A senior official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to arrive in Tehran Monday for talks with the Iranian regime, despite the country’s recent law banning all cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Iranian state media confirmed the visit, noting the official is not a nuclear inspector and will be barred from visiting any of the regime’s nuclear facilities. The visit comes less than two months after Iran formally outlawed IAEA inspections and access to its enrichment sites.
The discussions aim to establish a “framework for cooperation” under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed there is “no plan for any inspection” and that no physical access to nuclear facilities will be granted without new terms approved by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s advisory council. Senior lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi called these restrictions “final and irreversible.”
The IAEA has repeatedly accused Iran of violating the NPT and hiding enrichment activities. In June, the agency passed a resolution condemning Tehran for its lack of transparency, with Director-General Rafael Grossi alleging that the regime had attempted to “sanitize” sites to conceal illicit nuclear development. Iran continues to enrich uranium at levels well above civilian needs while threatening regional security, particularly toward Israel.
Following the IAEA resolution, Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion,” targeting Iran’s top terrorist leaders, while President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes on key uranium enrichment sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 13. U.S. officials claim the strikes effectively crippled Iran’s enrichment capacity, though the lack of inspectors in-country has prevented independent verification. Grossi has said the attacks “significantly set back” Iran’s nuclear program but warned that without direct access, assessments remain limited.
Despite this hardline stance, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told Japan’s Kyodo News that Iran could “show flexibility” on enrichment limits but would never halt enrichment entirely. He also signaled Tehran might accept a peace deal without U.S. reparations for the destroyed nuclear facilities — a notable shift from prior demands.
