Agreement perchance paves mode for resumed practice aft Israel-Iran struggle sparked rift betwixt Tehran and UN.
Published On 10 Sep 2025
The United Nations atomic watchdog and Iran person offered seemingly contradictory statements regarding a woody to resume practice connected Tehran’s atomic programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said connected Wednesday that it had secured a woody offering it entree to each of Iran’s atomic facilities. However, soon afterwards, Tehran insisted that the statement does not warrant inspections.
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The deal, announced connected Tuesday, was seen arsenic capping months of tension. Iran suspended practice with the IAEA aft attacks by Israel and the United States connected its atomic facilities successful June.
Speaking to the IAEA Board of Governors connected Wednesday, Director General Rafael Grossi provided details of the statement announced a time earlier, saying it includes “all facilities and installations successful Iran” and “contemplates the required reporting connected each the attacked facilities, including the atomic worldly present”.
“Iran and the bureau volition present resume practice successful a respective and broad way,” helium added, contempt “the method nature” of the document’s contents.
However, soon afterwards, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the woody does not warrant inspectors entree to Iranian atomic sites and Tehran wants further talks connected however inspections are to beryllium carried out.
“I person to reiterate the statement does not presently supply entree to IAEA inspectors, isolated from the Bushehr atomic plant,” Araghchi told authorities TV successful an interview.
“Based connected reports that Iran volition contented successful the future, the quality of entree volition person to beryllium discussed astatine an due time,” helium added.
Access would necessitate the support of the Supreme National Security Council. During its astir caller inspection, the IAEA was not fixed entree to cardinal sites that were struck by Israel and the US.
While Iran’s uranium enrichment sites were severely damaged oregon destroyed by the strikes, it is unclear what happened to the country’s stockpile, which includes uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, a abbreviated measurement from the astir 90 percent required for weapons-grade.
European powers person threatened to reimpose planetary sanctions against Iran that were lifted nether a 2015 atomic deal.
Warming relations
Nevertheless, Tuesday’s statement marked a warming of IAEA-Iran relations aft a protracted back-and-forth.
After the Israeli and US strikes successful a 12-day war that killed much than 600 radical – among them apical scientists and subject unit – and injured thousands, relations broke down.
Angered that the IAEA did not condemn the attacks and accusing the bureau of “double standards”, President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a instrumentality successful aboriginal July suspending each practice with the watchdog and prompting inspectors to permission the country.
For its part, the IAEA has described its inability to verify Iran’s atomic stockpile since the commencement of the warfare “a substance of superior concern”.
Although Araghchi said the statement addresses Iran’s concerns, helium had warned connected Tuesday that Tehran was prepared to terminate the statement if “any hostile act” took spot against Iran.
“The connection is clear: Iran volition ne'er compromise connected its sovereignty, rights oregon security. At the aforesaid time, Iran is demonstrating restraint and work by reaching an statement with the bureau to let continued cooperation,” Araghchi said.
Tehran has stressed that the woody would beryllium scrapped should planetary sanctions beryllium reimposed.