Iran denies access to nuclear sites bombed by US, Israel
What's the story
Iran has refused to let United Nations nuclear inspectors into its facilities that were damaged during the 2025 conflict with Israel and the United States. The announcement was made by Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei at a press conference. "We have not had a meeting with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor do we have any plans for the agency to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities damaged by the US and Zionist military aggression," he said.
Contrasting views
US vice-president said Iran agreed to allow UN inspectors
The announcement comes after United States Vice-President JD Vance said on Monday that Iran would allow UN nuclear inspectors to return. He called it "a major milestone... and the first step in permanently denuclearising" Iran. This development was preceded by talks in Switzerland, which were mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
Conflict aftermath
US bombed Iran's nuclear facilities
The conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025, which the US joined later, lasted for 12 days. During this time, Washington bombed three nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Although Iran claimed Natanz was hit again in the latest war with the US and Israel, Israel maintained it was "not aware of a strike."
IAEA cooperation
Access denied since last year
US President Donald Trump had claimed to have "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program last year, but the full extent of the damage remains unclear. Iran has so far denied access to these sites, citing security concerns. In July last year, Iran suspended its cooperation with the IAEA after criticizing it for not condemning Israeli-American strikes. However, in September, it agreed to resume cooperation under a new framework that excluded bombed sites.
Treaty adherence
No protocol for inspecting bombed sites, says Iran
On Tuesday, Baqaei emphasized that there is "basically no protocol in this regard" for inspecting bombed sites. He reiterated Iran's commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and safeguards agreements. "As a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as a country committed to safeguards agreements, we will continue the current procedure, and I think the current procedure is very clear," he said.