U.S. and Iran Trade Claims on Nuclear Inspections as Talks Continue

The head of the United Nations nuclear agency said Wednesday that inspectors will visit Iran’s nuclear sites, and an Iranian deputy foreign minister promptly said that access to the bombed facilities will come only after a final agreement with the United States. The exchange, reported by the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, shows how fragile the 60-day negotiations remain after the interim memorandum signed last week.

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters in Japan that the memorandum “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.” He added, “Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect,” and that dates and locations were being discussed with Iran. “Whether this happens today, after tomorrow, or in one week, or in 10 days, it’s important but not essential. This is going to happen,” Grossi said, calling the competing U.S. and Iranian statements a “war of words.”

Iran’s position was spelled out by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on X, according to Al Jazeera: access to attacked nuclear sites and material “would solely be examined and resolved within the framework of a final agreement,” and depends on “the other party’s practical action in terminating all sanctions.” He said no Iranian officials met Grossi in Switzerland despite his request. On Tuesday Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said there is no clear schedule for the agency to examine sites attacked by the United States and Israel, rejecting comments by Vice President JD Vance a day earlier, the AP reported.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that if Iran had not agreed to inspections he would cut off talks immediately, the AP reported. He later told reporters outside the White House that inspectors will be heading to Iran but that there is “no rush,” according to Al Jazeera. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that no negotiations have taken place on Iran’s ballistic missile program, nor would they, Al Jazeera reported.

The IAEA has not been allowed to visit the enrichment sites bombed during the 12-day war of 2025, where the AP said Iran is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium for as many as 10 weapons if it chose to build them. Iran says its program is peaceful; it is the only country without a weapons program to have enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, the AP reported. Iran suspended cooperation with the agency in July and let inspectors return in September under a new framework, and officials visited the Bushehr power plant this month, but inspectors were denied access to the bombed sites, according to Al Jazeera.

Talks are continuing. Technical teams from both countries met in Switzerland over the past several days, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he believes technical talks will resume there on June 29 or 30, Al Jazeera reported. A separate track moved forward Tuesday when the International Maritime Organization said a plan with Iran, Oman, the United States and other states will move about 11,000 stranded seafarers out through the Strait of Hormuz, the AP reported.

The interim deal calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium and waives U.S. sanctions while giving each side 60 days for broader agreements, the AP said. Some Republican senators have praised the effort to reopen the strait but have raised concerns about sanctions relief and whether Tehran will accept enforceable limits on its nuclear program, CNBC reported Tuesday.