IAEA Passes Resolution Demanding Information on Status of Iranian Nuclear Sites, Enriched Uranium Stock

Latest Developments

• IAEA Seeks Answers From Tehran: The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution on November 20 demanding transparency regarding the status of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and its bombed nuclear sites. “Our message is clear: Iran must resolve its safeguards issues without delay. It must provide practical cooperation through access, answers, restoration of monitoring, to enable the agency to do its job and help rebuild confidence,” the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, the sponsors of the resolution, said in a joint statement to the board. Five months after extensive Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, Tehran has still not granted IAEA inspectors access to key sites damaged in the conflict, including Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
• Iran’s Response: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the vote, announcing that Tehran was withdrawing from the Cairo Agreement, an interim deal Iran and the IAEA agreed to in September, which is aimed at resuming IAEA inspections. “Although the Cairo Agreement was no longer a basis for Iran-IAEA safeguards relations after the illegal action of three European countries in the UN Security Council in returning the canceled Security Council resolutions, today it was announced in an official letter to the IAEA Director General that the agreement is no longer valid and is considered terminated,” Araghchi stated, referring to the reimposition of UN sanctions under the “snapback” mechanism on September 28.
• Iran Seeks Lifeline Through Riyadh: Despite the tough talk from Iranian leaders, Iran reportedly asked its regional rival, Saudi Arabia, to intervene on its behalf to restart nuclear negotiations with the United States. According to Saudi media, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made the request in a letter to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before he met with President Donald Trump at the White House on November 17. “I think they very badly want to make a deal. I am totally open to it and we’re talking to them, and [we’ll] start a process,” Trump said. “But it would be a nice thing to have a deal with Iran, and we could have done it before the war, but that didn’t work out.” 

FDD Expert Response

“While Washington and Jerusalem appear to be settling into a pattern of relying on national technical means to monitor Iran’s nuclear program, this is nowhere near sufficient. A full-court diplomatic press to get IAEA inspectors back on the ground in Iran is needed to make sure Tehran complies with its international obligations and to ensure all of Iran’s fissile material is fully accounted for. Today’s resolution was a critical step toward building the legitimacy for that diplomatic pressure, which leaves important policy tools open for the West in the future, like a UN Security Council referral.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow

“IAEA member states acted to uphold the integrity of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by demanding Iran’s full compliance, including accounting for missing nuclear material and permitting full IAEA monitoring. Tehran likely does not want the eyes of inspectors on its nuclear assets as it attempts to recover and rebuild a nuclear weapons capability — which may lead to additional U.S. and Israeli military strikes.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“Tehran’s Crisis is Iran’s Reckoning,” by Janatan Sayeh

“Iranian Plot to Assassinate Israeli Ambassador to Mexico Foiled,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran’s October Oil Exports Hit 2025 Peak, Reflecting Failure of U.S. Sanctions Enforcement,” by Saeed Ghasseminejad

“Report: Iran rebuilding its ballistic missile program,” by Joe Truzman