Tehran conditions IAEA inspections on new protocol
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran will not allow inspections of nuclear facilities damaged during the 2026 war with the US until the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) establishes procedures for accessing sites hit in military attacks, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) chief Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday.
Speaking to state media, Eslami maintained that Iran remains in a state of war and the affected facilities have yet to be secured. “The IAEA cannot request inspections of Iranian nuclear sites until a protocol for this is established,” he noted, adding that any access would also be subject to legislation passed by parliament.
Eslami accused the agency of yielding to US and Israeli pressure, arguing that “international organizations should operate without political interference.” He said Washington and Tel Aviv were seeking inspections to assess the outcome of their military operations and criticized the IAEA for not condemning strikes on facilities it had previously monitored. Sites unaffected by the conflict remain accessible under existing safeguards arrangements.
The IAEA lost access to damaged facilities during the US-Iran conflict, preventing it from independently verifying their condition or the status of nuclear material there. Tehran subsequently restricted entry to those sites while allowing monitoring elsewhere, including at the Bushehr nuclear power plant and Tehran Research Reactor.
Nuclear verification remains part of negotiations between Tehran and Washington. An interim memorandum signed on June 17 sought to end the war that began in February 2026 and pave the way for a broader settlement, but its 60-day negotiating period expired in August without a permanent agreement.
The fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the restoration of IAEA monitoring at damaged facilities remain unresolved. US President Donald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that Washington would not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Read more: Force without a finish line: Iran losing war, US losing endgame
