IAEA Chief Says Iran Has Taken ‘Concrete Steps’ in Right Direction on Nuclear Program

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi (L) shakes hands with Iran's foreign minister Abbas Aragchi (R) in Tehran, Iran, on Nov. 14, 2024. Vahid Salemi/AP

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has said Iran has taken “concrete steps” in the “right direction” regarding its nuclear program.

But a quarterly report published by the IAEA on Wednesday, following Grossi’s visit last week to Iran, says the Iranian regime has amassed a stockpile of enriched uranium which is more than 32 times the limit set by the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal.

On Wednesday, the IAEA revealed Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 6,604.4 kilograms on Oct. 26, up by 852.6 kilograms since the last quarterly report in August.

In recent years Iran has increased its enrichment of uranium up to 60 percent purity, not far short of the 90 percent level required to be weapons-grade.

The IAEA’s latest report said as of Oct. 26, Iran has 182.3 kilograms (401.9 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, an increase of 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) since August.

In an opening speech to the IAEA’s board of governors, which is meeting in Vienna, Grossi said: “It is clear that the accumulation of enriched uranium at very high levels has been a matter of concern for many around the world.”

“This is why I requested the Islamic Republic of Iran to exercise restraint, not only to exercise restraint, but also, if possible, to stop increasing the stockpile of 60 percent uranium,” he added.

Grossi said: “I have to say that this request of mine was accepted by Iran, and some initial technical steps verified by my inspectors took place already this week, and I hope we will be able to consolidate this. I think, of course, that this is an initial step. A lot needs to be done.”

‘Unnecessary Escalations’

“A lot needs to be done in the area of the outstanding verification issues and also in this very important area where a degree of, I would say, prudence, still restraint, collaboration, avoiding unnecessary escalations, in particular, in a region that has suffered too much,” added Grossi, a former Argentinian diplomat.

The IAEA report said, on Nov. 16, the day after Grossi left Iran, the agency’s inspectors verified, “Iran had begun implementation of preparatory measures aimed at stopping the increase of its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 percent U-235” at its underground nuclear sites in Fordow and Natanz.

Later, answering questions from journalists, Grossi said he thought Iran had taken “concrete steps” in the “right direction” regarding its nuclear program but he declined to say if it was “enough” or “too little.”

A journalist from the BBC’s Persian Service asked him, “What were the results, concrete steps that you actually got from the Iranians?”

“In terms of results, the results are in the report, my dear friend, you can see there what we have achieved,” Grossi replied.

Grossi received the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award at a ceremony in Florida on Nov. 18 and he denied, when asked by a journalist from the Associated Press, that he had met anyone from the incoming Trump administration during that trip.

The latest reports on Iran’s nuclear program come after Israel bombed Iranian targets on Oct. 26, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “not a secret” they had bombed a component of the Iranian nuclear weapons program.

Iran, which denies it is building a nuclear weapon, has backed its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, during their conflicts with Israel, which began when Hamas gunmen massacred 1,200 people after crossing the border on Oct. 7, 2023.

The board of governors of the IAEA—the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog—will consider a resolution, being pushed by the European Union, and the so-called E3 group (Britain, France and Germany), condemning Iran.

Resolution Would ‘Complicate Matters’

The exact wording is unclear but Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has told his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, the resolution would “complicate matters,” according to the Iranian foreign ministry’s Telegram channel.

Grossi said he would not comment on his position on the EU/E3 resolution.

In 2015 Iran signed the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) deal—which aimed to curb Tehran’s work on its nuclear weapons program in exchange for easing international sanctions—with the United States, the European Union, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

During his first administration, Trump pulled out of the JCPOA, calling it a “horrible, one-sided deal that should have never been made.”

The quarterly report also said, “the possibility of Iran not further expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 percent U-235 was discussed,” during Grossi’s visit to Tehran last week.

Grossi was also asked about the recent claims that Israel had bombed a nuclear facility at Taleghan, which is part of the Parchin complex.

He said the IAEA did not consider Taleghan a nuclear facility.

Asked whether he was concerned about Israel bombing other Iranian nuclear facilities he said, “You know my position on this. There is a body of law that indicates that nuclear facilities should not be attacked, and it is my hope that it will be the case, and that good reason will prevail.”

He said he planned to talk to the Israeli government about the Iranian nuclear program in the coming days.

The agenda of the IAEA board of governors includes an item on the, “NPT [Nuclear Proliferation Treaty] safeguards agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

In March 2023 the IAEA signed a joint statement with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

In it, they agreed, “Interactions between the IAEA and Iran will be carried out in a spirit of collaboration, and in full conformity with the competences of the IAEA and the rights and obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the comprehensive safeguards agreement.”

The agreement also said, “Iran, on a voluntary basis will allow the IAEA to implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities.”

A graphic of the city of Natanz, in Iran’s central Isfahan province, which hosts the country’s main uranium enrichment facility. AP

But surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been interfered with, while Iran has prevented some of the agency’s most experienced inspectors from entering the country.

On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “We remain tightly coordinated with our E3 partners [France, Germany and UK] in advance of the IAEA board of governors meeting. And, we strongly support efforts to hold Iran accountable.”

“The Iranian regime continues to amass a growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium for which there is no credible civilian purpose and they continue to not cooperate fully with the IAEA,” he added.

Trump has said he will exert “maximum pressure” on Iran when he returns to the White House after the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.

Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.