Witkoff Says Iran Will Let IAEA Inspect Nuclear Sites

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said overnight Wednesday that Iran will invite International Atomic Energy Agency representatives to its nuclear sites so work can begin on removing the Islamic Republic’s enriched uranium. He made the remarks in a meeting with lawmakers in Congress and members of national security committees in the United States.

Witkoff told the American officials that the memorandum of understanding signed by Washington does not include side deals. He added that Tehran has drafted, together with the IAEA, an invitation for agency representatives to come to Iran, and that the letter would allow IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to send American inspectors to Tehran.

His comments came as the official text of the memorandum signed between the United States and Iran was published. Under clauses 8 and 9, Iran renewed its commitment not to acquire or develop nuclear weapons while maintaining the current status of its nuclear program. The two sides also agreed to resolve the removal of accumulated enriched material through a mutually agreed mechanism.

The remarks followed Israeli criticism reported two days earlier, in which officials called the expected deal a bad agreement because it would, in their view, “release the pressure too early and cancel the military threat that was on the table until now.” They also objected to clauses linking developments in Iran and Lebanon, saying those provisions run counter not only to what Israel wants but also to what Lebanon wants.