The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran have reached an agreement allowing UN inspectors to return to all Iranian nuclear sites, including those bombed by Israel and the US in June. The deal was announced by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi after a three-hour meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo on Monday.
Grossi described the agreement as 'an important step in the right direction,' but noted that its full contents would not be published. The deal is a condition set by European leaders to defer plans to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran. However, Araghchi stressed that no date has been set for the inspectors' return, and it depends on no hostile action against Iran, including the reimposition of sanctions.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas highlighted the lack of a timetable, stating the deal 'could be a decisive step for nuclear diplomacy if implemented quickly by Iran.' Inside Iran, some legislators demanded access to the agreement, but parliament is in recess for three weeks.
Araghchi said the agreement explicitly accepts Iran's parliamentary law, which bans the return of inspectors without guarantees for the safety of nuclear sites from further attacks. Grossi acknowledged the difficulty of reaching a deal given this law, but said the technical document grants access to all facilities and requires reporting on attacked sites, including Iran's 440kg stockpile of 60% enriched uranium.
Grossi admitted implementation challenges remain, but expressed hope the deal shows dialogue is possible. Iran fears the IAEA might share information with Israel or the US, potentially leading to further attacks. There has been no independent assessment of damage from the June strikes, and the US suspects Iran of seeking nuclear weapons.
