Iran Blocks IAEA Access to Damaged Nuclear Sites Amid Rising Tensions with US

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai stated on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) access to Iran's damaged nuclear facilities remains blocked. He criticized the IAEA for negligence and urged its director, Rafael Grossi, to act more responsibly instead of engaging in election propaganda. The dispute follows reports that the IAEA seeks to resume inspections of Iran's nuclear sites, focusing on the location of enriched uranium stockpiles.

Tensions have escalated between Washington and Tehran over whether Iran has committed to allowing IAEA inspectors back into the country under a temporary peace agreement reached in Switzerland. Grossi affirmed that the agreement grants inspectors access for monitoring and verification, emphasizing the priority of confirming the whereabouts of Iran's enriched uranium. However, according to CNN, the IAEA has been denied access to nuclear sites damaged during the 2025 conflict involving Israel, the US, and Iran for over a year. The last inspection was limited to the operational Bushehr nuclear power plant earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Majid Ebn al-Reza spoke by phone with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, warning that Iran does not trust its adversaries and is prepared to respond decisively to any ceasefire violations. He accused the opposing side of repeatedly breaching commitments during the ceasefire period and cited decades of US interference and broken promises as the root of ongoing mistrust and hostility between the two countries.