IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the agency's Board of Governors that the IAEA has lost continuity of knowledge on Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, including material enriched to 60%, for over a year. Grossi called the situation a "serious proliferation concern" and urged that it be rectified "with utmost urgency." The US, UK, France, and Germany are advancing a resolution to refer Iran's non-compliance to the UN Security Council. The Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs (JCFA) Iran Desk noted that the commonly cited figure of 440.9 kg of 60% enriched uranium is the last measurement taken before monitoring was lost.
The IAEA's admission that it has not had an updated picture of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile in over a year marks a significant deterioration in international oversight. Grossi's warning of a "serious proliferation concern" underscores the gap in verification at a time when Iran enriches uranium to 60% purity, close to weapons-grade. The last reliable measurement of 440.9 kg of 60% enriched uranium dates from before the IAEA lost monitoring continuity, meaning the actual stockpile could be larger, smaller, or partially diverted without detection. The push by the US, UK, France, and Germany to refer the matter to the UN Security Council reflects growing Western frustration with Tehran's lack of cooperation. The JCFA Iran Desk assessed that without updated data, any estimate of Iran's nuclear breakout timeline is speculative. The development highlights the challenge facing the international community in verifying Iranian compliance, particularly as Israel has long warned that Iran's enrichment activities lack a civilian justification and bring it dangerously close to nuclear weapons capability.
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