IAEA Chief: Inspectors Will Visit Iran Nuclear Sites Under War Deal

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that inspectors would visit Iran's enrichment facilities as part of the interim ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran — but Tehran quickly pushed back, insisting no such visits would happen before a final deal is signed.

Grossi's Position

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi made his firmest public statement yet on the matter, citing a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both presidents. "The MOU says explicitly that the nuclear activities carried out with regards to nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA — in all letters," Grossi told reporters. He acknowledged contradictory signals from the parties but said his reading of the document was unambiguous.

Iran's Rebuttal

An Iranian diplomat promptly rejected the IAEA's interpretation. Tehran's position is that IAEA inspections at enrichment sites can only be agreed upon as part of a broader, final settlement — not the current interim arrangement. The dispute has introduced a new layer of uncertainty into the fragile ceasefire framework.

Background: Blocked Inspections

Since Israel launched a military campaign against Iran in 2025, Tehran blocked IAEA inspectors from its key enrichment sites, where it is believed to have accumulated enough highly enriched uranium for as many as ten nuclear weapons. The US-Iran deal, agreed the previous week, calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile, lifts some US-backed sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and gives both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive final agreement.

High Stakes Diplomacy

The standoff over IAEA access is now one of the central fault lines in nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. Without verifiable inspections, Western governments say they cannot trust that Iran is complying with enrichment limits. Iran, meanwhile, frames the inspections as a matter to be resolved only at the final stage of negotiations.