Overview
- Rafael Grossi said rising instability has revived talk of “friendly proliferation” in Poland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan, with as many as 20 countries potentially seeking nuclear weapons.
- He warned that a crack in the non-proliferation system could trigger a domino effect that leaves the world in a very fragile position.
- Grossi said any US–Iran agreement without IAEA access and detailed checks would be an illusion because only the agency can certify what Tehran is doing.
- The IAEA reports Iran holds 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to about 60 percent, which Grossi says could support up to 10 nuclear devices if turned into weapons.
- He also pointed to China’s steady nuclear build-up and North Korea’s ambitious missile program as added pressures straining the global non-proliferation regime.