Iran has yet to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to nuclear facilities damaged in the recent Israeli and American strikes, and the country's stockpile of enriched uranium remains unaccounted for at those sites, according to a report by Kayhan London.
Citing an interview IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi gave to the Russian outlet RIA Novosti, Kayhan London reported that Iran's enriched uranium reserves have not been removed from — or verified at — the facilities struck by Israeli and U.S. forces. Grossi stressed the necessity of inspector access to the sites, saying the Agency had formally requested such access from Tehran but "has not yet received a response," Kayhan London quoted him as saying.
The report noted that Iranian officials have pushed back firmly against any near-term inspection. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was cited as saying there is "no plan" to allow the Agency access to the attacked facilities or to Iran's nuclear materials, adding that the matter would only be addressed within the framework of a final agreement — and only after the other side takes concrete steps to lift sanctions and resolve other outstanding issues.
According to Kayhan London, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, head of Iran's negotiating team, went further, stating that IAEA inspectors would not be permitted to visit any nuclear facility hit by U.S. strikes. Speaking to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Qalibaf dismissed as false reports suggesting permits had been issued for inspections at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, saying inspectors "do not have the right" to examine sites targeted by the United States. He added that the Agency's access currently remains limited to two facilities: the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Tehran Research Reactor.
The Kayhan London report also pointed to a broader pattern among Iranian officials — including members of parliament and state media — who have repeatedly cast doubt on Grossi and the IAEA's credibility, accusing the Agency and its chief of bias in the wake of the strikes.
Illustration: Gemini