ALBAWABA-The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its toughest warning in years on Thursday, passing a unanimous resolution demanding that Iran immediately account for missing enriched-uranium stockpiles and allow inspectors full access to nuclear facilities heavily damaged in Israeli-U.S. airstrikes last June.
After months of silence, Iran discloses the damage to Its nuclear program following US attacksThe 35-member Board of Governors, backing a U.S.- and E3-drafted motion, said Iran’s failure to clarify the fate of 440.9 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, material that could yield up to 10 nuclear bombs if further refined, poses a “serious threat” to global non-proliferation.
Tehran has blocked access to several sites since the attacks, prompting what IAEA diplomats describe as an unprecedented information blackout.
Iran denounced the resolution as “politically motivated blackmail,” insisting it will not restore cooperation unless sanctions are lifted and those behind the June strikes are held accountable. Iranian representatives boycotted the Vienna session entirely.
The standoff stems from the June 13, 2025 assault, when Israel launched Operation Dawn of Iron, striking Natanz, Fordow, Arak, and other core elements of Iran’s nuclear program in what it called a preemptive move to stop weaponization.
The U.S., under President Donald Trump, followed with its own precision strikes days later. Iran retaliated with missile attacks that killed 12 Israelis before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended 10 days of combat that left more than 500 dead and briefly sent global oil prices surging to $120 per barrel.
Thursday’s resolution further strains Washington–Tehran relations, as the U.S. rolls out renewed sanctions on IRGC-linked entities and regional proxy clashes intensify from Yemen to Lebanon.
European governments, fearing an accelerated Iranian nuclear breakout, are urging a return to Vienna negotiations, but IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned that continued obstruction could force a referral to the UN Security Council by March 2026.
