TOKYO: An Iranian diplomat rejected comments on Wednesday by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying nuclear site inspections would only be possible after a final US-Iran deal.
Kazem Gharibabadi, a deputy foreign minister, made the comment on X. He was reacting to remarks earlier in the day by Rafael Grossi in Japan.
"No meeting was held with Grossi in Switzerland, despite his request. Nor is there any plan for access to the facilities that were attacked or to nuclear material," Gharibabadi wrote.
Notably, Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors.
"These issues will be reviewed and decided only within the framework of a final agreement and as a result of practical action by the other side to end all sanctions and other measures." He added: "You cannot advance the stir up and take over' policy with media hype."
“I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by both presidents,” he told journalists at a news conference at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The accord “says explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA — in all letters,” he said.
Grossi added: “Obviously, to do that, 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.”
Those inspections are key for the deal, which calls for Iran’s stockpile of uranium to be “downblended” from highly enriched levels.
The remarks by IAEA chief Grossi were the firmest yet from the United Nations agency, which is viewed as key in determining the status of Iran's nuclear stockpile.
Since Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked by Tehran from visiting enrichment sites where the Islamic Republic is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build as many as 10 nuclear weapons, should it choose to rush for the bomb.
Iran long has maintained that its program is peaceful, though it is the only country in the world to have uranium enriched up to 60% purity without a weapons program.
The US and Iran offered contradictory remarks Tuesday about whether those sites would be inspected. Grossi acknowledged the contradictions, calling it a “war of words” at the moment.
