Tehran, Iran – Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced that the agency has resumed inspections in Iran. However, it faces significant restrictions in accessing the most sensitive sites.
In an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Grossi explained that inspectors were only able to access nuclear facilities that were not damaged by the recent US airstrikes.
Challenge of damaged facilities
Grossi noted that progress in resuming inspections is currently one of the most significant challenges facing the agency in Tehran. This is particularly evident in the aftermath of the airstrikes that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities during the recent “12-day war.”
The agency’s director general stated: “This is good because these facilities [that were inspected] are on the agreed inspection list. But the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow facilities are more important because they still contain large quantities of nuclear material and equipment. We need access to them.”
The inability to inspect key facilities containing vital nuclear materials, such as Natanz and Fordow, is a major obstacle to the agency’s efforts to verify the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.
