IAEA rebuts Trump’s justification for war: “No sign Iran is restoring nuclear facilities”

[Financial News] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that it had found no signs Iran was trying to restore or rebuild the nuclear facilities destroyed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in June last year.
On the 27th, local time, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said at a Security Council meeting on Iran and nonproliferation, “Since June 2025, we have not identified any activity to repair or rebuild facilities damaged in military attacks in 2025 and 2026.” This runs counter to U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that “military action was unavoidable to stop Iran’s nuclear development” and is consistent with an assessment by former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard submitted to the U.S. Congress last February.
Grossi also said, “There are significant constraints on verifying Iran’s nuclear activities because Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors access to key nuclear facilities.” He urged Iran to cooperate so the IAEA can obtain the information and access to facilities it needs.
It is the first time in 20 years that Iran’s nuclear issue has been referred to the Security Council under an IAEA resolution. At the Security Council meeting that day, positions were sharply divided, with the West on one side and China and Russia on the other.
The U.S. representative criticized Iran’s continued failure to meet its nuclear obligations, and urged, “All countries that value the credibility of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) regime should take this seriously.”
However, China countered, “The United States’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018 and its unilateral pressure policy were major causes of the worsening of the current situation.” Russia likewise argued that the procedural basis for discussing Iran’s nuclear program at the Security Council had disappeared, because Security Council Resolution 2231, which backed the 2015 JCPOA, expired on October 18, 2025.
[email protected] Hong Chae-wan Reporter