New York: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has said the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran cannot serve as the starting point for a new agreement with the country.
He spoke at a Wednesday news conference during the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) review in New York.
Grossi specified that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ‘could not constitute a basis’ for a new deal.
He emphasised that a different approach is needed, as Iran’s nuclear program has evolved significantly.
Grossi was also asked about enriched uranium, which is reportedly now buried under rubble following recent U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in Iran.
He reported that IAEA had inspected and sealed 440 kg of highly enriched uranium by June 2025.
“So, we need to check that that is the case,” he added.
Grossi stressed that IAEA inspectors must verify the condition of Iran’s enriched uranium stores before the agency can confirm their status, emphasising the need for access to ensure accuracy.
Addressing the NPT meeting, Grossi urged nations to recommit to non-proliferation, warning that wider access to nuclear weapons threatens global safety.
Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), said: “At a time when global tensions persist, and multilateralism is under attack, efforts to prohibit nuclear testing remain crucial.”
“We see multilateralism under intense pressure, various elements of treaties that are important for international security under pressure…rhetoric about threats of nuclear testing, returning to testing, and even concerns about possible use.”
Floyd stressed that the CTBTO’s efforts to limit the spread and advancement of nuclear weapons are crucial for global security.
The test-ban treaty forbids all nuclear explosions on the planet – whether above ground, underwater, or underground.
The CTBT, open for 30 years, has nearly stopped nuclear weapon testing: fewer than twelve tests since.
Floyd described it as “a treaty that has almost universally supported a ban on nuclear testing, no matter what size,” with “a verification system that gives nations confidence, so that there is a powerful norm against testing.”
The treaty remains inactive. Although 187 countries have signed and 178 have ratified it, formal acceptance by nine key nuclear technology holders is still required for it to enter into force.
They are China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States.
Floyd was later asked if there had been any movement in this regard.
“I think it’s fair to say that we need to see a way that the United States of America, the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China might be able to address the treaty and its ratification together,” he said.
“It is, I think, quite unlikely that any one of them would move on that without the others simultaneously moving together.
“That certainly is something that I would encourage all of those States to consider, and that would certainly be a powerful step forward.”
On monitoring, he said the verification system is already over 90 per cent established, and 307 facilities are in place around the world and operating.
“All of the six North Korean tests were detected, even the very first one, which was quite small,” he said.
The system allows CTBTO to detect blasts of 500 tonnes of TNT or more. This is about 2–3% of the Hiroshima bomb’s force. It will be “a powerful benefit to all humanity, because any State that thinks of developing a nuclear weapon would need to test one, and if they did, it would be known to all.”
Floyd also highlighted another aspect of his organisation’s work – addressing disinformation around seismic events, as happened in late 2024 regarding Iran.
“Social media got very excited as people were claiming those seismic events to be nuclear tests,” he said.
“Analysis found the seismic events were natural earthquakes in northern Iran. Floyd ended his briefing by reflecting on the past three decades.
He concluded that, although progress in nuclear security has been achieved over three decades, significant work remains.