The 180-plus members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are meeting this month in Vienna amidst an ongoing financial crisis. In June, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported that if significant payments were not received soon, the agency would not be able to meet its legal obligations. The cause? The failure of the wealthiest members to pay their assessed dues on time. The United States and China account for 45 percent of the IAEA’s annual budget — roughly $250 million. Both have increasingly failed to make timely payments. At risk are services vital to international peace and security. IAEA is best known for its nuclear safeguards system, underpinning the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The key is on-site verification inspections and assessments of some 180 countries to confirm they are keeping their commitments not to acquire nuclear weapons. Some 800 highly trained IAEA inspectors conduct almost 3000 in-field verification activities each year. A major focus of their attention has been Iran’s nuclear activities. The bombing of Iran’s facilities in June 2025