International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Head, Rafael Grossi has hinted that the organization will return to inspecting Iran’s nuclear facilities as part of that country’s latest deal with the United States.
The U.S. and Iran agreed to a deal last week that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country while giving each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.
The comment by the International Atomic Energy Agency Head that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, was the firmest yet from the United Nations agency, which is viewed as key in determining the status of Iran’s nuclear stockpile.
Yesterday, the U.S. and Iran offered contradictory remarks about whether those sites would be inspected. Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that UN inspectors were not scheduled to examine nuclear sites bombed by the U.S. last year, rejecting comments made a day before by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Baghaei said that Iran’s dealings with the IAEA would be governed by existing procedures, its safeguards obligations, parliamentary legislation and decisions by the Supreme National Security Council. Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA after US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities in June 2025, and while diplomacy continues under a 60-day framework, Tehran says it has not granted permission for inspectors to return.
Speaking to journalists at a news conference at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Grossi remarked, “I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by both Presidents.”
He said that the accord “says explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with the regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA — in all letters.”
“Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it’s important, but not essential. This is going to happen.”
Rafael Grossi
Those inspections are key for the deal, which calls for Iran’s stockpile of uranium to be “downblended” from highly enriched levels.
Since Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked by Tehran from visiting enrichment sites where the Islamic Republic is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build as many as 10 nuclear weapons, should it choose to rush for the bomb.
Iran long has maintained that its program is peaceful, though it is the only country in the world to have uranium enriched up to 60% purity without a weapons program.
The IAEA has been allowed to visit other nuclear sites in Iran since the 12-day war in 2025, such as the Bushehr nuclear power plant. However, without accessing the enrichment sites, the IAEA says it is unable to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile or check the cascades of centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Both Iran and the IAEA say Tehran hasn’t been enriching uranium, but nonproliferation experts worry that the Islamic Republic may be moving its stockpile to undeclared areas.
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