By Sanaa Alvira. In June 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors found Iran to be in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations for the first time in nearly two decades. This finding seemed to mark the beginning of a serious escalation in a long-simmering conflict regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and culminated in military airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States soon after. Iran responded with its own attacks: not just militarily on Israel and a US base in Qatar, but also politically on the IAEA itself, accusing the Director General of “partiality and passivity over Israeli attacks over the country” and the Agency’s “double standards.”

By Philipp Fischer. Nuclear verification is a critical component of global security, ensuring compliance with international treaties and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. However, verification efforts are facing growing challenges due to technological advances and geopolitical tensions. [...] Open-source intelligence (OSINT), based on publicly available data, offers a powerful complement to traditional verification methods by increasing transparency and improving detection capabilities. This type of “societal verification” can involve actors beyond governments and international institutions by making use of digital technologies and publicly available information.

By Leonardo Bandarra. “New Perspectives on Nuclear Verification” is a blog series designed to bring the next generation of ideas and voices into this debate. We believe that early career researchers (that is, postgraduate researchers, and advanced students) as well as young professionals are uniquely positioned to rethink established assumptions and connect insights across disciplines and regions. Their work captures shifts in technology, society, and international politics at an early stage, offering novel approaches that established debates might overlook. We invite you to follow the series, comment, and share it widely, and, if you are an early career researcher or young professional, to add your own perspective.