The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that an updated inspection of Iran’s rapidly expanding stockpile of enriched uranium is long overdue, raising fresh concerns about the country’s nuclear activities and its compliance with global monitoring standards.
In a confidential report circulated among member states, the UN nuclear watchdog said that it has not been able to verify Iran’s total inventory of enriched uranium in several months due to limited access and incomplete data sharing from Tehran. Officials said that the delay has made it increasingly difficult to assess the status of Iran’s nuclear program and whether it remains within the limits set by international agreements.
“Iran’s cooperation has been partial and inconsistent,” the report stated. “Verification of its current enriched uranium stockpile is long overdue and urgently required.”
Diplomats familiar with the IAEA’s findings said that Iran’s production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity continues at multiple facilities, putting it closer to weapons-grade levels. Although Tehran insists that its nuclear work is for peaceful energy and research purposes, the lack of transparency has deepened mistrust among Western powers.
Negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), remain stalled. The deal, which limited Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief, collapsed after the United States withdrew in 2018. Since then, Iran has gradually expanded its nuclear activities, while international oversight has weakened.
The IAEA report urged Iran to provide full access to inspectors and allow monitoring equipment to be reinstalled at key nuclear sites. “Without reliable data, the agency cannot offer assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,” the report said.
Western diplomats have called for renewed diplomatic pressure on Tehran, warning that the longer the delay continues, the harder it will be to re-establish a clear baseline for nuclear verification. “Time is not on anyone’s side,” said one European official. “Each month without inspection increases uncertainty and heightens regional tensions.”
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have accused the IAEA of political bias, claiming that its reports are influenced by Western governments. They insist that Iran continues to cooperate under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
As the standoff drags on, analysts warn that the lack of monitoring poses serious risks for both regional stability and global non-proliferation efforts. The IAEA’s latest warning underscores the urgency of renewed dialogue before the situation escalates beyond control.
