The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has stated that there is no indication Iran has attempted to repair or rebuild nuclear facilities damaged during military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel in 2025 and 2026.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, Grossi said the agency had not identified any reconstruction activity at the affected sites since June 2025.

Grossi also renewed calls for Iran to grant inspectors access to all nuclear facilities, including those damaged in the attacks. The IAEA has been unable to verify the condition of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium since the US strikes, leaving uncertainty over the status of material that is close to weapons-grade purity.

According to the IAEA, Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a relatively short technical step from the 90 per cent level generally regarded as weapons-grade. While Tehran continues to insist that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful, the agency has repeatedly expressed concern about unanswered questions surrounding the country’s nuclear programme.

Addressing the Security Council, Grossi said, “Since June 2025, we have not identified any activity to repair or reconstruct any of the facilities damaged in the military attacks of 2025 and 2026.” His remarks came as the agency continued to press Iran for greater transparency and co-operation regarding its nuclear obligations.

US President Donald Trump has maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was a major justification for military action against the country. He has repeatedly argued that the American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 “obliterated” Tehran’s atomic program. Trump has also dismissed concerns over the economic effects of the conflict, contending that increased fuel prices are an acceptable cost if they prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

The Security Council meeting was convened by Bahrain, Denmark, Latvia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States after the IAEA referred Iran to the council for failing to meet its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. Efforts by Russia and China, both close partners of Iran, to block the session were unsuccessful.

Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is legally required to declare all nuclear material and related activities and to permit IAEA inspectors to verify that such material is not diverted from peaceful purposes. The referral to the Security Council followed continuing concerns about Tehran’s compliance with these commitments.

Iran’s deputy UN ambassador, Gholamhossein Darzi, strongly criticised what he described as the council’s silence following the US-Israeli attacks. He condemned the strikes as “wars of aggression against Iran” and accused Washington of committing war crimes against the Iranian people.

Darzi did not address the IAEA’s outstanding questions or calls for inspectors to return. Instead, he argued that “Israel possesses nuclear weapons, yet your concern is the absence of inspectors in Iran.” Israel has never officially confirmed possessing nuclear weapons.

Responding on behalf of the United States, UN Ambassador Mike Waltz described Iran as a “brutal dictatorship” and challenged the Iranian representative over Tehran’s failure to satisfy its safeguard obligations. He remarked, “We’ve heard tireless allegations against the United States. What we have not heard today is an explanation for Iran’s continued failure to satisfy its safeguard obligations.”

Waltz further urged Iran to provide the answers sought by the IAEA, stating that the agency had repeatedly requested clarification. He concluded his remarks by telling the Iranian representative: “Your lies are no good here.”

The exchange underscored the deep divisions surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities, with Western nations pressing for greater accountability and inspection access, while Tehran continues to reject allegations that it is pursuing nuclear weapons despite mounting international scrutiny.

AP