UN nuclear chief says inspectors will visit Iran sites

2026-06-24 19:43:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The head of the global nuclear watchdog agency has said it will carry out inspections in Iran under the country's preliminary peace deal with the US.

"The inspections will indeed take place," International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters in Japan. "We will work very quickly on the modalities - the dates, the procedures, the locations."

The agreement signed last week stated "clearly" that the dilution of Iran's highly enriched uranium would be carried out under IAEA supervision, he added.

However, Iran's deputy foreign minister said that access to its damaged nuclear facilities and nuclear material will only be addressed within the framework of a final agreement with the US.

Grossi's comments came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan before travelling to Kuwait and Bahrain to discuss the deal.

Speaking in Kuwait, Rubio said the US would not agree with Iran on anything that would harm the security of US allies in the region.

"We will be fully aligned with our partners in the Persian Gulf," he told reporters.

"If Iran wants to make a good and real deal, the United States is open to that. If they don't, then of course the president has options," Rubio said, adding that negotiators would likely meet again in Switzerland before the end of the month.

The head of the global nuclear watchdog agency has said it will carry out inspections in Iran under the country's preliminary peace deal with the US.

The agreement signed last week stated "clearly" that the dilution of Iran's highly enriched uranium would be carried out under IAEA supervision, he added.

However, Iran's deputy foreign minister said that access to its damaged nuclear facilities and nuclear material will only be addressed within the framework of a final agreement with the US.

Grossi's comments came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan before travelling to Kuwait and Bahrain to discuss the deal.

Speaking in Kuwait, Rubio said the US would not agree with Iran on anything that would harm the security of US allies in the region.

"We will be fully aligned with our partners in the Persian Gulf," he told reporters.

In recent days, there has been a dispute between the US and Iran over the issue of UN nuclear inspectors' visits to sites in the country.

On Monday, after talks in Switzerland with Iran's chief negotiator, US Vice President JD Vance said that Iran had "agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back to their country".

The next day, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that there had been no "detailed discussions" and that Iran had no plans to give IAEA inspectors access to nuclear facilities which were bombed by the US during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025.