IAEA Chief Rejects 2015 Nuclear Deal as Obsolete

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi announced that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) cannot serve as the basis for a new nuclear agreement with Iran. Grossi stated that Iran has made exponential progress in its nuclear program, including the development of last-generation centrifuges and new facilities, rendering the Obama-era deal obsolete.

Grossi estimated that approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity remain in Iran, with roughly 200 kilograms likely stored in tunnels at the Isfahan nuclear complex. This follows a series of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in 2025 and February 2026, the latter of which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While President Donald Trump claimed these strikes obliterated Iran's atomic program, Grossi noted that IAEA seals likely remain intact despite inspectors being denied access to sites at Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordo.

Diplomatic efforts to remove the enriched material are being discussed with Russia. President Vladimir Putin offered to assist in handling the uranium, but Trump prioritized Putin's involvement in ending the war in Ukraine over nuclear enrichment assistance. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has rejected uranium transfers and direct talks unless a framework agreement is established first. Amid these tensions, Robert Floyd of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization urged the U.S., Russia, and China to ratify the CTBT to prevent a return to nuclear testing.