Explained | What is the role of International Atomic Energy Agency?

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cannot confirm that none of Iran’s safeguarded nuclear material has been diverted, more than a year after Israeli and US military strikes cut off inspectors’ access, Director General Rafael Grossi informed the UN Security Council on October 27.

• In September, the IAEA Board of Governors took a decisive step in reporting Iran to the Security Council for continued non-compliance with her nuclear safeguards obligations.  

• It was the first time for two decades that the Board has made such a referral.

The concerns raised by the IAEA

• Inspectors have not been able to return to the sites hit by Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 and joint Israeli and US attacks in early 2026. 

• The UN’s nuclear watchdog has seen no sign of work to repair or rebuild them.

• This can and must be rectified, Grossi said. 

• Normal inspections have not resumed, and Iran has not provided the information and access needed to verify previously declared nuclear material at its safeguarded facilities — both those hit in the attacks and those that were not — the IAEA chief said.

• Of particular concern is Iran’s declared stock of 440kg of highly enriched uranium. 

• The IAEA is also seeking access to the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, which Iran declared just before the June 2025 strikes.

• Access to the site is necessary so that IAEA inspectors can verify the status of the facility for safeguards purposes, and whether it contains nuclear material. 

• The one exception is the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), where IAEA inspectors are currently undertaking verification activities. 

• In the context of BNPP, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) has engaged constructively with the IAEA to arrange for the delivery of safeguards equipment required for the verification of spent fuel prior to its transfer to a new dry storage facility. The transfer is expected to take place early next year. 

What is the role of International Atomic Energy Agency?

• Widely known as the ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’ organisation within the United Nations family, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the world’s central inter-governmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field.

• The agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

• The IAEA was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the discoveries and diverse uses of nuclear technology. The agency’s genesis was US President Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 8, 1953.

• The US Ratification of the Statute by President Eisenhower on July 29, 1957, marks the official birth of the IAEA.

• In October 1957, the delegates to the First General Conference decided to establish the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

• The IAEA has 182 Member States.

• India is a founding member of IAEA.

• The IAEA has also two regional offices located in Toronto and Tokyo, as well as two liaison offices in New York City and Geneva. The agency runs laboratories specialised in nuclear technology in Vienna, Seibersdorf and Monaco.

• The IAEA’s policy-making bodies decide on the agency’s programmes and budgets. They comprise the General Conference of all Member States and the 35-member Board of Governors. 

• The General Conference convenes annually at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, typically in September. 

• The Board generally meets five times per year: in March and June, twice in September (before and after the General Conference) and in November.

• India is a member of the Board for 2026-2027 period.