BUTOLPOST – The Iranian government confirmed that it would not provide inspection access to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before reaching a final agreement with the United States regarding its nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions.
This statement was made by Iran’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, via the social media platform X. He emphasized that access to Iran’s nuclear facilities and materials would only be discussed within the framework of a final agreement that accommodates the lifting of all sanctions against his country.
“The issue of access to Iran’s nuclear facilities and materials will be reviewed and resolved solely within the framework of the final agreement as well as as a result of concrete actions by other parties to lift all sanctions,” Gharibabadi wrote.
He also denied that there had been a meeting between the Iranian negotiating team and the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, in Switzerland in recent days. According to him, even though Grossi submitted a request for a meeting, up to now no official agenda has been implemented.
Tehran’s firm stance came after Rafael Grossi previously stated that the IAEA would continue inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran.
The MoU, which was signed on June 18 2026, opened a 60-day negotiation period to reach a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program as well as the lifting of international sanctions which have been burdening the country’s economy.
The first round of negotiations took place in Switzerland on 21–22 June 2026. The two parties reportedly discussed a number of crucial issues, including the level of uranium enrichment, international verification mechanisms, and stages of lifting economic sanctions.
Tensions related to Iran’s nuclear program are still a matter of international concern. Iran’s three main nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan were previously targeted by United States military strikes in the conflict known as the “12 Day War” in June 2025.
These three locations again became the center of tension after a new conflict broke out on February 28 2026, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on a number of Iranian nuclear and military targets.
Amid the ongoing negotiation process, Iran’s rejection of IAEA inspections shows that Tehran maintains a strong bargaining position. The Iranian government believes that full access to nuclear facilities can only be granted if there are concrete guarantees regarding the lifting of sanctions that have been imposed by Western countries.
This development is expected to be one of the main issues in continuing US-Iran negotiations which will determine the direction of relations between the two countries as well as the future of monitoring Iran’s nuclear program.
