IAEA unsure if Iran’s Isfahan enrichment site is operational after attacks
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The International Atomic Energy Agency has said it remains unclear whether a new uranium enrichment facility at Iran’s Isfahan complex is operational or merely an “empty hall,” highlighting gaps in oversight following recent military strikes.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said inspectors have not been able to access the underground site, leaving “many questions” about its status. The facility is believed to have been developed within a complex in Isfahan that was reportedly damaged during attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure last June.
Grossi said the agency had planned to inspect the site after Iran informed it of the development in June 2025. However, the visit was cancelled when the complex was struck during a 12-day conflict with Israel. As a result, inspectors do not know whether the site contains installed centrifuges, equipment awaiting installation, or no operational infrastructure at all.
The watchdog had earlier reported that nearly half of Iran’s uranium enriched up to 60 per cent purity was stored in a tunnel complex at Isfahan and is likely still there. This level of enrichment is considered a short step from weapons-grade material.
According to IAEA estimates, Iran possessed 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent at the time of the June attacks. Grossi said more than 200 kg of this stockpile was believed to be at Isfahan, with some material elsewhere possibly destroyed. He added that there has been no observable movement, suggesting the uranium has been relocated.
Iran has not provided updates on the status or location of its enriched uranium since the attacks and has not allowed IAEA inspectors to return to affected sites.
The United States and Israel have cited concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme, while Donald Trump had previously said US strikes had significantly damaged it. The IAEA, however, has said it has no credible indication of a coordinated nuclear weapons programme.
Separately, concerns over nuclear safety have risen after Iran and Russia alleged a projectile struck near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. The IAEA said the incident caused no damage or injuries. Entrances to Iran’s underground enrichment facility at Natanz were also hit in the earlier strikes.