U.N. inspectors will visit Iran’s nuclear sites under U.S. deal, nuclear agency boss says

Key Points:

• The head of the U.N.’s nuclear agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, confirmed that inspectors will visit Iranian nuclear enrichment sites as part of the interim deal between the U.S. and Iran to end the war, marking the firmest commitment yet from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• Since Israel's 12-day war on Iran in 2025, Tehran has blocked IAEA access to key enrichment sites, where Iran is believed to hold enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build nuclear weapons, despite Iran's claims of a peaceful program.
• The inspections are crucial for the deal, which involves Iran downblending its uranium stockpile, but Iran has not yet responded to Grossi’s announcement and previously rejected U.S. claims about inspecting bombed sites.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on a diplomatic tour in the Persian Gulf, meeting leaders in the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, amid ongoing tensions and fragile ceasefire conditions following recent violence involving Iran-backed militias in Lebanon.
• The interim agreement waives U.S.-backed sanctions on Iran for 60 days while both sides negotiate broader terms, though the ceasefire remains precarious with recent disruptions such as Iran closing the strategic strait amid regional conflicts.