The head of the United Nations' nuclear agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has confirmed that his team will conduct inspections of Iran's nuclear enrichment sites. This announcement forms a key part of the interim deal between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays a vital role in assessing Iran's nuclear inventory, making this announcement significant. Earlier this week, the U.S. and Iran gave conflicting statements about the planned inspections.
Grossi referred to these discrepancies as a “war of words,” emphasizing the existence of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both nations' presidents, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
Grossi stated that the agreement “explicitly” mentions the IAEA's role in supervising all nuclear activities related to Iran's nuclear material facilities. He added, “Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect.”
The IAEA head said inspections will be necessary and are certain to take place, though the exact timing is not critical.
“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,” he said.
US, Iran Clash Over Inspections
Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance confirmed Iran's agreement to allow IAEA inspectors back into the country, terming it a “major milestone” for the American people. This announcement followed negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland.
However, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf denied any new IAEA deal. Iran's Foreign Minister, Esmaeil Baqaei, said there are no plans to allow IAEA inspections of nuclear facilities damaged during the war, and denied that Iranian officials had met with the UN nuclear watchdog's director general.
On Tuesday, Trump fired back on Truth Social and accused Iran of making false statements, asserting that Tehran had already agreed to indefinite inspections. He said the inspections were a key area of progress, citing “Nuclear Honesty,” and warned that negotiations would not continue if Iran had not accepted them.
Inspections Central To Nuclear Deal
The inspections are crucial to the deal, which requires Iran's uranium stockpile to be “downblended” from highly enriched levels.
Since the 2025 Israel-Iran war, Tehran has blocked IAEA access to key uranium enrichment facilities, limiting the agency's ability to verify the status of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and monitor its enrichment equipment.
Although inspectors have been allowed to visit other nuclear sites, such as the Bushehr power plant, the lack of access to enrichment centers has raised concerns among nonproliferation experts that uranium could be relocated to undeclared locations, according to AP News.
