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UN nuclear inspectors have lost visibility over critical parts of Iran’s atomic program, raising concerns over Tehran’s uranium enrichment as negotiations with the US stall, Reuters reported.
Last year, IAEA inspectors witnessed trucks delivering advanced IR-6 centrifuges to Iran’s Fordow facility, south of Tehran, but had no knowledge of their origin, an official familiar with the monitoring was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The IAEA no longer knows how many centrifuges Iran has or where parts are manufactured and stored. It has also lost access to key surveillance footage and can no longer conduct snap inspections at undeclared sites.
The latest confidential IAEA report says Iran is enriching uranium up to 60% purity — near weapons grade — and holds enough material for nine bombs if further enriched. No other nation has reached this level without building nuclear weapons, the watchdog said.
Despite withdrawing from enhanced oversight, Iran continues to allow regular IAEA inspections under its obligations as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Still, the IAEA says it cannot currently verify the program’s peaceful nature.
Iran plans to expand its nuclear power capacity over the next 18 years with the construction of two additional units at the Bushehr nuclear plant, its manager said on Tuesday.
Reza Banazadeh, head of the Bushehr facility, said the second unit will take 10 years to complete and the third around eight years. Once finished, the three units will generate a combined 3,100 megawatts of electricity.
Currently, 2,000 Iranian specialists operate the Bushehr plant, which he described as a showcase of domestic capability. “All critical roles, from control rooms to maintenance, are handled by Iranian experts,” he said.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday sharply criticized the Trump administration over reports of a potential undisclosed agreement with Iran, warning it could undermine congressional oversight.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer called on the administration to “come clean immediately” following an Axios report alleging that President Donald Trump’s team is pursuing a so-called side deal with Tehran that could allow limited enrichment inside Iran.
“If true, this is terribly troubling,” Schumer said. “What is in this so-called side deal? The American people deserve transparency.”
Despite public statements from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff that Washington would demand the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the reported deal suggests otherwise, Schumer said.
“This administration must clarify what they might be hiding,” he added, accusing officials of adopting a “trust, but not verify” approach that Republicans once denounced under the Obama-era 2015 nuclear agreement.
Schumer said any future agreement with Iran must not only address nuclear issues but also Tehran’s support for regional militant groups. “Any negotiation with Iran should openly and transparently use all of our leverage and address non-nuclear issues, like their support for terrorism and regional proxies.”
