Iran bars IAEA from Isfahan underground uranium plant; agency has no information on it

Concern over Iran's nuclear programme has grown internationally amid rising tension in West Asia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not been permitted to inspect the underground uranium enrichment plant at Isfahan in Iran.

According to a confidential report that came to light on November 13, 2026, the agency has no information on the plant's exact location, its current condition, or whether nuclear material is present there. This poses a major challenge to efforts to maintain international monitoring of Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran told the IAEA in June 2025 that it was building the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant (IFEP) at Isfahan. Agency inspectors were due to visit the plant on June 13, 2025 for an initial inspection. On that very day, Israel and the US began military action against Iran's nuclear sites, and the visit was cancelled. The agency has not had access to the plant since. The new report states plainly that no assurance can be given about the plant's exact location, whether it is operational, or whether it holds uranium or other nuclear material.

The most worrying aspect is that the stockpile of highly enriched uranium cannot be verified. According to earlier IAEA figures, Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent. That level is close to the roughly 90 per cent enrichment needed to make a nuclear weapon. Since the June 2025 attacks, the agency has not been able to confirm the exact condition and location of this stockpile. Some uranium is likely to be stored in the underground tunnels at Isfahan, which has deepened the agency's concern.

Tehran has told the IAEA that it is not possible to take forward talks on monitoring nuclear projects. Iran has said it is ready to resume inspections once conditions return to normal and the necessary security conditions are met. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, on the other hand, has appealed for phased steps to give inspectors renewed access. The agency says verification of nuclear material and routine inspections must begin soon. For this reason, there are fears that the confrontation between Iran, the US and the IAEA could escalate further.