium enrichment, while US representatives assert that they won’t agree to any deal that doesn’t seek a complete halt to Iran’s enrichment activities.
“There will never be enrichment in Iran again. That’s our red line. No enrichment,” officials stated. “We believe they cannot have enrichment, centrifuges, or anything that would enable them to create weapons.”
“What is clear, and perhaps worth reiterating, is that we must maintain uranium enrichment as an integral part of Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy. In this matter, we will not yield.”
