IAEA chief: Nuclear inspectors will go to Iran under preliminary agreement with the US

Nuclear inspectors will visit Iran under a preliminary understanding between Tehran and Washington, Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced, stressing that the technical aspects of this process are currently being worked out.

Speaking to reporters in Japan, Grossi said: “The inspections will indeed take place,” explaining that the agency is determining the “dates, procedures and locations” where the checks will be carried out.

He also said that the agreement signed last week stipulates that the dilution of Iran’s enriched uranium will be carried out under IAEA supervision.

However, the Iranian side has challenged the way this agreement is being interpreted, emphasizing that access to damaged nuclear facilities and sensitive materials will be determined only in a final agreement with the United States.

These statements come amid diplomatic tensions over the issue of inspections. On the one hand, US officials have said that Iran has agreed to the return of IAEA inspectors, while on the other hand Tehran has denied that there is a detailed agreement on access to nuclear facilities.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to inspections, but Iranian authorities rejected this claim, saying that no such comprehensive understanding exists.

Grossi stressed that, despite the political disagreements, the inspections will be carried out in cooperation with the Iranian government. According to him, determining the exact timing of the visits remains a technical matter and not an essential one.

Meanwhile, the agreement between the US and Iran is part of a broader negotiation process, which also includes issues related to regional security and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.