The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday (14) that it estimates that nuclear energy capacity could more than triple by 2060, amid rising electricity demand and energy security concerns with the AI boom. In a post on X, the UN agency said that small modular reactors are poised to become a significant new source of clean energy, given the growing need to offset reactors being shut down.
In parallel, the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that there has been “historic progress” with Syria to clarify and resolve outstanding issues related to nuclear activities, but that, in Iran, the supervision of the nuclear program has deteriorated in 2026.
“Except for one inspection at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in June, we have not carried out field verification activities in Iran for more than six months. The lack of information about previously declared nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of serious concern and needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency,” Grossi wrote on X after the IAEA’s 70th General Conference in Vienna.
According to him, a return to diplomacy and negotiations — aiming at finding a solution to Tehran’s nuclear issues — is imperative, and the agency is ready to support such efforts, as the situation of the Iranian nuclear program has implications for the global nonproliferation regime.
The Director General also commented that North Korea continues its nuclear weapons program, in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, serving as a “reminder of the consequences of crossing red lines.”
