ISFAHAN — International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said the majority of Iran's highly enriched uranium is likely still at the country's Isfahan nuclear complex and called for resuming inspections or removing the material. He made the remarks during the five-year review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty underway at U.N. headquarters in New York.

The Isfahan complex was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks during a U.S.-Israeli war this year. IAEA inspections at Isfahan ended when Israel launched a 12-day war in June 2025, during which the United States bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. A large percentage of Iran's highly enriched uranium was stored at Isfahan when the war broke out and has remained there since.

"We haven't been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there," Grossi said. He said the agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran. "We continue to get information." he said.

Airbus satellite images show a truck loaded with 18 blue containers entering a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025, just before the June war. The containers are believed to contain highly enriched uranium and likely remain at the site. The IAEA believes roughly 200 kilograms of uranium is stored in tunnels at Isfahan.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. According to the IAEA, the stockpile could allow Iran to build up to 10 nuclear bombs if it decided to weaponize its program. The IAEA also wants to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordo, where there is also nuclear material. Under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to which Iran is a party, the country is required to open its nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection.

The IAEA has discussed with Russia and others the possibility of removing Iran's highly enriched uranium from the country. Such a step would require either a political agreement or a major U.S. military operation in hostile territory. "What's going to be important is that that material leaves Iran or is blended to reduce its enrichment," he said.

The IAEA participated in the last cycle of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in February and has held discussions separately with the U.S. and informally with Iran. Grossi described himself as a negotiator who looks for a "flicker of hope" and said "one important thing is that there is apparently an interest on both sides to come to an agreement." He said addressing Iran's nuclear program would take "political will" from Tehran and that full IAEA inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities must take place in any political agreement. "What is indispensable is that we address it," he said.