UN watchdog to visit Iran as Tehran enforces new inspection restrictions
Iran will host a visit from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog within the next two weeks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced Monday.
The announcement follows remarks by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who recently said Tehran is ready to resume technical discussions with the agency.
Baghaei stated that Iran will present a new framework for cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, based on a recently enacted law passed by parliament. Under the law, any future inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites by the IAEA must be approved by the country’s Supreme National Security Council.
The move comes amid heightened tensions following last month’s "Israeli" and US airstrikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear program. The IAEA has repeatedly insisted it must be allowed to resume inspections, expressing concern over Iran’s stockpile of roughly 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
Iran maintains its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and continues to deny any ambition to develop nuclear weapons. Baghaei emphasized that Iran, as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has the right to enrich uranium.
He also reiterated Iran’s position that it may resume indirect talks with the United States if it serves the country’s national interest. However, he confirmed that no new round of negotiations is currently planned. Five rounds of indirect talks hosted by Oman were suspended following the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and "Israel".
Tensions with the IAEA intensified after Grossi stated there was no evidence of a systematic Iranian effort to build a nuclear weapon. Iran has since accused the agency of being slow to respond and politically biased, claiming it provided justification for "Israeli" attacks.
“The agency betrayed the non-proliferation system and became a partner in the unjust war against Iran,” Baghaei said, referring to recent IAEA reports that Tehran claims were used as a pretext for military aggression.
