Sun Dec 28 07:10:00 UTC 2025: Iran Refuses UN Nuclear Watchdog Access to Bombed Sites, Citing Lack of Protocol
CNN – Tehran, Iran – Iran has declared it will not allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear sites that were reportedly damaged in military strikes earlier this year, demanding the UN watchdog first establish procedures for post-attack inspections.
Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, stated that inspections would be blocked until the IAEA clarifies whether such attacks are authorized and, if not, condemns them and provides clear guidelines for post-conflict investigations. He specifically referenced alleged strikes in June by Israel and the United States that impacted key facilities including Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan. The full extent of the damage remains unknown.
“Until this issue is clarified, political and psychological pressure, as well as irrelevant demands to re-inspect the bombed facilities and complete the enemy’s operations, will not be accepted and will receive no response,” Eslami told Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
The IAEA has previously called on Iran to cooperate fully, allow verification of nuclear material, and adhere to international safeguards. European Union and French representatives at a UN Security Council meeting this week echoed these concerns, urging Iran to provide verifiable declarations on the status of its nuclear materials and activities, with France decrying Iran’s failures as a “grave threat to international peace and security.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. In October, CNN reported on evidence suggesting Iran is accelerating its ballistic missile program, despite UN sanctions. Eslami maintains that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at technological advancement.
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