IAEA reports Iran blocking nuclear inspectors as Hormuz tensions rise

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi informed the agency’s Board of Governors that Iran has not supplied any information on its declared nuclear materials and that IAEA inspectors have been denied on‑site access to verify the country’s compliance with its safeguards obligations. Grossi emphasized that the lack of transparency hampers the agency’s ability to assess the status of Iran’s nuclear program and called for immediate cooperation from Tehran to restore the verification regime established under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

In a parallel development, Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned that U.S. energy infrastructure could face retaliatory strikes, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued cautions to vessels navigating the southern Hormuz corridor. The statements, issued amid heightened regional tensions, underscore the escalating diplomatic and security challenges surrounding Iran’s nuclear and maritime activities. The IAEA and international stakeholders are monitoring the situation closely as they seek to prevent further destabilization.