Iran not to engage with IAEA on bombed sites, never accept zero enrichment

TABNAK, Nov. 19 - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that his country will not engage with the International Atomic Energy Agency about its bombed nuclear facilities.

News ID: 6951

Date: 19 November 2025 - 22:27

Iran will not accept zero enrichment under any circumstances because that has become a matter of national pride and honor," he said in a post on his X account, adding, “We have made great expenditures for it, and have sacrificed several martyred nuclear scientists to preserve it.”

"Iran considers any agreement to reduce the percentage of nuclear enrichment to zero as treason and will not accept it," Iran’s top diplomat emphasized.

“In our interactions with the UN Nuclear Watchdog, we have nothing to do with the bombed nuclear facilities, and we only cooperate with the IAEA on the nuclear facilities that were not bombed within the framework of the Agency's regulations,” Araghchi added.

Earlier on Wednesday, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that the Agency's inspectors have returned to Iran and have done inspections at facilities not affected by June attacks.

"Our inspectors are back in Iran and have carried out inspections at facilities unaffected by June’s attacks, but more engagement is needed to restore full inspections. We remain in regular contact with Tehran and continue working toward a full return to normal verification activities," Grossi said in a post on his X account after writing that " At Board of Governors, I reported on our ongoing efforts to uphold nuclear safety, security and safeguards worldwide and to strengthen the benefits of nuclear science and technology."

The IAEA Chief had also said in his opening address to the Board of Governors meeting that, "We are not asking anybody to draft a resolution."

According to Grossi, Iran and the IAEA "have to focus on the work we need to do based on Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Safeguards Agreement."