UN and Iran reach agreement granting access to nuclear facilities

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The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that the agreement between Tehran and the United Nations will allow access to all of Iran's nuclear facilities .

Grossi also stated that he will demand information from Iran about the location of the material that was in places attacked by Israel last June.

The agreement was announced this Wednesday, after a meeting between the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, and the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty.

The remaining details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Still, Grossi told the IAEA board of governors in Vienna that the document provides a clear understanding of procedures for inspection notifications.

The agreement includes all facilities in Iran and also includes mandatory reporting on all facilities that were attacked, including the current location of the material.

Grossi did not detail the agenda that will be fulfilled by the United Nations agency.

“Iran and the agency will resume cooperation in a comprehensive and appropriate manner,” Grossi said.

On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law adopted by the Iranian Parliament suspending all cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

The measure was adopted after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, during which Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

IAEA inspectors failed to verify Iranian stockpiles that the UN nuclear watchdog described as a “matter of serious concern.”

A confidential IAEA report stated that as of June 13, Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms (kg) of uranium enriched to 60%.

If enriched to 90%, the uranium would be enough to make ten nuclear weapons, according to IAEA parameters, although creating a weapon would "de facto" require other knowledge, such as the inclusion of a detonation device.

The only site inspected by the IAEA since the war was the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which operates with Russian technical assistance.

Inspectors monitored a fuel replacement procedure at the plant for two days in August.

Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that the agreement addresses the country's security concerns and challenges and sets out the technical requirements for cooperation with the IAEA.

However, he warned that in the event of “any hostile act” against Iran, including the reimposition of UN sanctions, Tehran would consider the agreement with the IAEA as terminated.

The meeting took place at a delicate time, as France, Germany and the United Kingdom began the process of reimposing sanctions on Iran on August 28 due to what they consider to be a breach of the 2015 agreement aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

European countries said they would be willing to extend the deadline if Iran resumed direct talks with the United States on its nuclear program, allowed UN inspectors access to its nuclear facilities and provided information about the more than 400 kilograms of enriched uranium that the UN watchdog claims it possesses.

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