UN Watchdog Unable to Verify Iran's Near-Weapons-Grade Uranium Stockpile for Months

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has reported its inability to verify Iran's growing stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium for several months. This critical lack of oversight has intensified international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program, as detailed in a confidential report circulated to member states on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, according to The Associated Press.

The verification gap emerged following a 12-day war in June 2025, during which Israel and the United States conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. As a direct consequence, Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA, preventing inspectors from accessing affected facilities, CTV News reported on Wednesday.

According to the IAEA's last public report in September, Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity. This level is considered a short, technical step away from the 90% required for weapons-grade material, as noted by The Washington Post.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned in a recent interview with The Associated Press that this stockpile could potentially allow Iran to build up to 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program. The agency emphasized that it has "lost continuity of knowledge" regarding Iran's nuclear material inventories.

Iran, however, continues to assert that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. In a letter to the IAEA on November 11, Iran explained that any cooperation is now conditional on the decision of its Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), as reported by The Washington Post.

Despite an agreement reached in Cairo in early September between Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to resume inspections at undamaged facilities, the situation deteriorated. The UN reimposed crushing sanctions on Iran later that month, leading Tehran to halt the implementation of the Cairo agreement, according to CTV News.

The IAEA stressed on Wednesday that Iran is legally obliged to cooperate under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The agency also called for Iran to provide a "special report" detailing the status of its nuclear material and facilities, a requirement after events like attacks, as highlighted by The Times of Israel.

• The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, was established in 2015 to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018, and Iran has incrementally violated its terms since 2019, enriching uranium far beyond the 3.67% permitted, as detailed by the Atlantic Council in November 2024.

• Key stakeholders in this ongoing crisis include the IAEA, which seeks to verify Iran's compliance with non-proliferation treaties, and Iran, which maintains its right to a peaceful nuclear program while resisting external pressures. The US and Israel have expressed strong concerns about Iran's enrichment activities, while European powers have recently reimposed sanctions, according to CTV News.

• The 12-day war in June 2025 saw significant military action, with Israel launching attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and the US striking sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. These strikes, which the US stated "obliterated" parts of the program, led directly to Iran's suspension of IAEA cooperation, as reported by The Guardian and Daily Sabah.

• Iran's current stockpile of 440.9 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is particularly alarming to the international community. The IAEA has noted that enriching uranium to 60% purity has no peaceful application and is a mere technical step away from weapons-grade levels, making Iran the only non-nuclear weapon state to reach this threshold, according to ahram Online.

• The IAEA has formally requested a "special report" from Iran to address the location and status of its nuclear material, especially at facilities affected by the June war. This report is deemed indispensable for the agency to assure the international community that Iran's nuclear activities remain peaceful, as stated in the confidential report seen by The Associated Press.

• Diplomatic efforts to restore cooperation faced a setback when the UN reimposed sanctions on Iran in September 2025, utilizing the "snapback" mechanism. This move, triggered by European powers after Iran failed to engage in direct talks with the US, led Iran to abandon the Cairo agreement for resuming inspections, according to CTV News.

• The year 2025 was already anticipated to be decisive for Iran's nuclear program, with the "Termination Day" of the JCPOA set for October 18, 2025, which would end UN Security Council Resolution 2231. This development, coupled with the current verification crisis, places Iran at a strategic junction, as analyzed by the Atlantic Council in November 2024.

• Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani stated on November 10 that Iran would not accept Western demands to curb its nuclear and missile programs, even at the risk of war. He accused the West of using the nuclear program as a pretext to weaken the Islamic Republic, according to a report by WANA News.