Israel urges action after IAEA report on Iran

“These three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s,” the report said, adding that “some activities used undeclared nuclear material.”

The report comes at a delicate moment, as Tehran and Washington have engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations in recent weeks over a potential nuclear agreement that US President Donald Trump is seeking to finalize.

The document, obtained by Reuters, was prepared following a November request by the IAEA’s Board of Governors.

UN nuclear agency flags sharp rise in Iran’s high-level uranium

The IAEA, in a separate report sent to member states on Saturday, said a sharp rise in Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. As of May 17, Iran held 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, an increase of 133.8 kilograms since February. Material enriched to that level is a short technical step from weapons-grade purity.

“Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to this level,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly said. On Saturday, he again urged Iran to cooperate “fully and effectively with the agency.”

Both IAEA reports said Iran’s high-level enrichment was “of serious concern,” noting it is the only country enriching to that level without having nuclear weapons.

Western powers move toward censure

Western governments are also preparing a resolution that would formally declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation commitments for the first time since 2005. Reuters cited diplomats on Friday as saying the United States will lead the drafting of the motion, to be submitted at the board’s quarterly meeting beginning June 9.

“We expect the comprehensive report to be tough, but there were already no doubts over Iran not keeping its non-proliferation commitments,” a European official told Reuters.

The last time the IAEA board took such action, in 2005, it led to Iran’s referral to the UN Security Council and triggered a round of international sanctions.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that Iran carried out nuclear activities using undeclared material at three previously unreported sites—Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, and Turquzabad—according to a confidential report circulated to member states, according to Reuters on Saturday.

The agency said Iran repeatedly failed to provide credible answers and had sanitized locations under scrutiny. It also found evidence that Iran retained unknown nuclear material or contaminated equipment at Turquzabad as recently as 2018.

UN nuclear agency flags sharp rise in Iran’s high-level uranium

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his urgent call for Iran to fully cooperate, citing lingering concerns over past activities and public statements by former Iranian officials referencing nuclear weapons capabilities. However, the report noted that the agency has no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear weapons program in Iran.

A separate IAEA report sent to member states on Saturday said that Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium rose to 9,247.6 kg, with quantities of uranium enriched to 60% now exceeding 400 kg—well above the threshold the IAEA defines as enough for one nuclear weapon if further enriched.

Both IAEA reports said Iran’s high-level enrichment was “of serious concern,” noting it is the only country enriching to that level without having nuclear weapons.

A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump “begged” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for negotiations, describing the move as “unprecedented.”

“How is it that the president of a major power writes a letter and pleads for negotiations? This is unprecedented,” said Gholamhossein Mohammadi Golpayegani, Khamenei’s chief of staff, speaking at a public event in Tehran.

Golpayegani added that Iran’s supreme leader routinely overshadows visiting dignitaries. “I’ve seen it myself — no matter who the guest is, the Leader speaks with such command that he stands a head above them. He is a scholar, a poet, a geographer, a historian — unmatched.”

He also reiterated Iran’s defiance in the face of Western pressure over uranium enrichment. “They want to tell us not to enrich uranium — that’s utter nonsense,” he said.

Iran’s nuclear chief said on Saturday that indirect negotiations with the United States have made “some progress,” but dismissed any demand to eliminate uranium enrichment as “a disturbed dream” meant for Israeli audiences.

“Talk of zero enrichment is mostly for the Zionist community,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami said during a visit to northern Iran. “These are rumors with no bearing on the realities of the talks.”

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“Talk of zero enrichment is mostly for the Zionist community,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami said during a visit to northern Iran. “These are rumors with no bearing on the realities of the talks.”

The fifth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington took place last week in Rome, part of ongoing efforts mediated by Oman since April.

Eslami said Iran remains committed to expanding its nuclear energy program, including new reactors and domestic production of radiopharmaceuticals. He emphasized that the program is peaceful and transparent, despite what he called foreign pressure.

Tehran signals no retreat on enrichment

Echoing that stance, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier on Saturday that uranium enrichment has always been a red line for Iran. “The right to enrichment is tied to rejecting domination — no one in Iran will accept being told we don’t have this right,” he said during a visit to Ruhollah Khomeini's mausoleum. Araghchi added that Tehran has consistently upheld its position in both past and present negotiations.

Araghchi also repeated that Iran considers nuclear weapons religiously and strategically unacceptable. “We’ve always been a standard-bearer of nuclear disarmament,” he said, accusing Western nuclear states of failing to uphold their obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

MPs say enrichment is non-negotiable

In parliament, lawmakers are voicing firm support for the government’s nuclear position. “The negotiating team has moved forward well within the defined red lines,” said Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security and foreign policy committee. “Enrichment is a foundational right — we’ve never negotiated over the principle of enrichment, and we won’t.”

Mehdi Esmaeili, a conservative MP from Miyaneh, also warned that “external pressure will never force Iran to retreat from its rights.” He said Iran’s pursuit of a full nuclear fuel cycle is “a strategic goal of the revolution” and rooted in national consensus.

Trump: Iran deal could happen soon

At the White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump said he believed a deal with Iran could be reached “in the not-too-distant future.” He argued that Iran “does not want to be blown up” and would prefer to resolve the standoff diplomatically.

“If we can have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East, that would be a very good thing,” Trump told reporters. “We want them to have a successful, safe nation — but they cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple. And I think we’re fairly close.”