VIENNA — The United Nations nuclear watchdog says it is “increasingly concerned” about an underground uranium enrichment plant in Iran that its inspectors have never been allowed to visit, in a quarterly report sent to member states and seen by news agencies on Friday, Nov. 13.[1]
Related: Trump Pulls Vance Off Iran Talks, Says No Deal Needed.
What the report says
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it does not know the exact location of the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, its status, or whether it holds nuclear material.[1][2] The Boston Report has not seen the report and is relying on accounts from the BBC, CBS News and Al Jazeera, which cite Reuters and the Associated Press.
The agency described its lack of information about Iran’s nuclear material as a serious proliferation concern that must be fixed urgently.[1] It said it is ready to resume its work in Iran at short notice.[3]
The site
Iran told the agency it planned to set up the plant in Isfahan on June 12, 2025, a day before Israel began striking its nuclear sites. Iran first agreed to an inspection, which was cancelled when the attacks began. The United States joined the strikes later that month.[1]
The Isfahan complex was badly damaged above ground. The condition of its underground areas is unclear, and the agency believes much of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was stored there.[1] In a September report, the agency said satellite images showed regular vehicle activity around the entrance to the tunnel complex.[2]
Iran’s position
The agency asked in February for access as soon as possible. Iran refused, telling the agency that attacks and continued threats had made normal inspections “legally untenable and materially impracticable,” CBS News reported.
Iran has allowed only very limited inspections since June 2025.[3] Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says its program is for peaceful purposes.[1]
Background
Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran agreed to cap its enriched uranium stockpile at 300 kg and enrichment at 3.67% purity, and later exceeded both. Before the June 2025 strikes it had an estimated 441 kg enriched to 60%, close to weapons grade.[1]
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. does not need a deal with Iran.[2] Separately on Friday, Iran claimed a strike on a U.S. radar in Bahrain, which the U.S. denies. See our Iran War Tracker and the World News page.
For the rest of the day’s developments, read our Iran news update for Nov. 13.
Sources
- BBC News: UN watchdog ‘increasingly concerned’ over Iran nuclear site
- CBS News: U.N. watchdog agency pushes for access to key Iran nuclear site
- Al Jazeera: UN watchdog calls on Iran to reopen nuclear facilities to inspection
Read next in Iran
Most read this week
- U.S. Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Hold Talks With Putin in Moscow, Then Head to Dublin to Brief Zelensky
- Israeli Strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital Kills Six, Including a Surgeon, Health Ministry Says
- Kremlin Names Abu Dhabi Team as Ukraine Sets Security and Prisoner Priorities
- Drones Kill Workers at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear and Thermal Plants, IAEA Says, as Russian Strikes Hit 5 Substations
- Nvidia Board Hires Wachtell’s Joon Kim to Lead Huang Probe as Shares Fall 5.47% and an Investor Sues
Latest
- Iran News Update, Nov. 13: Radar Claim Disputed, Nuclear Watchdog Presses Tehran, Trump Says No Deal Needed
- Six Killed as Unfinished Eight-Story Building Collapses Near Nairobi
- EU Leaders Meet in Dublin for the Bloc’s First Summit on Artificial Intelligence
- Storm Charles Floods Portugal and Spain, Cancels Hundreds of Flights and Moves on Italy
- Nvidia Heads for Sixth Straight Weekly Loss as $1.6 Trillion in Market Value Vanishes
Get The Boston Report Briefing
Our free weekly email with the most important stories from Boston and the world. Unsubscribe anytime.
Free. We never sell your address. Privacy policy