Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Wednesday rejected the statement made by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding inspections of nuclear sites.
He made it clear that such inspections would be possible only after a final agreement is reached between the United States and Iran. Gharibabadi was responding to comments made by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Japan.
The Iranian deputy foreign minister posted, “Despite Grossi’s request, no meeting was held with him in Switzerland. There is currently no plan to grant access to the nuclear facilities that were attacked or to the nuclear materials present there.”
He added, “These issues will be reviewed and decisions on them will be made only within the framework of a final agreement. Moreover, this will be possible only if the other side takes concrete and practical steps to remove all sanctions and other punitive measures.” He further said, “You cannot advance a policy of ‘provocation and takeover’ through media hype.”
Earlier, during a press conference in Tokyo, IAEA chief Grossi had said that inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites would definitely take place. He stated, “Whether it happens today, the day after tomorrow, in a week, or in ten days is important, but not essential. It will certainly happen.”
Earlier, U.S. Vice President JD Vance had claimed that Iran had agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that Iran had not held any meeting with Grossi and that no clear timeline had been set for inspections.
Since the conflict of June 2025, Tehran has prevented the IAEA from inspecting enrichment sites where it is believed the Islamic Republic has accumulated highly enriched uranium at levels that, if it chose to do so, could be enough to build around 10 nuclear weapons. However, Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.
