UN Nuclear Watchdog Deputy Visits Iran Amid Inspection Standoff

A senior official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is scheduled to visit Iran for talks aimed at establishing a new framework for cooperation, but no inspections of nuclear sites will take place during this visit. This development follows Israeli airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June, which severely damaged key sites and led Iran to suspend its cooperation with the IAEA under a law requiring approval from its Supreme National Security Council for any inspections. Iran has accused the IAEA of enabling the attacks by issuing a critical report that prompted the agency's Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. Despite these tensions, Iran asserts its commitment to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and continues diplomatic contacts with European parties, though it disputes Europe's status as a participant in the JCPOA and rejects the relevance of the snapback mechanism. The visit marks the first high-level IAEA engagement since the conflict, underscoring the complex and strained state of nuclear diplomacy between Iran, the IAEA, and the international community. Negotiations will seek to define a cooperative framework consistent with Iranian legislation and security considerations before resuming site inspections.