Stalling Oversight: IAEA's Waning Influence in Iran's Nuclear Landscape

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faces challenges inspecting Iran's nuclear facilities after halted access post-Israeli military actions. Past agreements once enhanced IAEA powers, now reduced following U.S. withdrawal from a 2015 deal. With oversight gaps, the IAEA struggles to verify Iran's nuclear activities for peaceful purposes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), tasked with enforcing nuclear non-proliferation globally, has been unable to inspect Iran's nuclear sites following Israeli military strikes on June 13. The IAEA's oversight extends only to signatories of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and nations with separate agreements.

Iran, an NPT signatory, previously allowed comprehensive inspections until the 2015 nuclear agreement expanded IAEA powers, including snap inspections and oversight of centrifuge production. However, when the U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018 under President Trump, Iran scaled back these IAEA powers, limiting inspection access.

The IAEA's reduced oversight leads to significant blind spots in monitoring Iran's uranium enrichment activities. This poses a dilemma, as Iran claims peaceful intentions, yet the IAEA cannot fully account for nuclear material, creating security and non-proliferation concerns without conclusive evidence of weaponization.

(With inputs from agencies.)