Rafael Mariano Grossi was speaking during a press conference at the UN Headquarters to mark the latest international review. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
he said Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – agreed to by Iran and its five permanent members security council As well as Germany and the European Union – “Could not form the basis” for a new deal and “we need to look at something different” Because Iran’s nuclear program has changed a lot.
Mr Grossi was also asked about enriched uranium reportedly buried under debris following the recent US-Israeli air strikes in Iran.
iaea Highly enriched nuclear material was being inspected until June 2025, he said, and teams had sealed about 440 kilograms of uranium during their previous visit “so we need to investigate whether that’s the case.”
He emphasized that Until inspectors return, the agency “cannot confirm that this is the case.”
Addressing the NPT meeting, Mr. Grossi called for a renewed commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, warning that “A world with more countries with nuclear weapons will not be a safer world.”
Protesters expressed their opinions about nuclear weapons.
Threat of nuclear test
Meanwhile, at a time when global tensions remain high and multilateralism is under attack, efforts to impose a moratorium on nuclear testing are vital, the head of the monitoring organization said. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Told the journalists.
“We see multilateralism under enormous pressure, various elements of treaties vital to international security are under pressure…Rhetoric regarding threats of nuclear testing, a return to testing, and even concerns about the potential use” Executive Secretary Robert Floyd said.
“That is why the work of organizations like the CTBTO is so important to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their further development.”
near universal support
test-ban treaty bans all nuclear explosions On the planet – whether above ground, underwater, or underground.
The CTBT opened for signature 30 years ago this year and has been “almost closed when it comes to nuclear weapons testing”, as less than a dozen tests have taken place since then.
Mr. 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’s a powerful norm against testing.”
not yet implemented
Although 187 states have signed the treaty, 178 states have ratified it, but it has not yet entered into force as it requires ratification by the nine major countries with nuclear technology – China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States.
Mr Floyd was later asked whether there was any movement in this regard.
“I think it’s fair to say that we need to look at a way that enables the United States, the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. Address the Treaty and its Ratification Together,” He said.
“I think it’s absolutely unlikely that any of them will move forward on this without moving forward together with others. And it’s certainly something I would encourage all of those states to consider, and it would certainly be a powerful step forward.”
verification system
On monitoring, he said the verification system is already more than 90 percent established and 307 facilities are in place and operational around the world.
“All six of North Korea’s tests were detected, even the very first one, which was quite small,” he said.
The verification system will allow the CTBTO to detect nuclear explosions of 500 tons of TNT or more – or about two to three percent of the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II.
This “would be a powerful benefit to all of humanity, because any state that thinks about developing a nuclear weapon would be required to conduct a test – and if they do, it would be known to all.”
combating disinformation
Mr Floyd also highlighted another aspect of his organisation’s work – addressing disinformation about seismic events, such as the one in relation to Iran in late 2024.
“Social media became very excited because people were claiming those seismic events to be nuclear testing,” he said. “But Analysis by my colleagues showed that those events were completely consistent with natural seismic events – Earthquake – in northern Iran.”
there is more work ahead
Mr. Floyd concluded his briefing by reflecting on the past three decades.
“Much has been achieved, much has been contributed to international peace and security, but there is still much we need to achieve,” he said.
