United News of Bangladesh

Iran has told the UN nuclear watchdog that talks on resuming inspections of its nuclear facilities cannot proceed while the country faces threats of further military attacks, according to a confidential report circulated on Friday. In a communication to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran said discussions remained impossible amid what it described as persistent public threats by the US president to launch further military attacks, particularly against its nuclear facilities. Iran said normal monitoring could resume only after the underlying causes of the current situation were addressed and necessary conditions for inspections restored. The IAEA said Iran had not allowed inspectors to access nuclear facilities damaged in Israeli and US strikes during the 12-day war in June 2025. The agency has also been unable to verify the status of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium since the attacks. However, Tehran reiterated its commitment to fully implementing its nuclear safeguards obligations when conditions permit. The IAEA warned that the lack of information about Iran's nuclear facilities and materials raised serious proliferation concerns, urging an urgent resolution. It said it was ready to resume inspections at short notice. Iran also raised concerns over a recent US offer of rewards of up to $20 million for information about its nuclear programme, stressing the need to protect the confidentiality of the agency's activities. The IAEA urged Tehran to consider gradual technical measures to facilitate the return of inspectors. Since June 2025, the only Iranian facility inspected by the agency has been the Bushehr nuclear power plant, where inspections took place from September 12 to 15. The watchdog also expressed growing concern over the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, which Iran disclosed shortly before the Israeli-US airstrikes last June. An inspection scheduled for the day the attacks began was cancelled, and the agency said it still did not know the facility's exact location or whether it contained nuclear material. According to the IAEA, Iran possesses 440.9 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, close to the 90 percent level generally considered weapons-grade. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that the stockpile could potentially produce up to 10 nuclear bombs if Iran decided to weaponise its programme, while stressing that this does not mean the country possesses such weapons. Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is peaceful, while the IAEA and Western countries say Tehran operated an organised nuclear weapons programme until 2003.