The International Atomic Energy Agency is preparing to launch inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites imminently, as a fragile understanding between Washington and Tehran carves out a two-month window for verification, the agency’s chief has revealed on Friday.
“We must start acting now”
In an interview with Japan’s NHK television, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that verification activities would proceed, following signals from Tehran that it would grant access to inspectors. He stressed that the clock is already ticking.
“We have to start acting now,” Grossi said, pointing to a 60-day limit embedded in the agreement between the United States and Iran.
Hunt for undeclared uranium stockpiles
Grossi signalled that one of the agency’s most urgent tasks would be pinpointing the location of highly enriched uranium reserves. The challenge has been sharpened by recent military strikes that have damaged some storage facilities.
“Because a number of storage sites were destroyed in the attacks, we need to examine how to carry out the inspections,” he said.
The IAEA chief added that the agency would soon coordinate the practical arrangements and start dates for the inspections with Iranian counterparts. He was unequivocal on one point: no third countries would be brought in to assist the verification effort.
Deal hinged on inspections
The inspection agreement emerged as the cornerstone of renewed diplomacy between the United States and Iran. On June 23, US President Donald Trump said negotiations were advancing well and had yielded a series of understandings. Chief among them, he noted, was Tehran’s consent to nuclear inspections.
Trump said the concession had become the foundation for continuing the dialogue, warning that without it, further engagement would have been impossible.
Road to memorandum
The diplomatic push gained formal shape on June 18, when Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei confirmed that a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States had been finalised and signed.
The first round of talks following the memorandum took place on June 21–22. They had originally been scheduled for June 19 but were delayed after Israeli air strikes targeted positions of the pro-Iranian Shia group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The central agenda focused on halting hostilities in Lebanon and securing access for UN inspectors to Iranian nuclear facilities.
During the meetings, the two sides established specialised working groups to define the parameters of a future final agreement. Qatar’s foreign ministry adviser, Majid al-Ansari, said monitoring teams had been created to oversee implementation of the memorandum and track progress towards a conclusive deal. He confirmed that the negotiating framework includes a 60-day deadline to produce a final document.
