IAEA expects to begin inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities soon
Quick Look
- The IAEA expects to begin inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities in the near future, following a US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
- Director General Rafael Grossi stated the need to verify enriched uranium stockpiles, while Iran's Foreign Ministry denied discussing new inspections.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, with subsequent talks held in Switzerland on June 21. The IAEA expects to supervise the nuclear part of this memorandum.
TOKYO, June 26. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expects that it will be able to begin conducting inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities in the near future as part of the agreements reached between the US and Iran, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has stated.
"What is undeniable is that we have an MoU. This MoU specifically indicates that the nuclear part of the memorandum will be supervised – this work will be supervised by the IAEA. In order to supervise, we need to inspect. There is no other way. So the technical work has started. And we hope to be there soon," he told journalists at the Japan National Press Club.
Speaking about the territorial location of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the IAEA chief noted that, most likely, "it is where it was back in June 2025."
"that is widespread, the impression or idea that it is where it was back in June 2025. So most of it is in Fordow, but also some of it is in Natanz and some of it in Fordow. So this is the impression, but of course, to confirm all that, the first thing that needs to happen is that we have access to the material and to make sure that – even last time we were there, in June 2025 – we had measured, we had weighed, and we have sealed all this material," he explained, recalling that during the last visit in June 2025, IAEA specialists "measured, weighed, and sealed all this material." "So before anything starts, we have to go back, check whether our seals are there, whether there is any missing material. That is, I would say, the first thing before anything else," the IAEA head emphasized.
On June 17, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. On June 21, the US and Iran held talks in Switzerland’s Burgenstock, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators, to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. Subsequently, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Tehran had not discussed new inspections at its nuclear facilities with the IAEA in Burgenstock.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
IAEA will begin conducting inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will Iran grant IAEA access to nuclear facilities soon?
- What will IAEA inspections reveal about enriched uranium stockpiles?
- How will the US and Iran resolve the differing statements on new inspections?
