Iran has reversed course and withdrawn from a tentative deal that would have allowed international inspectors back into its nuclear sites, escalating concerns over the regime's ambitions and deepening its standoff with the West, The New York Times reported Thursday.
The move came just hours after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) demanded that Tehran immediately provide information on its enriched uranium stockpile and grant access to nuclear facilities struck during Israel's June air campaign.
That 12-day conflict — briefly joined by U.S. forces — shattered multiple nuclear and military installations across Iran.
President Donald Trump said at the time that Iran's nuclear program had been "obliterated," but intelligence officials and regional experts continue to warn that the Islamic Republic may now be more determined than ever to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure out of international view, the Times said.
Since the June attacks, the IAEA has not been able to conduct a single inspection inside Iran.
In the weeks following the airstrikes, agency Director General Rafael Grossi warned that while Iran does not appear to be actively enriching uranium, new activity has been detected at several sites.
Low-level enrichment can power civilian reactors, but high-level enrichment can produce material for nuclear weapons.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. Yet the IAEA concluded in June — just before the Israeli strikes — that Tehran was violating its nonproliferation commitments.
Iranian officials claim that this finding gave Israel "political cover" to launch its attacks, and they have refused all inspections since.
In July, Tehran formally halted all cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
Diplomats believed progress was possible in September, when Iran and the IAEA met in Cairo and reached a preliminary understanding to resume inspections. Even then, Iran claimed it would be "unsafe" to allow inspectors near bombed facilities.
Whatever momentum existed was quickly destroyed in October, when European nations reimposed U.N. sanctions on Iran over its nuclear defiance.
Then, on Thursday, the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution demanding Iran "without delay" provide full transparency on its nuclear activities.
Instead of complying, Iran tore up the Cairo agreement.
"This understanding is no longer valid," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the agency, according to the Fars news service.
Nuclear experts now believe Iran may be operating a new enrichment site known as Pickax Mountain. Tehran has denied inspectors access to that location and to several other suspected facilities, according to the report.
Iranian officials say they will not negotiate with the Trump administration unless Washington guarantees Iran will not face future military strikes and agrees to compensate Tehran for the June damage. U.S. officials have flatly rejected those demands.
Iran claims its stockpile of highly enriched uranium was destroyed or buried under rubble during the airstrikes. But Grossi told the Financial Times last week that the IAEA believes most of the material survived — and its status cannot be verified without renewed inspections.
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