TOKYO — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency declared Friday that the recently signed interim agreement between the United States and Iran requires international inspectors to be granted access to Iranian nuclear sites.
The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last week, setting the stage for 60 days of negotiations aimed at resolving more complicated sticking points, including questions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. However, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, stated Wednesday that there were no current plans to allow inspectors into those facilities.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi pushed back on that position during a press conference in Japan on Friday, making clear that inspections are required under the agreement.
“There is an agreement and to comply with that agreement, the IAEA will have to have access and inspect,” Grossi said. “We hope to be there soon.”
Grossi confirmed that IAEA inspectors have already conducted an initial meeting with Iranian officials to work through technical details. He said the first priority of any site visit would be verifying that IAEA seals on previously inspected nuclear material are still intact and confirming that no material has gone missing.
“Intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place,” he added.
Iran has not disclosed to the IAEA how much of its enriched uranium survived recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes, nor has it revealed where that material is currently located.
Before the conflict began, the IAEA estimated Iran held approximately 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity. If enriched to a higher level, that quantity would be sufficient to produce roughly 10 nuclear weapons, according to IAEA benchmarks.
