Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran on Saturday accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of politicizing its reports after the agency warned that its inability to inspect Iranian nuclear sites and verify uranium stockpiles was fueling concerns over nuclear proliferation.

In remarks carried by the semi-official Iranian outlet Mehr News, Kazem Gharibabadi, the country's deputy foreign minister, maintained that restricted access to some facilities stemmed from military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites rather than any lack of cooperation by Tehran. He also charged that the IAEA was using the aftermath of US and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure to create "ambiguity" around Tehran's nuclear program.

Earlier this week, Reuters, citing a confidential IAEA document, reported that questions over Iran's compliance with its safeguards obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have increased as inspectors remain unable to verify previously declared low- and highly enriched uranium, which, if further enriched, would be sufficient for about 10 nuclear weapons.

The agency has been unable to access the Iranian nuclear sites of Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz since they came under repeated US and Israeli strikes during the June 2025 12-day conflict with Tehran. Those sites were struck again during the latest confrontation, which began on February 28.

Iran's enriched uranium stockpile remains a key unresolved issue in negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the war. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Tehran relinquish its enriched uranium, while recent draft memoranda of understanding (MoUs) have focused on a preliminary arrangement that would leave nuclear issues for later talks.