Iran's enriched nuclear material 'under rubble', Foreign Minister Araghchi says

Authorities in Tehran are assessing whether it can be reached, after damage caused by war with Israel

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says 'no action will be taken until Iran carries out the necessary measures related to environmental and safety concerns'. AP

Iran's enriched nuclear material is "under the rubble" of sites damaged in the 12-day war with Israel and authorities are assessing whether it can be reached, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

In an interview with state TV on Thursday, he insisted that a new framework agreed to by Tehran and the UN's nuclear watchdog will only grant access to inspectors after approval by Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

"All of our material is ... under the rubble of the bombed facilities," he said. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was assessing the condition of the stockpile, he added.

Iran and the IAEA agreed to a new co-operation framework on Tuesday. Tehran suspended ties with the agency after the war with Israel in June, during which Iranian nuclear sites were hit by Israeli and US strikes.

Mr Araghchi said the agreement distinguished between nuclear sites attacked during the war and others that were unharmed, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the south of the country.

Access to undamaged sites will be "considered on a case by case basis by the Supreme National Security Council", but the situation for the targeted facilities was more "complicated", he said.

"For now, no action will be taken until Iran carries out the necessary measures related to environmental and safety concerns," he added, referring to the damaged sites.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi. His agency has agreed on a new co-operation framework with Iran. Getty Images

"No inspections are currently on the agenda," he added.

On Wednesday, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said the agreement includes "all facilities and installations in Iran" and "provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspections". He had said in late June that the location of Iran's enriched material was unknown after the war with Israel.

The agency said in a report that Iran held an estimated 440.9kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent as of June 13, when the conflict began. Uranium enriched to up to 90 per cent can be used for weapons.

Western countries have accused Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon – a charge Tehran has consistently denied. Instead, it maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Mr Araghchi also said a deal to exchange French prisoners in Iran for an Iranian woman held in France was nearly concluded. The proposed swap involves Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman arrested in France in February on charges of promoting terrorism through social media.

"We have carried out a great deal of activity and I can now say that we have reached the point where the exchange of the French prisoners in Iran is now approaching its final stages," Mr Araghchi said, without elaborating.

Iran has repeatedly called for the release of Ms Esfandiari, arguing that she has been unjustly detained.

France has said it will lodge a complaint against Tehran at the International Court of Justice over the detention of two French citizens – Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris. Ms Kohler, 40, and Mr Paris, in his 70s, were arrested in May 2022 and charged with spying for Israel. Their families have described their situation as increasingly desperate.

The pair are among about 20 Europeans currently detained in Iran, including a French-German teenager, Lennart Monterlos, who was aiming to cycle from Europe to Asia, but disappeared in Iran in June.