IAEA chief says Iran nuclear inspections will happen soon, Tehran disagrees

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that inspectors will visit Iranian nuclear sites under the interim understanding struck between Washington and Tehran, even as Iranian officials pushed back and said any such access depends on a final deal.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the remarks in Japan, where he said the agency was already working on the practical terms of the inspections.

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Grossi insists inspections will proceed

“The inspections will indeed take place,” Grossi told reporters, adding that the IAEA would work out “the modalities — dates, procedures, places — very soon.” He said the accord signed last week set out broad principles and that nuclear activities involving material and facilities would be supervised by the agency.

Grossi also said, “This is going to happen,” underscoring that the inspections were not optional under the deal’s framework.

Iran pushes back on access timeline

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, offered a different reading. Reuters relayed he said there were no current plans to grant access to attacked nuclear facilities or nuclear material and that such questions would only be addressed in the context of a final agreement and after practical steps to lift US sanctions.

Via X, he said, “These issues will be reviewed and decided only within the framework of a final agreement and as a result of practical action by the other side to end all sanctions and other measures.”

A deal signed, details unresolved

The dispute comes just days after the US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding and agreed to a 60-day period to work out the more sensitive details of the deal in private. The interim accord followed a recent peace arrangement and was meant to clear the way for talks on the broader issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. Both sides have continued to negotiate publicly, even as the arrangement remains fragile.

The nuclear file remains the central issue. The IAEA estimates Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity before Israel launched its first attack last year and said that if further enriched, the stockpile would be enough for 10 nuclear weapons by an IAEA yardstick.

Grossi has also said the agency believes more than 200 kg of that material may be stored in a tunnel complex in Isfahan, central Iran, which was attacked but does not appear to have been badly damaged. Iran has not told the IAEA how much enriched uranium survived the strikes or where it is now located.

Access remains the sticking point

The IAEA has been blocked from visiting Iran’s most sensitive enrichment sites since the fighting that began after Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025.

The agency has been able to inspect other facilities, but its access to the most important locations has remained suspended since the attacks. The public disagreement is unfolding alongside wider regional tensions, including renewed fighting in Lebanon that could complicate the diplomacy.

The latest exchange leaves the two sides publicly aligned on the existence of a deal, but still at odds over what it will mean in practice.

Grossi insisted the inspections are part of the agreement and will proceed; Iranian officials said no such step will happen before a final settlement is reached. The next phase will be the talks that determine whether that gap can be closed.

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FAQs

Q1: Will IAEA inspectors be allowed to visit Iran's nuclear sites?

Ans: IAEA chief Rafael Grossi says inspections will take place soon under the interim agreement, though Iran says access depends on a final deal.

Q2: Why are inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities important?

Ans: The inspections are intended to verify Iran's nuclear activities and account for its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.