Iran has refused to allow inspections of its nuclear sites damaged by recent military strikes until the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sets clear guidelines. This stance follows significant attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities carried out by Israel and the United States in June.
The strikes targeted key sites including Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, causing uncertain damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, emphasized the need for the IAEA to clarify the legitimacy of such attacks.
Eslami stated that if military strikes are unauthorized, the IAEA must condemn them and establish official post-attack inspection procedures. “If there are established procedures for the post-war situation, the Agency should announce them so that we can act accordingly,” he said, according to Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Iran has formally requested the agency to define and codify specific steps for inspecting nuclear sites damaged in military attacks. Eslami warned that until these procedures are clarified, Iran will reject what it calls “irrelevant demands” for re-inspection, viewing them as part of political and psychological pressure.
In late November, the IAEA urged Iran to fully cooperate by allowing the verification of nuclear materials and complying with international safeguards and UN Security Council resolutions. Diplomatic engagement remains ongoing despite tensions over inspections.
During a recent United Nations Security Council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation, Hedda Samson, deputy head of the European Union delegation, called on Iran to provide updated and verifiable information on its nuclear material and activities. France’s deputy permanent representative, Jay Dharmadhikari, warned that Iran’s failure to fulfill its international obligations poses a serious threat to global peace and security.
Reports from October indicate that Iran is intensifying efforts to rebuild its ballistic missile program, despite renewed UN sanctions that prohibit arms sales and ballistic missile development. Nonetheless, Eslami reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and aims to advance the country’s scientific and technological progress.
The standoff highlights ongoing challenges between Iran and the international community over nuclear transparency and regional security. The resolution hinges on the IAEA’s ability to create clear protocols to address inspections of nuclear facilities affected by military actions.
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