IAEA Says Inspectors Will Return to Iran Nuclear Facilities

VIENNA (AP) — The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tuesday that agency inspectors will return to Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities under the terms of a recently announced interim agreement between Iran and the United States. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the inspections are required by the understanding reached between the two governments and are expected to move forward despite conflicting public statements from officials in Tehran and Washington about the scope and timing of the monitoring effort. The inspections would mark the agency's most significant access to Iran's nuclear program since restrictions were imposed following military strikes and heightened regional tensions.

The return of inspectors is considered critical to the international community's ability to verify the status of Iran's nuclear facilities and stockpiles of enriched uranium. The IAEA has repeatedly warned that its ability to assess Iran's compliance with nonproliferation obligations has been limited without direct access to key sites. Concerns have persisted since fighting in 2025 damaged several Iranian nuclear facilities and interrupted routine monitoring activities. Under the new arrangement, inspectors are expected to evaluate nuclear material, review facility operations and help confirm the implementation of measures included in the broader U.S.-Iran agreement.