Key facts
- The UN nuclear watchdog warns Iran's risk of covertly developing nuclear weapons has increased since US-Israeli strikes in June 2025.
- IAEA inspectors can no longer regularly verify Iran's nuclear material as inspections have ceased.
- Iran held 440.9 kg of high-enriched uranium and 8,599.6 kg of lower enriched uranium at monitored sites before the strikes.
- US and Israeli military strikes hit Iran in June 2025, one day after the IAEA board censured Iran for blocking inspectors.
- The status of ongoing US-Iran talks is disputed, with conflicting reports from Iranian state media and President Trump.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned member states that the risk of Iran secretly developing nuclear weapons has increased since US and Israeli military strikes occurred in June 2025. Prior to these strikes, IAEA inspectors visited Iran's nuclear sites weekly, but these inspections have now ceased. In a 119-page internal document, the agency stated it cannot draw conclusions about Iran's nuclear material, flagging that a significant amount of high-enriched uranium is no longer verifiable. Inspections were reduced by over half after Iran imposed new restrictions following a 12-day conflict. Damaged sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz have not been revisited by monitors. At these locations, Iran previously held 440.9 kilograms of high-enriched uranium and 8,599.6 kilograms of lower enriched uranium. The IAEA noted that the longer material remains unmonitored, the greater the risk of it being used for non-peaceful purposes. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated the agency is not part of recent US-Iran negotiation rounds, emphasizing that unverifiable agreements lead to poor outcomes. The IAEA board is scheduled to meet on June 8. The June strikes followed an IAEA board censure of Iran for blocking inspectors. The White House claims Iran's nuclear program was destroyed by the strikes but is also negotiating access to the uranium stockpile. President Trump has suggested exporting the material or rendering it inert under IAEA supervision. The status of US-Iran talks is contentious, with Iran's Fars news agency reporting a halt in message exchanges and Tasnim reporting negotiators would stop using intermediaries and Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz. Trump disputed this, stating conversations have been continuous. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified that Iran has shown a willingness to negotiate its nuclear program, a development not seen before, though he cautioned that a deal acceptable to the Senate is not guaranteed. Rubio also stated Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for de-escalation.