The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which verifies Iran’s uranium stocks nearing weapons-grade levels, has dismissed conflicting signals from Tehran and Washington, stating it expects full monitoring to resume at some point.
“There is a war of words going on here,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, commenting on White House statements about monitoring that Iran has disputed. On Tuesday in Washington, President Donald Trump threatened to halt peace talks if Iran does not permit IAEA inspections at its nuclear facilities. Around the same time, Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that there were no immediate plans for visits by scientists from the UN organization.
These exchanges highlight the challenges faced by American and Iranian negotiators as they seek a permanent peace agreement. Their 60-day period, which can be extended by mutual consent, is set to conclude around mid-August. The main focus of the negotiations, following the signing of a temporary agreement last week, is to implement a moratorium on further uranium enrichment by Iran for at least a decade.
Access to Nuclear Facilities
The IAEA is seeking access to nuclear facilities bombed by the U.S. and Israel in June 2025, where 441 kg (972 pounds) of highly enriched uranium and nearly 8,600 kg of less enriched material were last reported. The U.S., Israel, and several other governments fear Iran could use these stocks to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has consistently denied such intentions but has enriched uranium far beyond what is necessary for fueling nuclear power plants and other civilian uses.
While observers recently visited Iranian facilities that were not damaged during this year’s conflict, such as the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, they were unable to verify the status or location of Iran’s enriched uranium. This prompted the IAEA board to issue a rebuke to Tehran earlier this month. “We will obviously have to conduct an inspection,” Grossi said during a trip to Japan on Wednesday. “It will happen.”
Conditions for Resumption of Inspections
The key question is when this will occur. Before the IAEA can return to the facilities in Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz, where most of Iran’s uranium stocks were last known to be stored, Tehran must submit a report detailing whether any nuclear material was lost or damaged during the U.S. and Israel strikes. This document, known as an Article 68 report, was expected last year, but Iran has yet to provide it. Grossi stated that once the report is submitted, the agency will be able to begin discussing “the modalities, dates, procedures, and locations” for inspections. “Whether it happens the day after tomorrow, in a week, or in 10 days, it is important but not essential,” he added.
According to Tariq Rauf, a former head of the organization’s verification policy section, the highly technical rules of nuclear safeguards allow Iran to commit to the eventual resumption of inspections while denying the IAEA immediate access to the bombed facilities. “Iran is obligated to conduct inspections as long as it is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he said, referring to the agreement aimed at preventing the global spread of nuclear weapons. “But it will take time.”