In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, listens to head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP, File)
A "very strong" verification system is needed in Iran following the Middle East conflict to ensure that the country does not develop nuclear weapons, the U.N. atomic watchdog chief said on June 26.
Iran's nuclear program is a key sticking point in talks to end the Middle East war, which began in late February with a massive U.S.-Israeli campaign of strikes.
Iran and the U.S. last week signed a preliminary deal to end the conflict, embarking on negotiations expected to address a host of disputes, including the nuclear programme.
But there has been contrasting information from Tehran and Washington on whether U.N. inspectors will have access to Iranian nuclear facilities.
"I think the objective of this agreement is to ensure that there is no development of nuclear weapons in Iran. The government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi said Friday.
"But of course intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place... as soon as is practicable," he added.
Grossi said the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog had so far "barely initiated" talks with Iran following the agreement with the United States.
The deal specifies that the country's stockpile of enriched uranium should be "downblended" under IAEA supervision.
Before the war the IAEA estimated that Iran had 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, but the fate of that stockpile is unknown after the U.S. and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
Uranium enriched to 90 per cent can be used to make a bomb.
"Initial conversations have taken place," Grossi said of his agency's contact with Iran. "We expect this work to pick up soon."
Iran's nuclear programme has long been a source of friction with Western powers, who suspect Tehran is building a bomb.
Iran has systematically denied the claim and says it has a right to a civilian nuclear programme.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Tehran had "fully and completely agreed" to allow U.N. inspectors to return to the country, while on Wednesday Grossi said inspections of Iranian nuclear sites were "going to happen".
Iran, however, said this week it had no intention of admitting the watchdog.
Tehran agreed a landmark nuclear deal with six big powers in 2015 that placed limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, but Trump walked away from the agreement during his first term as president.
Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA last year after the U.S. and Israeli attacks in June.
Grossi said an alternative to diluting the enriched uranium could be to ship it out of Iran.
"It would perhaps be more complicated, but there are a few technical alternatives to deal with the material," he said.
The dispute threatens to derail efforts to reach a permanent settlement between the U.S. and Iran following months of war, with the other key dispute being the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait is a narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman that leads to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, making it a chokepoint for crucial energy shipments out of the Gulf.
Iran closed the waterway during the war in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes, and its control of the strait has emerged as key leverage in the negotiations, as the world economy reels from energy shortages.
On Wednesday an attack on a ship in the strait led the U.N. to suspend an effort to evacuate trapped mariners, many of whom have been stranded on the water since the war began.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO said a cargo ship was "hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge", but reported no casualties.
Iran has also said it plans to introduce fees for crossing the strait, a scheme vehemently opposed by Washington and most Gulf countries.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting the Gulf on Wednesday, dismissed the idea of charges, saying it would open the door to "total chaos".
Rubio said the United States wants a deal with Iran, but "we don't want a deal at any price".
