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Head Of Atomic Energy Organization of Iranian Regime: Grossi Is ‘Part of the Enemy’

Mehdi Hosseini
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Head Of Atomic Energy Organization of Iranian Regime: Grossi Is ‘Part of the Enemy’

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Iranian regime, criticized the positions of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the need to inspect nuclear sites bombed in Iran and described Rafael Grossi as “part of the enemy.”

On Wednesday, December 24, Eslami reacted to Grossi’s recent remarks about the IAEA’s lack of access to the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites and said: “If there is a protocol for [inspecting] attacked facilities, he should announce it. Such a thing is not provisioned in the safeguards.”

Iran’s Regime Is Clearing One of Its Nuclear Facilities, Study Shows

He added that the method of the Agency’s inspections of sites that were targeted during the twelve-day war “must be defined.”

In recent days, speculation has intensified about the fate of the Iranian regime’s nuclear program and the possible reactions of the United States, Israel, and the European troika (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom).

On December 23, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to review the Iranian regime’s nuclear file ended with another confrontation between the representative of the U.S. government and the ambassador of Iran’s regime. In response to remarks by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s regime ambassador to the UN, Morgan Ortagus stressed that uranium enrichment is not acceptable inside Iran under any circumstances.

On December 22, Grossi said in an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that the International Atomic Energy Agency believes most of the Iranian regime’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains inside Iran.

He had also said on December 15 that the Agency’s activities in Iran are very limited and that its inspectors must have access to the key nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.

In recent months, and especially after the twelve-day war, a number of officials of the Iranian regime have sharply criticized Grossi; some have called him a “Mossad agent,” and the state-run Kayhan newspaper, which operates under the supervision of a representative of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, even called for his execution on charges of “espionage” for Israel.

On December 13, Grossi described threats by Iranian regime officials against him as “very damaging” and said that unfortunately he remains under security protection, because experts in this field consider these threats to be real and credible.

Eslami: If the facilities have been destroyed, what is the inspection for?

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Iranian regime, continuing to repeat the regime’s previous positions, emphasized blocking the Agency’s inspections at the current stage.

Eslami said: “What kind of visit do they want to make to facilities that, by their own claim, have been destroyed?”

Grossi: Bulk of Iran’s Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpiles Remain Inside Country

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has repeatedly stated that following U.S. attacks on the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites during the twelve-day war, the Iranian regime’s nuclear program has been destroyed.

However, some observers believe that although these attacks caused serious damage, they did not eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program.

On December 18, the Institute for Science and International Security reported, based on satellite imagery, that the Iranian regime is attempting to conceal the remnants of the Natanz site from observers.

In recent days, some reports have indicated the possibility of another Israeli attack on Iran.

NBC News reported on December 20 that Israeli officials believe the Iranian regime is expanding its ballistic missile program and that, as a result, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present options to the U.S. president in his upcoming meeting for Washington to join Israel in a potential attack on Iran.

On December 21, during a visit to Israel, Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican senator, said that if it becomes clear that the Iranian regime is resuming nuclear enrichment and increasing the production of ballistic missiles to threaten Israel and even Europe, Iran must be attacked before these actions materialize.

Earthquake In Tehran Would Be Deadlier Than War

Hoshang Amiri
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Earthquake In Tehran Would Be Deadlier Than War

Ali Nassiri, head of Tehran’s Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, warned about the consequences of a major earthquake in the capital, saying that an earthquake with a magnitude above six could cause human losses far heavier than war.

Nassiri, head of Tehran’s Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, said in an interview on Wednesday, December 24, with ISNA, a state-run news agency, that earthquakes are “the most important and most destructive threat facing Tehran.” He added that an earthquake would be even more devastating for the capital than war, because if a severe earthquake occurs, the scale of human casualties could exceed the total victims of past wars and major disasters.

Rejecting rumors about the “man-made creation of earthquakes,” Nassiri stressed that major earthquakes have no human origin whatsoever and that claims about triggering earthquakes through military or nuclear tests lack any scientific basis.

Four Dead Due to “Multiple Ground Subsidence” in Tehran

He added that such narratives only divert public attention from the main necessity, which is prevention and preparedness.

Media in Iran reported on December 13, citing Tehran emergency officials, that land subsidence had occurred in the Valiasr Township in the south of the capital, attributing it to “sand and gravel extraction and dried-up qanats.”

Jalal Maleki, spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department, said the subsidence covered an area of about 10 meters and had a depth of about one and a half meters, trapping three vehicles that were unable to get out.

Ali Beitollahi, head of the earthquake and hazards department at the Road, Housing, and Urban Development Research Center, also told the agency that the subsidence occurred early Friday morning on December 12, coinciding with the start of rainfall in Tehran, and was a type of “sudden subsidence” (ground collapse).

The destruction of a hospital, the collapse of hope

The head of Tehran’s Disaster Prevention and Management Organization, referring to the condition of hospitals, said that the collapse of a hospital is not merely the destruction of a building, but rather “the collapse of people’s hope.”

According to him, hospitals are symbols of citizens’ psychological security, and damage to them during a crisis, beyond structural destruction, leads to the loss of human capital, including medical staff and patients.

Mehdi Zare, a professor at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, told Khabar Online on December 5: “Excessive pumping of groundwater in the plains of Tehran, Rey, and surrounding areas, and the resulting land subsidence, affects the activation of active faults in the region.”

Zare emphasized: “Over-extraction of groundwater, especially in alluvial plains, leads to the compaction of soil and sediment layers and ultimately to land subsidence.”

Prevention is more cost-effective

Emphasizing that prevention should take precedence over post-disaster response, Nassiri said that in many cases the cost of retrofitting or even fully renovating buildings is lower than the chain of costs imposed after a crisis, from debris removal and emergency sheltering to temporary housing and years-long reconstruction.

Iran Ranks Third Globally in Extent of Land Subsidence

Pointing out that human lives cannot be priced, he said: “Experience has shown that prevention is more cost-effective, both in human and economic terms.”

Nassiri stressed that public budgets and oil revenues no longer have the capacity to bear the heavy burden of widespread safety measures, and that urban management is forced to move toward modern, sustainable, and revenue-generating methods.

Kamran Abdoli, deputy for prevention and fire safety at the Fire Department, said on November 1 that 80,000 unsafe buildings have been identified in Tehran.

He emphasized that inspection system assessments by the Fire Department show that of these, three thousand are low-risk, 50,000 are medium-risk, and about 27,000 are high-risk buildings.

Earlier, in late September, the deputy head of Tehran’s Urban Renewal Organization said that loans for renovating deteriorated urban fabric in Tehran have not been paid for about three years.

Tehran is located among several active faults, including the North Tehran Fault with the potential for a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and the southern Rey and Kahrizak faults with a magnitude capacity of 6.7, a situation that has multiplied concerns over the potential for widespread earthquake damage in the capital.

Hezbollah Turns to Drug Trafficking in Venezuela as Support from Tehran Dries Up

Esmaeil Mohades
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Hezbollah Turns to Drug Trafficking in Venezuela as Support from Tehran Dries Up

The Washington Free Beacon, reported citing informed sources that Hezbollah, following a reduction in support from the Iranian regime, has turned to drug trafficking in Venezuela to finance itself and has expanded its presence in the country.

The outlet wrote, citing informed sources, that following the failures of the Iranian regime and its proxy groups, Hezbollah forces have increasingly traveled to Venezuela and are relying on drug trafficking for revenue more than ever before.

Marshall Billingslea, the former U.S. Treasury Department assistant secretary for terrorist financing, said in October during a hearing of the “International Narcotics Control Committee” in the U.S. Senate that more than 400 Hezbollah field commanders had been ordered to relocate to Latin America, specifically Venezuela. These commanders have joined approximately 11,000 Hezbollah-affiliated operatives who entered Venezuela between 2010 and 2019.

Lebanese FM Says Disarming Hezbollah Depends on Tehran’s Approval

According to the Washington Free Beacon, although this Iranian regime–backed group has benefited from the Venezuelan government’s hospitality for years, the growing focus on drug trafficking shows that Hezbollah is seeking to secure its financial resources outside the Iranian regime.

According to sources familiar with Hezbollah’s presence in Latin America, Iran used to provide more than 700 million dollars annually to Hezbollah, an amount that made up about 70% of the group’s annual budget, but it is now no longer able to adequately finance this proxy force.

Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, reported on Monday, December 21, that Lebanese Hezbollah officials in recent talks with commanders of the IRGC Quds Force demanded an increase in financial assistance from the Iranian regime to about two billion dollars per year. However, Tehran agreed only to pay close to one billion dollars to its main proxy group.

Matthew Leavitt, a former U.S. Treasury Department analyst on terrorist financing and a current senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the Washington Free Beacon that because of the 12-day war, the Trump administration’s sanctions snapback, and energy and water crises that have persisted in Iran for months, the Iranian regime “is reportedly unable to foot the bill for Hezbollah’s reconstruction efforts as it did after Hezbollah’s 2006 war with Israel.”

According to him, Hezbollah has responded to this situation by increasingly relying on the drug trade.

The main focus of Hezbollah’s activity in this field is “black cocaine,” a substance molded into coal-like bricks to prevent detection by security forces.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, revenue from the sale of these drugs finances Hezbollah’s global terrorist operations, while the Venezuelan government also receives a share of the proceeds, helping sustain its own survival.

An estimate by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2016 shows that Hezbollah moves up to 400 million dollars’ worth of cocaine annually through criminal networks in Latin America. According to a report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, this figure has likely increased since the war with Israel.

William Barr, the former attorney general of the United States, also referred to Hezbollah’s role in drug trafficking during a podcast interview on Friday.

Barr added that Venezuela is a strategic enemy and a threat to the United States. He said the country serves as a base for Hezbollah, supports the group, and plays a role in various dealings, from money laundering to other arrangements, to facilitate Hezbollah’s drug trafficking into the United States.

While U.S. officials are speaking about Hezbollah’s role in drug trafficking in Venezuela, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, has also reacted to the recent pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela. In a public speech last week, Khamenei condemned the Trump administration’s seizure of an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.

Over 400 Global Figures Urge Halt to Execution of Iranian Political Prisoner

Hoshang Amiri
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Over 400 Global Figures Urge Halt to Execution of Iranian Political Prisoner

More than 400 prominent women from across the world and a group of United Nations experts, in separate statements, have called for stopping the execution of Zahra Shahbaz Tabari, a 67-year-old political prisoner held in Lakan Prison in the northern city of Rasht. According to reports, she faces execution for holding a banner bearing the slogan “Woman, Resistance, Freedom.”

The statement by more than 400 prominent women worldwide—including Nobel Prize laureates, former heads of government, members of parliaments, UN special rapporteurs, media figures, leading human rights activists, and sports personalities—was published on Tuesday, December 22.

The signatories condemned the death sentence issued against Tabari and stated that it was handed down after a roughly 10-minute-long “show trial”; a trial that, according to them, was conducted remotely via video conference, during which the political prisoner was denied access to her lawyer of choice.

Iranian Political Prisoner Sentenced to Death

They emphasized that the charge attributed to Tabari was announced as “cooperation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran,” while the only evidence cited in her case was her holding a banner with the slogan “Woman, Resistance, Freedom”; a slogan that, according to the statement, has become particularly common among female political prisoners.

In conclusion, the signatories called for Tabari’s immediate release and urged governments around the world to stand alongside the women of Iran in the pursuit of democracy, equality, and freedom.

On November 4, Tabari detailed the death sentence issued against her in a letter and, citing legal provisions, described it as “lacking legal basis and indicative of the absence of a fair trial.”

In part of her letter, she wrote that her sentence was issued on the charge of “baghi” through alleged membership in the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, and that in addition, she was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda against the regime.”

The political prisoner cited the installation of a banner with the slogan “Woman, Resistance, Freedom” and the presence of an audio file on her mobile phone, which she had not sent anywhere, as the evidence in her case.

Warning by United Nations experts

A group of independent United Nations experts also issued a separate statement on Tuesday, December 23, calling for the immediate halt of Tabari’s execution.

The experts stated that Tabari’s case demonstrates “serious and systematic violations” of fair trial guarantees and the unjustified use of the death penalty for vague and ill-defined security charges.

According to the experts, Tabari was arrested during a raid on her home without a judicial warrant, subjected to interrogation in solitary confinement for one month, and pressured to confess.

They emphasized that she did not have access to her chosen lawyer and appeared in court with a court-appointed lawyer.

Among the signatories of the statement are Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Iranian regime; Claudia Flores (Chair), Ivana Krstić (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada-Tanck, Hina Jilani, and Laura Nyirinkindi, members of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls; Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls; and Morris Tidball-Binz, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

The statement noted that there is no “intentional murder” in this case and that due process has been widely violated, warning that carrying out Tabari’s execution would constitute an “arbitrary execution.”

The experts also emphasized that criminalizing women’s activism for gender equality and framing it as “armed rebellion” constitutes a severe form of gender discrimination.

On October 31, Amnesty International also issued a statement calling for the immediate annulment of Tabari’s death sentence and stressed that she was sentenced to death after an “extremely unfair” trial at the Rasht Revolutionary Court.

On October 25, the human rights website HRANA reported that Ahmad Darvish-Goftar, head of Branch One of the Rasht Revolutionary Court, sentenced Tabari to death on the charge of “baghi” through alleged cooperation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.

According to human rights sources, currently about 70 prisoners across the country are facing confirmation or implementation of death sentences on political charges, and more than 100 others with similar accusations are at risk of receiving death sentences.

203 Cases of Femicide Recorded in Iran in Current Year

Jubin Katiraie
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203 Cases of Femicide Recorded in Iran in Current Year

The human rights organization Hengaw, in a report warning about the rise in femicide in Iran, wrote that during the current year (starting from March 21, 2025), 203 cases of femicide were recorded in the country.

The report states: “Due to the anti-women laws of the Iranian regime, as well as patriarchal and so-called honor-based social relations in Iranian society, a significant portion of femicide cases fall into the category of hidden statistics.”

In another report published on November 25, Hengaw wrote that from the beginning of the current Gregorian year until November 25, 2025, at least 176 cases of femicide were recorded in various cities across Iran, with at least 25 cases motivated by so-called honor.

State Cleric Blames ‘Women Not Wearing Hijab’ For Drought in Iran

According to these statistics, Tehran recorded the highest number of femicides with 27 cases, followed by Mazandaran and Kermanshah with 14 cases each, and Razavi Khorasan and West Azerbaijan with 13 cases each.

Additionally, East Azerbaijan recorded 10 cases, Sistan and Baluchestan recorded nine cases, the provinces of Lorestan and Fars each recorded eight cases, and Gilan recorded seven cases, ranking next.

Based on these statistics, at least 11 women were killed for rejecting marriage proposals, nine women for requesting divorce, 10 women were victims of child marriage, and six women were victims of forced marriage, all killed by their husbands.

On November 24, the HRANA news website, affiliated with a human rights news agency focused on Iran, reported on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that during the one-year period from November 23, 2024, to November 20, 2025, at least 110 women were killed in Iran, and the organization recorded 181 reports comprising 320 documented cases of violations of women’s rights in Iran.

In recent years, cases of femicide in Iran have increased, with a significant portion occurring under the label of “honor killings.”

Execution of 1,050 People and Crackdown on 30,000 Women for Not Wearing the Hijab

Mai Sato, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, said in a report on September 26 regarding the human rights situation in Iran that the absence of a comprehensive law against domestic violence has paved the way for increased violence against women.

100th Week Of ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign In 55 Prisons Across Iran

Sia Rajabi
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100th Week Of ‘No To Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign In 55 Prisons Across Iran

The hundredth week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign continues in 55 different prisons across the country with hunger strikes by prisoners. One hundred weeks of hunger strikes in 55 prisons have shown that even in the most confined wards, it is possible to keep hope alive and raise the voice of justice.

Political prisoners participating in this campaign, after nearly two years, continue the campaign steadfastly and with faith in human values.

The full text of the statement for the hundredth week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign is as follows:

Iran’s Regime Carries Out 335 Executions in November, Highest Toll in 37 Years

The expansion of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign in its hundredth week with the joining of the women’s ward of Yazd Prison

One hundred weeks of relentless struggle against the killing machine and the gallows

With congratulations on Yalda Night to all compatriots, to imprisoned members of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign, and to each and every prisoner sentenced to death, and with the hope for the abolition of the death penalty in a free and prosperous Iran.

The “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign, in its hundredth week, despite many ups and downs, acts of courage, and the most painful nights marked by the execution of its comrades and fellow prisoners, continues its path with momentum.

One hundred weeks of no to execution,

One hundred weeks of relentless struggle against the killing machine and the gallows,

One hundred weeks of standing against cruelty and brutality,

One hundred weeks of breaking the aura of the gallows and prison,

One hundred weeks of calls for resistance by prisoners’ families.

One hundred weeks of resistance against a dictatorship that seeks to silence every voice of protest through executions and death squads and to impose itself on society. An illegitimate government that, according to the seventy-second United Nations resolution adopted in the past week, has executed more than 2,000 people in the year 2025 alone so far (meaning more than twice the number in 2024) with the aim of intimidation and repression; this campaign will continue without توقف and will persist until the abolition of the inhuman death penalty.

We learned that simultaneously with the hundredth week of the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign, the women’s ward of Yazd Prison also announced its participation. With greetings and gratitude to these individuals, we hope that other prisons across the country will also join this campaign in the future, and that along this path we will reach a day when the “No to Execution” campaign spreads throughout the country and the groundwork for abolishing the inhuman death penalty is established.

The number of executions between November 22 and December 21 has reached 357 people.

This wave of killing and execution of prisoners reflects the extremely critical condition of a government that, caught in a vortex of incurable political, social, and economic crises that have made even ordinary daily life impossible for the people, has turned to executing prisoners. In a wholly misguided assessment of Iranian society, it seeks to prevent anticipated protests by displaying such savagery and brutality in executing the youth of this land; however, this unbridled brutality has not and will not cure any of the ills of despotism.

Political prisoners participating in the “No To Executions Tuesdays” campaign are on hunger strike in 55 prisons across the country during the hundredth week, on Tuesday, December 23.

Iran’s Regime Conducts Missile Tests at Several Locations

Mehdi Hosseini
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Iran’s Regime Conducts Missile Tests at Several Locations

The state-run Fars News Agency reported that missile tests were conducted on Monday, December 22, at several locations across Iran. This comes as the state-run IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) news agency said the published images are not related to an IRGC missile test.

According to Fars News Agency, citing “field observations and public reports,” reports of missile tests were received from Khorramabad, Mahabad, Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashhad.

Some images published on social media show a white missile trail in the sky over several areas inside Iran.

Iranian Regime FM Spokesperson Calls Missile Program ‘Non-Negotiable’

However, the Iranian regime’s state-run IRIB news agency said the published images are not related to an IRGC missile test and are not accurate.

Quoting “some informed sources,” the outlet stated: “No missile test took place today, and the white trail in the sky is the flight path of an aircraft at high altitude.”

Earlier, Axios reported that Israeli officials had warned the Trump administration over the weekend that recent IRGC missile drills could in fact be “Iran’s preparations for a surprise attack on Israel.”

An Israeli source told the outlet: “The likelihood of an Iranian attack is less than 50%, but no one is willing to take the risk and say this is merely a test.”

At the same time, NBC News reported that Israeli officials believe Iran is developing its ballistic missile program.

Ahmad Vahidi, deputy chief of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, rejected claims of damage to Iran’s missile industry, saying: “Our weapons production has never stopped, not even for a single moment.”

Abolfazl Shekarchi, senior spokesperson for Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, also stated that after the 12-day war, “our powerful missile production lines were not shut down for even a moment.”

Economic Crisis Intensifies Academic Decline in Iran

Esmaeil Mohades
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Economic Crisis Intensifies Academic Decline in Iran

Iran, the state-run newspaper of the Iranian regime, reported that due to cuts in the Ministry of Education’s budget and the decline in people’s incomes, the government and families no longer have the same capacity as before to spend on students’ education.

The newspaper Iran wrote on Monday, December 22, quoting Hadi Mousavi-Nik, head of the Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Policy Group at the Majlis Research Center of the Iranian regime: “Over the past 15 years, government spending on the country’s education system has decreased by 12%, and on the other hand, households no longer have the same ability as before to pay for education.”

Educational Disaster in Iran: 70% of Students Suffering from Learning Poverty

According to Mousavi-Nik’s statistics, during the 2010s the share of children’s education expenses from total household expenditures was about 4%, but this figure has declined to 2% in recent years.

This official from the Majlis Research Center attributed this issue to declining household incomes and added that with the decrease in per capita income, families’ financial ability to pay for educational expenses has weakened.

As a result of the Iranian regime’s ineffective policies in the economic, domestic, and foreign policy spheres over recent decades, runaway inflation has severely affected citizens’ lives, especially low-income groups, and the prices of basic goods have seen an unprecedented surge.

Numerous reports have also highlighted the impact of the economic crisis on citizens’ mental and physical health and its consequences across various sectors, including the education system.

Deterrent factors in Iran’s education system

Continuing his remarks, Mousavi-Nik identified the reduction in household spending on children’s education as one of the reasons for the decline in students’ average grades.

He emphasized: “We have repeatedly observed in society that when economic conditions worsen, deterrent phenomena in students’ education also increase, one of the consequences of which is dropping out of school.”

In September, amid continued warnings about a wave of children dropping out of school in Iran, Alireza Kazemi, the Iranian regime’s minister of education, announced that the number of students who have dropped out nationwide has reached 950,000.

Farshad Ebrahim-Pour, a member of the Majlis Education Committee, also said in October 2024, referring to hidden statistics on children who have dropped out of school, that in the 2024–2025 academic year about two million students were not enrolled, with economic problems being the main reason.

Poverty hinders the progress of future generations

According to reports, Iran’s education crisis is not limited to school dropouts; academic decline has also become a widespread phenomenon, affecting even students who remain within the education system.

In its report, the newspaper Iran wrote that statistics show students’ average grades last year fluctuated between eight and 10, heightening concerns about the decline in education quality and the performance of the country’s education system.

Mousavi-Nik further stressed that household poverty is a major obstacle to the growth and advancement of future generations.

Citing available statistics, he said: “Intergenerational mobility among members of our society has become very weak.”

According to this official from the Majlis Research Center, if a person in Iran is in the first income decile, meaning the weakest economic level, there is a 40% probability that the next generation will also remain in the same decile.

He added that in contrast, in Canada the probability of individuals not improving their social status compared to their family background is only 20%.

Grossi: Bulk of Iran’s Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpiles Remain Inside Country

Jubin Katiraie
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Grossi: Bulk of Iran’s Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpiles Remain Inside Country

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the agency believes that the bulk of the Iranian regime’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles still remain inside Iran.

Grossi said in an interview with the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Monday, December 22: “Undoubtedly, we are facing a serious lack of information regarding Iran’s nuclear program, which from a non-proliferation perspective is a very negative matter.”

According to him, even despite severe damage to the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities in U.S. and Israeli bombings, there is a clear understanding that the bulk of the Iranian regime’s highly enriched uranium is being kept inside Iran.

Grossi Rejects Tehran’s Claim That Nuclear Facilities Are Out of Reach

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency stressed that this issue is of extraordinary importance from a non-proliferation standpoint.

Grossi did not provide details about the status or location of the remaining portion of the Iranian regime’s uranium stockpiles.

It is unclear whether his statement that most of these stockpiles are kept inside Iran implies that another portion may have been transferred out of the country and destroyed in the attacks.

The Iranian regime possesses more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and following U.S. and Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran during the 12-day war, various speculations have been raised about their fate.

Grossi stated on October 19 that the Iranian regime keeps most of its enriched uranium stockpiles at the Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz nuclear facilities, to which agency inspectors do not have access.

He later warned on October 29 that agency inspectors had observed movements around the locations where uranium stockpiles are stored.

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian regime’s foreign minister, said in an interview with the Al Jazeera network on November 3 that the highly enriched uranium stockpiles are buried under the rubble of bombed facilities.

He said that until these stockpiles are pulled out from under the rubble, it is not possible to assess how much has remained intact and how much has been destroyed.

On November 20, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution calling on Tehran to immediately inform the agency about the status of enriched uranium stockpiles and bombed nuclear facilities.

Reza Najafi, the Iranian regime’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said Tehran considers this resolution “unconstructive and political.”

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency had previously warned that if the Iranian regime decides to militarize its nuclear program, the amount of enriched uranium stockpiled in Iran could be sufficient to build about 10 atomic bombs.

Iranian Regime FM Spokesperson Calls Missile Program ‘Non-Negotiable’

Sia Rajabi
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Iranian Regime FM Spokesperson Calls Missile Program ‘Non-Negotiable’

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reacting to reports about a focus on Tehran’s missile program during the upcoming meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the U.S. president and the possibility of another attack on Iran, stated that the regime’s missile capability is “non-negotiable.”

Baghaei said at a press conference on Monday, December 22, that the Iranian regime’s missile program was developed with the aim of “defending national security” and, therefore, is not a subject for “negotiation or bargaining.”

Iran’s Regime Imported 2,000 Tons of Missile Fuel Material from China

He added that these capabilities were formed to prevent “any potential aggression” and are “inviolable.”

Referring to speculation about another attack on Iran, the foreign ministry spokesperson added: “Media hype is part of a hybrid war designed against Iran. Nevertheless, the country’s armed forces, with full readiness, know their duties well.”

On December 21, during a visit to Israel, Lindsey Graham, a Republican U.S. senator, said there was evidence indicating efforts by the Iranian regime to enrich uranium and revive its missile program.

He added that if this is confirmed, Iran should be attacked before it is implemented.

NBC News reported on December 20 that Israeli officials believe the Iranian regime is expanding its ballistic missile program and intend, during the upcoming meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and U.S. President Donald Trump, to present options for Washington to join or assist Israel in a potential attack on Iran.

Axios wrote on December 21 that the Netanyahu government warned the United States about an IRGC missile exercise, describing it as “a cover for preparing” a potential attack on Israel.

Baghaei rules out inspections of bombed facilities

Continuing his remarks, the Iranian regime’s foreign ministry spokesperson rejected reports about Tehran’s role in the killing of Nuno Loureiro, a Jewish nuclear scientist, in the United States, saying: “Criminals assume everyone follows their own creed.”

The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on December 17, 2025, that Israeli officials were examining information about a possible link between Iran’s regime and the killing of this senior nuclear scientist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At the same press conference, Baghaei also addressed the outlook for relations between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency and recent remarks by Rafael Grossi, the agency’s director general, regarding the Iranian regime’s obstruction of inspections of bombed Iranian facilities.

He said: “There is no reason for a crisis to form, because the matter is clear: as long as we are a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and committed to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, we know well how to implement our obligations.”

Grossi said in an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti on December 15 that the agency’s activities in Iran are very limited and inspectors only have access to facilities that have not been targeted by U.S. and Israeli attacks.

He also rejected Tehran’s narrative on December 20 that these sites are “unsafe” and inaccessible.

Baghaei continued that there is no “protocol” regarding how to inspect damaged facilities and that Grossi’s insistence on inspecting the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites shows he is “seeking political exploitation” of the issue.

Criticizing the agency’s stance, he added: “Over a long period, we had the highest number of inspections by the agency, but they did not fulfill their responsibilities and had no reaction against the United States and Israel regarding their actions against Iran’s nuclear facilities.”

On December 8, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian regime’s foreign minister, said that resuming agency inspections is currently not possible because there is “no protocol or guideline” for inspecting facilities he described as “peaceful.”

Grossi had previously confirmed that Tehran still possesses the capacity to build a nuclear weapon.

On May 31, before the war, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated in a confidential report that Iran had carried out clandestine nuclear activities at three locations that have long been under investigation.

The Ynet news website reported on December 19 that before the 12-day war, the Iranian regime had been researching the development of fourth-generation nuclear weapons based on pure fusion.

According to the report, this research concerned a completely new type of nuclear weapon that no country has so far succeeded in producing.

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