VIENNA, June 24. /Dunyo IA/. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said inspectors from the agency will return to Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities as part of an agreement between the United States and Iran, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing The Associated Press.

Head of the agency said the inspections are stipulated under a deal aimed at resolving tensions between Washington and Tehran and implementing commitments related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking at a press conference at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, the IAEA chief emphasized that the memorandum signed by the parties explicitly provides for agency oversight of activities involving nuclear materials and facilities.

To fulfill these obligations, “we will have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it’s important, but not essential. This is going to happen,” Rafael Grossi said.

The inspections are regarded as one of the key components of the agreement, which includes measures to reduce the enrichment level of Iran’s uranium stockpile.

Following the outbreak of the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in 2025, Tehran restricted IAEA inspectors’ access to uranium enrichment facilities. According to assessments by Western experts, these sites may contain a stockpile of highly enriched uranium theoretically sufficient to produce up to ten nuclear warheads. Iran, however, continues to maintain that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.

The agency currently retains access to several other nuclear facilities in the country, including the nuclear power plant in the city of Bushehr. However, the lack of access to uranium enrichment plants has prevented the IAEA from verifying the current status of Iran’s nuclear material stockpiles and assessing the operation of centrifuges.

U.S. and Iranian officials have previously issued conflicting statements regarding potential inspections. Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of Iran Esmaeil Baghaei said that UN inspectors were not expected to visit facilities targeted by U.S. strikes. He stated that any interaction with UN inspectors would be conducted “in accordance with existing procedures established by Iran’s parliament and the Supreme National Security Council.”

The comments came in response to remarks by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Then, U.S. President Donald Trump also asserted that, despite “protests and false claims to the contrary,” Iran had “fully agreed” to inspections. “If they do not agree to this, there will be no further negotiations,” he wrote on his social media.

Last week, Washington and Tehran reached an agreement under which Iran is expected to lower the enrichment level of its existing uranium stockpiles. In return, U.S.-backed sanctions relief is envisaged. The parties also agreed to continue negotiations over a broader package of agreements within the next 60 days.

Photo credit: UNN