The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has reported that Iran is failing to meet its safeguards obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, with inspectors denied access to declared nuclear materials and facilities. The disclosure came as Tehran issued fresh threats against US energy assets and warned South Korea against joining Gulf maritime operations.
Speaking to the agency's Board of Governors, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran had provided no information on its declared nuclear materials and that on-site verification was not possible. He called for constructive engagement to restore full oversight, but his appeal was met with defiance from Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei dismissed the IAEA reports as instruments of Western political pressure and warned that Tehran would take countermeasures if the nuclear file were referred back to the UN Security Council. He attributed the restrictions on inspectors to US and Israeli strikes on Iranian enrichment infrastructure.
Grossi also cautioned against Western efforts to revive UN Security Council oversight, arguing that such a move would implicitly validate the position of Iran, China, and Russia that the snapback sanctions mechanism is illegal. "It is a mistake to test what has already been tested," he said.
Hormuz corridor and exclusion zone
Baghaei said bilateral talks with Oman on a temporary safe transit corridor in the Strait of Hormuz were near completion and would likely be registered with the International Maritime Organisation within days. "We can now say that talks between Iran and Oman have reached their final stage," he said.
However, the IRGC Navy's political deputy, identified as Mohammadi, said safe passage through the US-designated southern corridor was practically impossible. "Any vessel entering this corridor will no longer be safe from strikes once it reaches the area of Khasab, Oman," he said, adding that the IRGC maintained continuous intelligence and operational monitoring of vessel movements across the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, announced the establishment of an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz, extending from the US naval blockade line into the Persian Gulf. "Any ship entering this area without Iran's permission and coordination will have its details — along with the names of its owner and charterer — registered and placed on Iran's sanctions list," he said.
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf separately warned on social media that US oil and gas assets across regional waters were exposed to retaliatory strikes. The threats come amid heightened tensions, with Iranian forces recently striking a US naval drone near the strait.
Warning to South Korea
Baghaei warned South Korea that any military presence in Gulf operations would be treated as direct support for US aggression. He framed the warning in diplomatic terms, noting that Iran-South Korea relations spanned more than 64 years and were based on mutual respect. "The military presence of any other country or its participation in operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz will be regarded as direct support for the perpetrators of this aggression and will have serious consequences," he said.
South Korea's foreign ministry said Seoul was in close contact with the international community over the situation in the Middle East and was working to help restore stability and ensure free passage through the strait for all vessels, including its own.
The escalating rhetoric and actions around the Strait of Hormuz have significant implications for global energy security and maritime trade. European nations, which rely heavily on Gulf oil and gas, are watching closely. The EU has previously called for de-escalation, but with Iran's nuclear program and regional posture increasingly confrontational, the risk of miscalculation remains high.
As the IAEA board considers its next steps, the standoff over inspections and the parallel threats to shipping lanes underscore the fragility of the region's security architecture. For European policymakers, the crisis is a reminder of the interconnectedness of nuclear non-proliferation and maritime stability, and the need for a coordinated response that goes beyond sanctions and military posturing.
