The IAEA said excavation work commenced in March near Adit 3 at a nuclear test site close to the settlement of Punggye-ri to reopen the test tunnel after its partial demolition in May 2018. Excavation work at Adit 3 was possibly completed by May, it said.

The IAEA said the reopening of the nuclear test site is a cause for serious concern and is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called on North Korea to fulfill its responsibilities under UN Security Council resolutions, and cooperate with the IAEA to resolve issues, especially those that have arisen since the IAEA inspectors left Pyongyang in 2009.

According to the IAEA, Iran has continued to enrich uranium above the limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal, with uranium reserves 19 times higher than the limit set in the agreement. As of August 21, the amount of uranium that Iran has stored is estimated to be 3,940 kg, and the amount of uranium enriched to 60% has increased to 55.6 kg. Grossi said he is also concerned about Iran's failure to coordinate with the IAEA on remaining issues, stalling progress on the new resolution.