IAEA to Inspect Iranian Enrichment Sites Under Interim Deal

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency said Wednesday that inspectors will visit Iranian nuclear enrichment sites under the interim U.S.-Iran deal signed last week. Rafael Mariano Grossi told reporters at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that the memorandum of understanding signed by both presidents states the IAEA will supervise nuclear activities at the facilities.

He said inspections are "going to happen," though the exact timing remains flexible.

An Iranian deputy foreign minister wrote on X that the issues will be reviewed only within the framework of a final agreement and after the other side ends all sanctions. He said Tehran did not meet with the agency head during recent talks in Switzerland. The two sides offered contradictory public statements Tuesday about whether the enrichment sites would be inspected before a final deal.

Background Since Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked from visiting enrichment sites believed to hold enough highly enriched uranium for up to 10 nuclear weapons. The agency has visited other sites such as the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The interim deal calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium and for the U.S. to waive sanctions on Iranian oil. Both sides have 60 days to negotiate broader agreements. Technical-level talks are scheduled to resume early next week at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Pakistan has served as a mediator. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a three-nation tour in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, holding closed-door meetings in Abu Dhabi before traveling to Kuwait, where the U.S. Embassy reopened after a three-month closure.