The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said it will carry out inspections in Iran shortly after an interim peace agreement was reached between the United States and Iran, though the precise arrangements are not yet finalised.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters in Japan on Wednesday that the inspections are scheduled to happen. An audio recording of the press conference was published by the agency online. Grossi said, "The inspections will indeed take place." He added that the IAEA and Iranian authorities will be working on the modalities - dates, procedures, places - very soon.
The statement follows the signing last week of a 14-point memorandum of understanding between the two sides. That interim accord sets out broad agreements in principle intended to end the war and establishes a framework for further negotiation. Under the memorandum, the parties have opened a 60-day window for talks to resolve the more sensitive and complex issues that remain, including matters connected to Iran's nuclear program.
Grossi's remarks underline that while an agreement in principle has been reached, operational details for implementing IAEA verification activity are still under discussion. The agency's confirmation that inspections will take place is clear, but the timeline and procedural specifics are pending as the IAEA and Tehran coordinate next steps.
Observers and stakeholders will be watching the forthcoming 60-day dialogue closely because it will address those thornier details spelled out in the interim memorandum. The pace and outcome of consultations over inspection modalities will determine how quickly on-site verification can proceed and what scope the inspections will have in practice.
Context limitations
The available information specifies that inspections are planned and that modalities remain to be agreed. Beyond those points, there is no additional detail in the current statements about exact timing, the nature of procedures to be used, or the specific locations to be inspected.