Iran & Middle East — 2026-05-01

IAEA Reports Iran Enriched Uranium Likely Still Stored Underground at Isfahan

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported that approximately 200 kilograms of 60-percent-enriched uranium remains stored underground at Iran's Isfahan complex. The IAEA has no access to any of Iran's four declared enrichment facilities and does not know whether the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant contains nuclear material or is operational. According to the Washington Post, the material quantity would be sufficient for approximately five nuclear warheads if further enriched to weapons grade.

Analysis
Iran's zero-IAEA-access posture across all four declared enrichment facilities leaves roughly 200 kilograms of 60-percent-enriched uranium at Isfahan unmonitored and unconstrained, with material already sufficient for multiple devices. Confirming Iran has not resumed enrichment above five percent is very unlikely within the next 90 days; the zero-access baseline forecloses the sustained monitoring that ruling it out would require. Grossi's "likely" qualifier reflects inference from last-known-position, not verified current storage; Iran may have already dispersed a portion before access was lost. The disclosure's timing, concurrent with US-Iran negotiations and the NPT Review Conference, suggests deliberate signaling, per a single AP wire interview with Grossi.

4 sources

IAEAs Grossi: Much of Irans Enriched Uranium Likely Still at Isfahan - Foreign Policy
Iran's highly enriched uranium likely is still at the Isfahan site, UN nuclear chief tells AP - The Washington Post
UN nuclear chief: Much of Iran's highly enriched uranium likely still buried at Isfahan site - The Times of Israel
Iran's highly enriched uranium likely is still at the Isfahan site, U.N. nuclear chief tells AP - The Washington Times