A damning report by the International Atomic Energy Agency has revealed that Iran carried out secret nuclear activities at three previously undeclared locations, using materials not disclosed to U.N. inspectors, in clear violation of its non-proliferation commitments.
The 35-nation IAEA Board of Governors had requested a comprehensive report on Iran’s nuclear past and present. This report, obtained by The Associated Press, sets the stage for a push by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany to formally declare Iran in breach of its obligations—a move that could pave the way for a U.N. Security Council referral.
The IAEA concluded that the three sites—Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, and Turquzabad—were part of an undeclared, coordinated nuclear weapons program that continued until at least the early 2000s, involving uranium metal discs used in tests related to nuclear explosives.
The Iranian regime has predictably dismissed the report as “politically motivated,” but the evidence presented leaves little room for doubt. The IAEA found that even years after these activities allegedly ended, Iran’s cooperation has been “less than satisfactory” and it has failed to answer key questions about uranium traces and past nuclear work.
The agency’s separate report also highlights that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity—dangerously close to weapons grade—has grown to 408.6 kg, enough for nine nuclear weapons if enriched further, according to IAEA standards. This is particularly alarming given that Iran is the only country enriching to such levels without an acknowledged weapons program.
While Iran continues to claim its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, the IAEA’s findings paint a different picture: a systematic effort to deceive international inspectors and pursue capabilities with direct applications for nuclear weapons. The report’s implications are stark, likely prompting a new wave of Western pressure and possibly a Security Council showdown.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was quick to warn that the findings confirm Tehran’s determination to build nuclear weapons and called for urgent international action to stop it. U.S. officials echoed those concerns, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming that President Donald Trump’s special envoy has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal—but warned that Tehran must act in its own best interest to avoid further isolation.
For now, the report underscores that despite decades of Iranian denials and half-hearted negotiations, Tehran’s nuclear program remains a threat to regional and global security—one that the world can ill afford to ignore.