IAEA chief says renewed access to Iran nuclear sites could have ‘positive repercussions’

IAEA chief says renewed access to Iran nuclear sites could have ‘positive repercussions’ IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday that restoring the UN nuclear agency’s access to key facilities in Iran could have “very, very positive repercussions” for Tehran, as the US, Britain, France and Germany prepare to seek a resolution referring Iran to the UN Security Council. The IAEA has been unable to access several key Iranian nuclear sites since Israel, later joined by the US, launched a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that included strikes on nuclear facilities. Sites have also been hit in the latest war, which began on February 28, prompting repeated calls from the agency for renewed access. “The best, shortest way for a positive outcome is for Iran to engage with us,” Grossi told reporters after opening the IAEA Board of Governors’ quarterly meeting. Grossi said his engagement with Iran would continue regardless of the outcome of the vote, adding that serious dialogue and renewed access to nuclear sites would have significant positive consequences. Before the June 2025 strikes, the IAEA estimated that Iran had around 440kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — well above the 3.67 percent limit set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal, and close to the level generally associated with weapons-grade enrichment. The fate of that stockpile has remained uncertain since the strikes. In a statement ahead of Monday’s meeting, Grossi described the lack of contact with Iran as “regrettable”, saying the outstanding issues would not disappear until the agency could regain the access needed to assess Iran’s nuclear activities.