The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has announced that a team of inspectors returned to Iran, marking the first visit since Israeli and US strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year.
Iran suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after a 12-day war with Israel in June, with Tehran criticizing the IAEA for failing to condemn the Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear sites.
“Now the first team of IAEA inspectors is back in Iran, and we are about to restart,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in an interview with Fox News’ “The Story.” He emphasized the complexity of the situation, stating, “When it comes to Iran, as you know, there are many facilities. Some were attacked, some were not.” Grossi added that discussions are ongoing about practical modalities to facilitate the resumption of inspections.
Diplomatic Efforts Amid Tensions
The announcement coincided with Iran’s diplomatic talks with Britain, France, and Germany in Geneva as Tehran aims to prevent a sanctions snapback that the European powers have threatened under the stalled 2015 nuclear deal. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who participated in the discussions, stated it was “high time” for the European trio to “make the right choice and give diplomacy time and space.”
Britain, France, and Germany, all parties to the 2015 deal, have warned that they may trigger the accord’s “snapback mechanism” by the end of August. Tuesday’s meeting marked the second round of discussions with European diplomats since the June conflict, which began with an unprecedented Israeli surprise attack.
The war disrupted Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the United States and strained its relationship with the IAEA. Tehran has partially blamed the UN agency for the attacks on its nuclear facilities. Israel maintains that it launched these strikes to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied.
The 2015 nuclear deal faced significant setbacks when former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018 and imposed sanctions on Iran.
