UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi says inspectors are working on Iran site visit modalities tied to a war-related deal

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the IAEA is working on “modalities” for inspectors to visit sites in Iran, describing the access as something that could be carried out as part of a broader war-related diplomatic arrangement. Grossi’s remarks were made after discussions with Iranian officials and followed months of heightened IAEA attention on Iran’s nuclear program and the inspector access needed to verify commitments under any prospective agreement. Grossi did not provide a timeline for when inspectors would arrive or which specific locations would be covered. He said the IAEA is handling the “modalities,” a term typically used in verification planning to describe the procedures, scope, logistics, and safeguards steps required for on-the-ground monitoring. In a context where access disputes have repeatedly delayed verification, the statement underscores that the agency is preparing for a scenario in which inspections could resume or expand if diplomatic conditions are met. According to the BBC, Iran’s foreign minister said any access by the IAEA would only be part of a final deal with the United States. The minister’s comments framed the inspector visit question as tightly linked to the end-stage negotiations rather than a standalone operational step. That distinction is important for verification, since partial or interim arrangements can affect the durability of monitoring and the kinds of data the IAEA can gather to support compliance assessments. The IAEA’s role is to verify declarations made by states under safeguards agreements, including through visits to nuclear-related facilities and the collection of information needed to resolve discrepancies. For years, Iran has faced scrutiny for the size and complexity of its nuclear activities, as well as for previous gaps in cooperation that limited the agency’s ability to confirm what is happening on the ground. Any agreement that includes inspector access must also reconcile security and administrative constraints with IAEA technical requirements, including chain-of-custody standards for samples and agreed procedures for observing sensitive processes. Grossi’s statement that the agency is “working on modalities” suggests the IAEA is attempting to ensure that any future access can be operational, verifiable, and consistent with safeguards obligations. Officials from Iran and the United States have repeatedly tied nuclear steps to wider negotiations, but the BBC report makes clear that the access question is now part of the practical bargaining atmosphere. If talks progress toward a final deal, the IAEA would be expected to translate those political commitments into concrete inspection procedures. If talks stall, the IAEA’s planning would likely remain limited to preparation and documentation rather than on-site verification. Next steps, as reflected in Grossi’s comments, depend on whether parties reach a final agreement that authorizes inspector access under agreed verification terms with sufficient scope to allow the IAEA to carry out meaningful monitoring. The agency’s planning work could shorten delays if negotiations move quickly, but it cannot substitute for a political accord that authorizes access.

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Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the IAEA is working on “modalities” for inspectors to visit Iran sites as part of a negotiated arrangement described as tied to a war-related deal framework.

Iran’s foreign minister said any IAEA access would be only part of a final deal with the United States.

Grossi did not specify which sites would be visited or when inspectors could arrive.

The remarks highlight that IAEA verification planning is focused on the practical procedures required for inspections to occur under safeguards conditions.