Grossi spoke about the nuclear situation in Iran and Syria

Grossi made statements regarding the nuclear situation in Iran and Syria at the opening of the IAEA Board of Directors meeting that started in Vienna.

"During this reporting period, the Agency received no information from Iran regarding the status of declared nuclear materials or facilities and was unable to access any of these facilities to conduct field verification activities," IAEA Administrator Grossi said. he said.

Stating that more than a year has passed since the Agency lost continuity of information regarding the uranium inventory in the facilities affected by the attacks of the USA and Israel in June 2025, Grossi called for Iran to maintain constructive cooperation with the IAEA and to return to diplomacy to solve the problems related to the country's nuclear program.

"Historical progress" in Syria

Stating that a "historic progress" was made thanks to the new administration of Syria sharing the necessary information and gaining access to the facility in Deir ez-Zor and other points, Grossi underlined that the Agency was able to clarify and resolve the questions regarding the open assurance audit issues regarding the country's past nuclear activities.

Grossi noted that the findings in Deir ez-Zor are consistent with the IAEA assessment that a nuclear reactor that required declaration was being built in the region during the deposed Bashar Assad regime, and that previously undeclared nuclear material is now within the scope of the Agency's assurance inspections.

"Iran's obligations have not been eliminated"

Grossi answered journalists' questions at the press conference held after the IAEA Board of Directors meeting.

Grossi responded to the question about the impact of the possible decision to refer the Iran file to the United Nations Security Council on the work of the IAEA by reminding that the decision has not been accepted yet.

Stating that he approaches the decisions of the IAEA Board of Directors impartially, Grossi said that if the decision is accepted, he has to continue his work on Iran, regardless of its content.

Grossi stated that Iran has not yet submitted the information it must submit to the IAEA about the damage to its nuclear facilities and its nuclear material inventory. Stating that the provision of this information was envisaged in the Cairo Agreement, Grossi reiterated that Iran should notify the Agency if there were any changes in the inventory after the attacks and why the facilities could not be accessed.

Emphasizing that the safety of auditors does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle to the work of the Agency, Grossi said, "We will not endanger anyone." he said.

Stating that Iran has given the message that it will not cooperate in broader political negotiations until an agreement is reached, Grossi said, "We do not accept this logic. Iran continues to be a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its obligations have not been abolished." he said.

Assad regime-era reactor in Syria "almost completed"

Answering questions about Syria's nuclear activities during the Assad regime, Grossi said that the previous administration concealed various activities from the IAEA.

Grossi stated that he could not judge the administration's intentions, but that the type of reactor built in Deir ez-Zor was very efficient in producing fissile material that could be used directly in the production of nuclear weapons.

Asked to what extent the reactor was completed, Grossi said, "The reactor was almost completed. The only thing that did not happen was the loading of fuel into the reactor." he replied.

Grossi stated that excavations were continuing in the region and that it could not be excluded that the Syrian authorities of the period might have carried out explosions at the facility in order to obscure the situation and complicate the investigation.

Answering the question about the 73 tons of natural uranium metal found, Grossi stated that the material is now under the security control of the IAEA and cameras have been placed in the region.

Noting that the decision to keep the material in Syria or to send it to another country belongs to the Damascus administration, Grossi said, "The important thing for us is to always know where this material is, down to the last gram." he said.