US says Iran agreed to allow IAEA inspectors in; Iran denies it a day later

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. [AFP]
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. [AFP]

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency intends to resume inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, amid conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran over verification following their ceasefire agreement.

Grossi, who visited Japan on Tuesday to inspect the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, told NHK in an interview that day that the agency must move without delay. "The US-Iran agreement sets a 60-day framework, so we must proceed without wasting time," he said.

He added that he plans to consult with Iranian officials soon to work out the modalities of the inspections.

The United States and Iran earlier signed a memorandum of understanding on a ceasefire agreement. On Sunday (local time), US Vice President JD Vance, the lead American negotiator, said Iran had agreed to allow IAEA inspection teams to enter the country.

Iran denied this. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the following day that whether inspections would resume at facilities where IAEA access had been suspended "due to the criminal military attacks by the US and the Zionist regime will be determined by the course of future negotiations and their outcomes."

With the two sides at odds, Grossi signaled that the agency intends to press ahead with inspection preparations before the agreement's deadline.

He identified confirming the whereabouts of highly enriched uranium as the top priority. "We have a general idea of the locations, but it is important that Iran provide the IAEA with the specific whereabouts," Grossi said.

He added that some storage facilities had been destroyed in the attacks, making it necessary to assess how inspections could be carried out, and said information from Iran was essential.

On the question of who may observe the inspections, Grossi stressed the IAEA's independence. "The IAEA is an independent organization and conducts inspections on its own," he said. "We do not envisage receiving support or oversight from a third country."

However, he added that "it is a separate matter if Iran chooses to invite the United States or other observers."

The IAEA has been unable to conduct on-site inspections since the United States and Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities last June. On June 10, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a US-sponsored resolution urging Iran to declare its enriched uranium stockpiles and allow inspectors to verify them.


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