IAEA urges Iran to allow inspections, points at Isfahan

IAEA says Iran has stored most of its highly enriched uranium at an underground tunnel complex at its Isfahan facility.Published On 27 Feb 2026The United Nations nuclear watchdog has said in a report that Iran has stored most of its highly enriched uranium at an underground tunnel complex at its Isfahan facility, urging Tehran to allow inspections as it faces growing pressure from the United States over its nuclear programme.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, which was circulated to members Friday, confirmed earlier findings that the country was enriching uranium up to 60 percent, which is a short step away weapons-grade purity, raising concerns over the IAEA’s lack of access to the Isfahan site, one of three facilities that the US claimed to have “obliterated” in last year’s 12-day war.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US-Iran talks conclude with claims of progress but few detailslist 2 of 3US re-asserts 2025 strikes ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear programmelist 3 of 3Iran hails ‘encouraging signals’ from US before nuclear talks on Thursdayend of listThe IAEA report also stated that its inspectors do not know the precise location of a fourth uranium enrichment facility that Iran said it was setting up in Isfahan prior to the 12-day war, adding that they were not aware of its operational status or whether it currently contains nuclear material.The IAEA said it had observed in satellite imagery “regular vehicular activity around the entrance to the tunnel complex at Isfahan in which (uranium) enriched up to 20% and 60% U-235 … was stored”, stressing the importance of being able to carry out inspections in Iran without further delay.There was no immediate comment from Iran.The report comes a day after US and Iranian negotiators held a third round of indirect talks mediated by Oman in Geneva that yielded no breakthrough.It will be discussed at a quarterly meeting of the IAEA’s 35-country board commencing on Monday next week in Vienna, coinciding with further Oman-mediated meetings between technical teams in the same city.