The International Atomic Energy Agency has detected no efforts to rebuild Iranian nuclear facilities damaged in US and Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026, its chief Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on October 27. AP reported the assessment on October 28. Grossi stressed that remote monitoring cannot replace inspections inside the facilities to establish their actual condition.
According to UN News and Arab News, the agency still cannot verify that Iran’s safeguarded nuclear material has not been diverted. Grossi highlighted around 440 kilograms of previously declared highly enriched uranium. This is a gap in verification, rather than a finding that material has been diverted. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful, AP reported.
Inspectors left Iran for safety reasons after attacks began in June 2025, Grossi said. They have been available to return for months, but Tehran has not supplied the information and access needed to verify material at affected and unaffected facilities. The agency also seeks access to the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, declared shortly before the June 2025 strikes, according to UN News.
Bushehr is the exception: inspectors are carrying out verification at the nuclear power plant, Grossi said. Iran’s atomic energy agency has cooperated on equipment needed to check spent fuel before its expected transfer to dry storage early next year. This limited cooperation has not restored normal inspections elsewhere, according to the UN account of his briefing.
Britain’s UN ambassador Sarah MacIntosh urged Iran to admit inspectors to all nuclear sites, saying verification is essential to restore confidence. Her published statement reaffirmed support for a diplomatic solution. Grossi likewise called for diplomacy backed by IAEA verification and urged Tehran to resolve outstanding questions without delay. His assessment leaves both the uranium stockpile and broader inspection arrangements unresolved.
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