IAEA Chief Says Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Will Be Inspected, Tehran Blocks Access Until Final Deal | Today’s news
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that inspectors will eventually gain access to Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, a critical part of an interim deal struck between the United States and Iran after last year’s conflict.
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, at a press conference at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, expressed confidence that inspections will continue.
“I can understand political statements, they are part of reality,” Grossi said. “But the basic thing that I would like to remind you and bring to your attention is that there is a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by both presidents.
He emphasized that the agreement explicitly requires international oversight of Iran’s nuclear activities.
“The agreement specifically says that nuclear activities that will be carried out with respect to nuclear material facilities will be under the supervision of the IAEA – in all letters,” Grossi said.
Tehran refuses immediate access
Iran quickly disputed Grossi’s claims, highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding the implementation of the deal.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said any discussion of inspections at uranium enrichment facilities would only occur as part of a final, comprehensive deal.
“These matters will be reviewed and decided only within the framework of the final agreement and as a result of practical steps taken by the other side to end all sanctions and other measures,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.
He also criticized what he described as external pressure on Tehran.
“You can’t enforce a ‘blow up and take over’ policy with media hype,” he added.
Prompt for key verification
The dispute centers on Iran’s enrichment facilities, which have remained inaccessible to IAEA inspectors since the 2025 Israel-Iran 12-Day War.
The agency continues to monitor some nuclear facilities, including the Búšehr nuclear power plant. However, the inspectors were unable to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium or examine the cascades of centrifuges used in the enrichment process.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and says that enrichment has not continued since the conflict. However, international non-proliferation experts remain concerned that nuclear materials could be moved to undeclared locations without independent verification.
Grossi emphasized that inspections are inevitable under the agreement.
“Obviously we’re going to have to do a review on that,” he said. “Whether it happens the day after tomorrow, in a week or in 10 days, it’s important, but not essential. It’s going to happen.”
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Uranium stocks at the heart of the deal
A central provision of the US-Iran interim deal requires Tehran to reduce the level of enrichment of its uranium stockpile through a process known as downblending.
In exchange, Washington agreed to ease sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector while the two sides work on a broader deal within a 60-day negotiating window.
The arrangement is widely seen as a temporary confidence-building measure to prevent a re-escalation after the conflict in 2025.
A new round of negotiations is expected
Diplomatic efforts are continuing, with talks at the technical level expected to resume next week in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday for a three-nation tour aimed at consultations with regional partners. His itinerary includes meetings in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, where Washington is trying to consolidate support for the emerging deal.
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