Iran hides damaged nuclear facilities from inspectors, confirming fears of secret enrichment and escalating deception.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi revealed Wednesday that Iran continues to block inspectors from accessing its most sensitive nuclear sites, months after the facilities were heavily damaged during the Israel–US joint strikes in June.
In an interview with Die Presse, Grossi confirmed that despite IAEA personnel still being stationed inside Iran, all verification activities at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow remain suspended, effectively leaving the international community blind to Iran’s enrichment activities.
“The main facilities suffered extensive damage, and inspections were impossible for security reasons,” Grossi explained. He stressed that access to the sites “remains unavailable,” meaning the agency has no visibility into the current state of Iran’s centrifuges, uranium stockpiles, or reconstruction efforts.
The restrictions follow Iran’s furious reaction to the 12-day war sparked by Israel’s unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. The United States briefly joined the strikes, hitting key facilities that Western intelligence long suspected were being used for covert nuclear advancement.
In retaliation, Tehran froze cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the watchdog of “bias” for not condemning the Israeli and American attacks. The September agreement intended to restore inspections, uranium accounting, and transparency has since collapsed. Iran officially voided it after Britain, France, and Germany triggered the return of UN sanctions, citing Iran’s continuous nuclear violations.
Iran’s new Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Tehran will not permit the IAEA to inspect bombed facilities unless a new, yet undefined agreement is reached. “Those sites have their own story,” he said cryptically, adding, “cooperation is not possible” until internal decisions are made.
Grossi, for his part, has urged Iran to return to full compliance. Last week he emphasized the agency’s objective: restoring “continuity of knowledge” to verify Iran’s enrichment activities and monitor whether Tehran is accelerating efforts to reach weapons-grade capability under the cover of war.
The ongoing blackout imposed by Iran heightens concerns across Western and Middle Eastern capitals—particularly in Israel—that Tehran may be exploiting the chaos of the recent conflict to advance its nuclear ambitions unchecked.
