Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Mar 02, 2026

UN Nuclear Watchdog "Concerned" Over Undeclared Iran Sites

UN Nuclear Watchdog "Concerned" Over Undeclared Iran Sites

The IAEA says that the results of its inspection work have established "a clear indication that nuclear material and/or equipment contaminated by nuclear material has been present" at three undeclared locations

The UN nuclear watchdog Monday voiced concern that Iran had not clarified queries over possible undeclared nuclear activity, adding that its enriched uranium stockpile was 16 times over the limit.

The two reports issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday are the first substantive reports since Iran suspended some inspections in February.

Last week the IAEA said it had extended a temporary agreement with Iran until June 24 which has allowed many inspections to continue.

The report said IAEA director general Rafael Grossi was "concerned that the technical discussions between the agency and Iran have not yielded the expected results," referring to exchanges on the sites where undeclared nuclear activity may have occurred.

The conclusion comes despite a "proactive and focused effort" launched by the IAEA in April "to break the impasse" over the sites.

The IAEA says that the results of its inspection work have established "a clear indication that nuclear material and/or equipment contaminated by nuclear material has been present" at three undeclared locations, with most of the activity in question dating back to the early 2000s.

The agency also said Iran has failed to answer questions regarding a fourth site where natural uranium may have been present between 2002 and 2003 in the form of a metal disc.

Iran and world powers are engaged in talks in Vienna to rescue the 2015 nuclear deal after former US president Donald Trump walked away from it in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has signalled his willingness to revive the plan.

For this to happen, the US would need to return to the accord and lift the sanctions reinstated by Trump while Tehran would have to re-commit to full compliance with nuclear obligations it progressively withdrew from since 2019.

In a separate report, the IAEA said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium is around 16 times the limit laid down in the 2015 deal with world powers.

It gave an estimate of a stockpile of 3,241 kilogrammes (7,145 pounds) but said that it was not able to verify the total.

The limit laid down in the 2015 deal was 300 kilogrammes of uranium in a particular compound form, the equivalent of 202.8 kilogrammes of uranium.

- 'Sabotage' blast -


A senior diplomat with knowledge of the issue said that while the suspension of some inspections meant that the IAEA could not give precise figures for the stockpile, its level of access to declared sites has not been greatly reduced and its stockpile estimate would still be accurate to within a few percentage points.

The rate of production of enriched uranium has slowed since the last quarterly report from the IAEA in February.

In April Iran said a "small explosion" had hit its Natanz nuclear facility, an act that Tehran branded "sabotage" by its arch-foe Israel.

In Monday's report the IAEA estimated 62.8 kilogrammes of the uranium stockpile had been enriched up to 20 percent and 2.4 kilogrammes up to 60 percent.

Under the 2015 deal, the enrichment level was meant to be capped at 3.67 percent, well below the 90 percent purity needed for a nuclear weapon.

The latest report will be presented to the IAEA's board of governors next week.

Talks to restore the 2015 deal are taking place in Vienna as Iran prepares for presidential elections on June 18.

The press had widely predicted a showdown between ultraconservative judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi and moderate conservative Ali Larijani, a key domestic backer of the 2015 deal.

However, last week Larijani was barred from standing.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
Emerging Saudi–Turkish Alignment Draws Attention as Potential Strategic Challenge for Israel
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion Technology Investment Fund to Accelerate Post-Oil Diversification
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Firm Commitment to Two-State Solution in Renewed Diplomatic Push
Saudi Arabia Launches Central Kitchen in Gaza to Deliver 24,000 Meals a Day
Saudi Arabia Announces $346 Million Support Package for Yemen in Renewed Humanitarian Push
Saudi Investors Increase US Equity Exposure Amid Domestic Market Weakness
Saudi Arabia Unveils Major Desert Gas Development in Strategic Shift Toward Diversified Energy Growth
Satellite Images Indicate Increased Aircraft Presence at Saudi Airbase Hosting US Forces
Telephone Diplomacy Sparks Tensions Between Two Key US Allies After Trump Intervention
Asian LPG Prices Surge After Damage Forces Saudi Aramco Export Disruptions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion AI Infrastructure Fund to Challenge US and China
Saudi Stocks Close Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Falls 1.28 Percent
Saudi Arabia Launches Smart Mapping System to Enhance Pilgrim Experience at Holy Sites
Cristiano Ronaldo Acquires 25 Percent Stake in Saudi-Owned Spanish Club Almería
U.S.–Saudi Relations Balance Transactional Deal-Making with Expanding Strategic Ambitions
Israel’s President Herzog Signals Cautious Message on Saudi Ties at UAE Iftar in Tel Aviv
United States and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Security Ties with Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise
Saudi Arabia Responds to Israel–UAE Moves in Somalia as Regional Rivalries Intensify
Saudi Arabia Showcases Expanding Defense Ambitions at World Defense Show 2026
SECRETARY RUBIO on IRAN: Iran poses a very great threat to the United States, and has for a very long time.
Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is resigning from Harvard University as fallout continues over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Dow gaining about six-tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 adding eight-tenths of a percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing roughly one-and-a-quarter percent.
Nvidia posted better than expected results for the January quarter on Wednesday and forecast current quarter revenue above market estimates.
Saudi Arabia’s Coffee Renaissance Gains Momentum as Investment and Heritage Drive Industry Growth
Saudi Shipping Leader Bahri Expands Fleet as Tanker Rates Approach $200,000 a Day
Saudi Arabia Advances First National Urban Policy Through High-Level Leadership and Institutional Alliances
Major Life Sciences Summits to Spotlight Saudi Arabia’s Rise as Regional Biotech and Pharma Hub
Saudi Arabia Reframes Red Sea and Horn of Africa Strategy Amid Rising Security and Trade Stakes
Saudi Arabia Recalibrates Its Role in Shifting Regional and Global Power Dynamics
Saudi Retail Signals to Global Brands: Localise or Lose Ground in a Rapidly Evolving Market
Saudi Arabia Looks to Human Capital Investment to Unlock Demographic Dividend
Saudi Arabia and Iran Increase Oil Exports Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Saudi Data Protection Authority Intensifies Enforcement Under Personal Data Law
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Output and Exports Amid Contingency Planning Over Iran Tensions
USS Gerald R Ford Arrives in Souda, Crete
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Unit Expands Push Into Global Private Credit
Saudi Arabia Eases Headquarters Rules to Attract More Foreign Firms
Saipem Secures Major Offshore Pipeline Contract in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Targeted Oil Export Cuts to the US Seen as Strategic Signal Amid Global Supply Glut
Nemetschek Arabia Signs Strategic MoU with Saudi Facility Management Association
Gulf Markets Close Mixed as Saudi Shares Slip on Budget Deficit Concerns
Saudi Arabia Posts Largest Quarterly Budget Deficit in Years Amid Weaker Oil Revenues and Higher Spending
U.S. Lawmaker Urges Safeguards on Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal as Trump Administration Advances Agreement
Saudi Arabia and Gulf Allies Rally Behind Kuwait in Escalating Maritime Border Dispute with Iraq
Universal Aviation Secures License to Operate and Manage New General Aviation Terminal in Dammam
Tucker Carlson’s Saudi Arabia Remarks Spark Debate Over Israel Stance
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
×