IAEA Demands Accountability for Iran's Nuclear Violations Amid Bomb Fears
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has formally requested its governing body to hold Iran accountable for systematically violating nuclear deal commitments. This marks a significant escalation in the decade-long effort to monitor Iran's nuclear program, which has shifted from compliance to deliberate obstruction.
According to diplomatic sources, Iran's systematic defiance began after the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement in May 2018. Tehran progressively breached restrictions, including disabling monitoring cameras, conducting intrusive physical searches of inspectors, and denying access to suspect sites. The IAEA discovered undeclared centrifuges at the Fordow facility in January 2023, enriching uranium to 83.7% purity, dangerously close to weapons-grade. In response, Iran expelled expert inspectors.
Relations further deteriorated in June 2025 when the IAEA passed a resolution declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. This was followed by Israeli airstrikes and U.S. bombings of three major Iranian nuclear sites. Since February 2026, with ongoing U.S. and Israeli aerial campaigns, the IAEA has been unable to inspect any Iranian nuclear facilities except the Bushehr power plant. This lack of access has broken the agency's "continuity of knowledge" regarding Iran's uranium and centrifuge activities.
Experts now warn that Iran is rapidly advancing towards a nuclear bomb, and even a comprehensive diplomatic solution may not be sufficient to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
