'Intentions are not enough...': UN nuclear chief says Iran's nuclear commitment needs 'very strong verification'

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday that Iran’s pledge not to develop a nuclear weapon would require “very strong” verification as Tehran and Washington negotiate a long-term deal aimed at ending their conflict, AFP reported.

Iran’s nuclear program remains central to talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, which began in late February after large-scale attacks by the US and Israel.

Last week, Iran and the United States signed a tentative agreement to end the conflict and began negotiations to resolve several contentious issues, with Tehran’s nuclear program among the key issues.

However, there have been conflicting reports from Tehran and Washington about whether UN inspectors will have access to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

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“I think the goal of this agreement is to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. The Iranian government has made it very clear that this is not its intention,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday.

“But of course intentions are not enough. We need to have a very strong verification system in place… as soon as possible,” he added.

Grossi said the UN nuclear watchdog has so far “barely started” talks with Iran following the deal with the United States.

According to the agreement, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is to be diluted or “reduced” under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Before the conflict, the IAEA estimated that Iran possessed about 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, less than the level needed for a nuclear weapon. However, the current status of these stockpiles remains unclear following last year’s US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

In Tehran, meanwhile, people told AFP that despite the diplomatic progress, there had so far been no tangible benefits in daily life.

“Overall, nothing has improved,” said Amir, 28, a civil servant. “Life just got harder.

Mehdi, 35, a content creator, said that “until such changes are felt in people’s daily lives, it is only natural that hope remains accompanied by doubt and that anticipation is replaced by exhaustion and anxiety,” AFP reported.

‘it will happen’

Iran’s nuclear program has long been a source of friction with Western powers, which suspect Tehran of building a bomb despite repeated Iranian denials.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Tehran had “fully and completely agreed” to allow UN inspectors back into the country, while on Wednesday Grossi said that “inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities will take place”.

Read also | How is Trump straining relations with allies amid Iran war?

But Iran said this week it had no intention of admitting the watchdog.

Tehran agreed to a landmark nuclear deal with six major powers in 2015 that curbed its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but Trump withdrew from the deal during his first term as president.

Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA last year after the June attacks by the US and Israel.

Obstacles ahead

The row threatens to undermine efforts to secure a lasting deal between the United States and Iran after months of conflict. In addition to Tehran’s nuclear program, the talks also focus on issues including the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world’s most important routes for global energy supplies.

During the conflict, Iran closed the strait in response to US and Israeli strikes, making control of the strategic waterway a major point of contention in ongoing negotiations as global markets continue to grapple with concerns about energy supplies.

On Wednesday, an attack on a ship in the strait led the United Nations to suspend efforts to evacuate the trapped sailors, many of whom have been stranded on the water since the war began.

Britain’s maritime safety agency UKMTO said the cargo ship was “hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile”, but reported no casualties.

Iran has also said it plans to introduce tolls for crossing the strait, a system vehemently opposed by Washington and most Gulf states.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited the Gulf on Wednesday, dismissed the idea of indictment, saying it would open the door to “total chaos.”

Rubio said the United States wants a deal with Iran, but “we don’t want a deal at any price.”

Read also | As war with US eases, Iran steps up hanging of dissidents

Tehran has also insisted that the Lebanese ceasefire be included in the regional deal, pushing Israel forward.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Israel had “no option but to completely withdraw from every centimeter of our Lebanese land”, which it invaded after the pro-Iranian group joined the conflict in retaliation for the US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme leader.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who tried to disassociate Lebanon from the US-Iranian talks.

On Friday, he insisted on Lebanon’s eagerness for “any international model that will strengthen the capabilities of its armed forces, preserve its territorial integrity and prevent its country from becoming an arena for escalation or regional tensions,” AFP reported.

(With input from agencies)