The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, warned Monday that time is running short to finalize an agreement with Iran on resuming full inspections of its nuclear facilities.
Speaking to the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors and quoted by Reuters, Grossi said, “There is still time, but not much. Always enough when there is good faith and a clear sense of responsibility.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been barred from accessing key Iranian nuclear sites since June, following coordinated strikes on those sites by the United States and Israel. In response, Iran passed legislation suspending cooperation with the IAEA, requiring inspection approvals from its Supreme National Security Council.
Talks between the IAEA and Tehran are now focused on the “modalities” for restoring inspections. Grossi emphasized that Iran remains obligated under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to permit verification measures.
“Progress has been made,” he said. “It is my sincere hope that within the next few days it will be possible to come to a successful conclusion of these discussions in order to facilitate the resumption, the full resumption, of our indispensable work with Iran.”
On Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran and the IAEA are “very close” to finalizing a new framework for bilateral cooperation.
“As far as I know, good negotiations have been held and we are very close to arriving at a new cooperation framework with the agency itself,” Araghchi stated.
The minister emphasized that any agreement must reflect Iran’s national concerns, “which have been specifically reflected in the parliament's law.”
The negotiations between Iran and the IAEA come amid mounting pressure from Europe’s leading powers - France, Britain, and Germany - who launched a 30-day process on August 28 to reimpose sanctions on Iran. The sanctions were originally lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, which collapsed after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018.
The E3 nations have made clear that unless inspections resume and Iran accounts for its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, they will proceed with the “snapback” sanctions mechanism.
Grossi expressed optimism that progress on inspections could pave the way for broader diplomatic engagement. “I am confident that with these practical steps in place, other important diplomatic consultations and processes will find a more promising ground upon which to advance towards positive outcomes,” he said, according to Reuters.